The Train, The Train! Sunday, 6/28/26

 

Oh yay!  We're here in Chama, NM, arriving Saturday at Rio Chama RV Park, and our campsite is right next to the river AND the train tracks.  It's a nice park, filled with tall shade trees, but everything looks so dry.  The wind has been fierce and still is.  Saturday's drive was no fun with the wind pushing ol' Tergel around like a toy.  I see online that the west is on fire and, by gum, that nasty wind is a real factor in those fires.  Anyhoot, we seem to be smoke-free in Chama.  We are grateful.

This is why we've come to Chama, to ride the scenic train!

A short walkabout at the RV park meant testing the Chama River's water temp.  The short answer is:  It's cold.  Clear, shallow and cold.  I didn't fall in.

After our walkabout, I was talking to Nannie on my cell when we heard the train whistle.  Of course, Jimmy and I ran to the trestle to watch 'er coming 'round the curve.  Here she comes!  We waved.  Oh heck, you know everybody waves!

Chama's elevation is over 7800 ft.  Luckily, we're not having any problem with altitude stuff, as this is our third or fourth day this high.  Living at 3200' helps, too.  I can tell you that moisturizing cream soaks in as though you've forgotten to use any for twenty years, and a half hour later your skin looks dry!

We were ready!  Jimmy sits at the Chama train station (photo op) Sunday morning, awaiting our friends, Sharon and Randy, and their son, his wife, and two little ones.  Our morning was chilly, 45 degrees, but the day will warm, and the sun is a-shining!

Randy had reserved a table for the four of us and a table for the kids in the Chama Limited.  Drinks and snacks were provided, and lunch will be served in Osier, Colorado.  The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR has two options.  Our choice is riding up and back 25.7 miles from Chama to Osier.  The other option is riding the train all the way to Antonito and taking a bus back to Chama.  We didn't want to do that.  Randy said the most scenic section is from Chama to Osier.

You'll have to trust me when I say the scenery is over-the-top spectacular.  I took a million pictures, but you only get to view a few.  Hah, as soon as the train pulled away from the station, Jimmy and I left the reserved table for the open cattle car, where we spent all our time.  It was too beautiful to stay inside.

Yes, uphill's produced some ugly black smoke, but the steam train is powered by oil, not coal, mainly due to coal embers being fire starters.  It's America's longest and highest narrow-gauge railroad, the line built in 1880.

We tried several times to line everyone up for a group photo.  Didn't happen.  Herding cats is easier.  I did manage this shot of Sharon and Randy and grandson, three-yr-old Christopher, who's wearing a train outfit and hat.  Randy is a true train buff.  I mentioned in my last post that he's volunteered/worked at this RR for two weeks every summer, for the past ten years.

This guy is another train buff! 

A road of sorts (or maybe more than one) meanders near the train tracks, and occasionally we'd have to cross the road, with the whistle a toot-toot-tootin'!  The tracks wind up, wrap around and over, do an almost complete turn-about, and continue up-up-up.  It was grand!

Till finally we achieved the summit!

Jimmy and Randy and Randy's daughter-in-law in the cattle car.

Look at that sky!

I laughed when I first saw what I called a "little putt-putt car" following our train.  See it, above, on the tracks as the train maneuvered Tanglefoot Curve?  I thought it was cute.  When I found out it always follows the train as a fire spotter, with a water tank behind, I changed my mind about it being funny.  If a spark occurs, the guy aboard the putt-putt car can take care of it immediately.

Randy and his son, Andrew (foreground).

This is one of those places where railroad families used to live through the winter. Fierce winter storms would leave snow drifts of 20 feet or more.  (no thanks)  Mostly no one lives full time up here. 

We were told a family reunion was going on where you see the vehicles upper left.  Jimmy and I couldn't figure out how they got there, although I see a dirt road in this picture.  They'd need four-wheel drive for sure.  The paved road was nowhere in sight.  The water is either Cascade Creek or Rio de Los Pinos.

Dudes.

Oh boy, a trestle!  This one is Cascade Trestle, highest bridge on the track -- 137' above Cascade Creek.  Everyone was hanging over the cattle car taking pictures.

Osier, Colorado, elevation 9,637', was our turn-around point.  And lunch -- a nice array of food, with turkey or meatloaf as the main course.  We picked turkey, and the lunch was actually quite good, including the tortilla soup.  Before the RR built its tracks here, a toll road (which was still faintly visible) connecting the Chama Valley with the San Luis Valley ran through this area.  After the RR was built, Osier continued as an important operating facility for coal and water.  And lunch.

On our return, after lunch, we got a better view of little putt-putt and his water tank.  You see he's following the train -- Tanglefoot Curve is quite a feat.  RR builders had to lay track in wide loops to gain 39' of elevation.

Jimmy and I have been to and inside the Donner Pass snow sheds in California.  Above is what's left of the C&T snow shed system.

We saw fields of Corn Lilies in bloom.  Whenever I've hiked in the Sierras, I've tried to catch glimpses of Corn Lilies and I'm either too early or too late.  Here, in all their glory, were thousands of blossoms.

Speaking of blooms -- how about that Yellow Columbine?  Also having a heyday are Green Genetians, aka Monument Plants, above right.  We saw LOTS.  Bottom left is another acre of Corn Lilies and at right are copious amounts of Lupines.  All, except the columbine, were taken from a moving and bouncing train.

I managed a few videos.  Give a listen to the one above and you'll hear how strong the wind was.  But listen to the end, please.

Haha, about the time the docent in the cattle car suggested we hold onto our hats at Windy Point, Jimmy's cap flew off into the Colorado landscape.  I hailed our car attendant and told her (jokingly) that Jimmy'd lost his hat, "and you know what that means."  She immediately went to the conductor and relayed the information so his hat could be picked up!  What I meant was that Jimmy would have to buy a new (RR) cap.

At the Chama station, the conductor approached Jimmy with his found cap!  He nearly fell over.  I think the message was relayed to the putt-putt guy who located his hat in the bushes of Colorado.  How cool is that!

The tall white stalks are the Monument Plants.  At a couple of places, the train journeyed through Aspen forests.  We mused about how stunning an autumn ride would be with golden Aspens decorating the hillsides.  The C&T RR operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day or thereabouts.  That's the other reason we're traveling in summer (not our usual MO).

Crossing the Lobato Trestle, second-highest bridge on the line at 100' above Wolf Creek.

Looking back at the trestle we just crossed.

Two very happy riders.  We did get too much sun, even with sunscreen on.  And we were exhausted when we rolled into the Chama station, probably from the sun and wind.  Randy and Sharon's grandkids seemed to love the ride and were no problem.  I told Jimmy that it didn't matter what else we did on this trip, and he agreed, "It don't get no better than this."  

Hah!  I captured a shot of Tergel just before the station, all snug in the tall trees.  Well, and that was our ride, from 11am to 5pm/ish.  Everything we hoped for, plus seeing friends -- worth its weight in gold.

Petra! Fri, 10/10/25

Petra, Jordan, may have been a trip afterthought, but now we were like two little school kids on a field trip, excited, filled with anticipation and ready to explore, its mystique looming large.  Our guide, Faris, met us in the Mövenpick lobby and we walked across the road toward Petra's V/C, stopping for a prerequisite photo, below.  The morning was sweet, cool and sunny, but the temp would inch toward 90 in the afternoon.

BTW, Mövenpick puts out a great breakfast buffet.  I'm waffling here (no pun intended) because I truly didn't know what to expect regarding Petra.  I was thinking there was more to see than the building everybody knows as "Petra."  Jimmy agrees.

Faris and Jimmy approaching the entry gate.

Hoy!  This is probably easier reading if you're on a computer, but even then, you'll need to enlarge the pic.  We're starting at the far right, where it says Mövenpick, and it appears we'll be doing A LOT of walking!

From the Visitor Center, we walked along a dusty road, though we could've ridden a horse, but I wanted to walk with Faris and hear him talk about the ancient people -- the Nabateans -- who lived here, who made this city.

Petra's heyday occurred during the 1st century BCE, when it served as the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom. The city flourished due to its strategic location along trade routes, making it a significant center for trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices.

After the dusty road, we approached the iconic Siq. The Siq is a natural 3/4-mile-long sandstone gorge that gently winds toward the ancient city, until it opens on to the magnificent Treasury. A triumphal arch once spanned the Siq entrance (above), but it collapsed in 1895.  I saw an old photo of the arch, and it was perfect, like icing on a cake.

Water channels ran along each side of the Siq and held clay pipes that carried fresh water to the city from springs.  We could see some parts of the water channel even after all these years.  One side was for people, the other side for animals.  Some sections of the old road were still visible, too.

Dramatic.

Consider this:  The Siq's narrow, winding path also served a strategic purpose—restricting entry and shielding Petra from potential threats.

I could've spent the entire day in the Siq, with the interplay of light on the rocks, in the often narrow, other times widening gorge which allowed sunlight to enter.  Occasionally we walked without others close, but too often we ran into a French-speaking tour group and had to walk away as they were loud (not those above).  I love this picture.

I swear, the Nabateans were wizards.  They knew what happens to narrow gorges when flash floods occur, so they built dams (far left) in prone areas.  They controlled the water.  Niches and "god blocks" (middle, left) were carved throughout the Siq to protect those entering and leaving the city.  Two large carvings of camels with drovers (middle right), a testament to Nabatean trade, were weathered, but recognizable. There's always something to capture your attention in the Siq.

Walking through the Siq was so cool.

Faris became animated as we approached the end of the Siq, above left.  Then, suddenly, we burst out into bright sunlight and in front of us was:  Petra.  It's called The Treasury, carved into the cliff face.  It left us breathless.  This is what I thought constituted Petra.  Lots of people were milling around in this wide-open space, everyone vying for the best photo.  No, you can't go inside, it's off limits these days, but it's empty anyway.

Petra was a city, but essentially what we're seeing here are tombs.  We continued walking, along the "Street of Facades" lined with more tomb fronts.  Look up at the top right and you'll see a guy standing next to the flag!  We didn't join him.

Next came the Roman-style theater, but Nabatean made -- carved out of solid rock! It could seat approx 8500 people.  All the other ancient theaters we've seen on this trip have been made with blocks stacked upon blocks.  This theater, above, is all carved.    

The colors!  Oh, the beauty of these rocks.

Continuing along the path, we reached the Royal Tombs, a series of grand burial places including the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, and the Corinthian Tomb.  We climbed up here, but they're also empty so we didn't go in.  People are atop the tombs (but not us).

Look wayyyy down there, beyond the lone horse, and you'll see tiny people and more Petra!  We'll eventually walk to those buildings.

All carved in solid rock.

North of the Colonnaded Street lies the ruins of the Byzantine Church, with its wonderful mosaics.  Wiki tells us:  Archaeologists concluded that the Church was originally built in the second half of the fifth century CE. It continued to be used as a religious structure until about the early seventh century CE, when it was destroyed by fire.  These mosaics retained color and clarity!

Above are the remains of Colonnaded Street, the city’s main shopping street two thousand years ago. On either side of the street are the ruins of the once-grand city center, including the Great Temple, one of the largest Nabatean public buildings.  You can see groups of people in the clearing.  We'd walk down there after our lunch at the Basin Restaurant, near the trees at right.

My words and pictures only touch the surface of this amazing place.  To see it in person is a truly WOW experience.  Petra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and added to the list of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks in 2011. 

I usually don't wear a ball cap, but with my sun visor gone, the cap worked.  Here I stand on the Colonnaded Street.

"The pavement marks the emplacement of the main colonnaded street that ran through Petra's city center. Built by the Romans in the second century AD, it replaced an earlier Nabataean street – a spacious dirt-and-gravel road, which may have been lined with houses that followed the winding course of the Wadi Musa, Petra's main riverbed."

But still very rugged.

We skipped hiking up to the Monastery (800 rock-hewn uneven steps) and rejected the offer of a donkey ride up to it.  That building very much resembles The Treasury, and we were already on fumes.  We're fine with our choice.

More folks were coming in as we were walking out.  Jordan is a 97% Muslim country.  Today being Friday, Jordanians have the day off for religious reasons (their workweek is Sun-Thurs).  On Fridays, Petra offers locals a one-dinar entry fee, so native Jordanians were taking advantage of this.  

Jimmy's encounter with Bob:  Top -- Bob's head is painted orange, and he has orange spots, don't ask me why.  Jimmy says howdy.  Bottom left:  Jimmy moves in and Bob sticks his neck out to give Jimmy a sniff.  Bob then turns his head toward me and the camera and laughs!  Honest.  I about died laughing.  Enlarge the pic and you'll see.  Too funny!

Dead on our feet by this time and back at The Treasury, we were willing to spend the 30 Jordanian Dinar each for a shuttle ride back to the VC, but woe on us when we saw the line!  Hey, no woe, it was lucky us to share the line with these folks.  The lady with the little girl was from Palestine, and she was with relatives from Jordan, Dubai and maybe Lebanon.  They all spoke broken English, but they were so happy to talk with people from California, from America.  They took our picture. She'd shaved the little girl's head because she thought her hair was too coming in too thin, believing it would now come in thick.  I smiled.  Special times.

One last pic of us in front of The Treasury.  To think I thought this one "building" was Petra.  I'm glad I discovered how much more Petra is.  This is the Best of the Best.

We treated ourselves to a delish dinner at the hotel restaurant and then crashed.  We had 5-6-7 miles on the ol' fitbit (I forget exactly), but a ton o' steps.  Tomorrow, we move on to a tent in Wadi Rum!  That'll warrant one last post.