A large fire was burning north of Durango, and a Fire Camp was located just north of where we camped. Smoke permeated the air and helicopters frequently flew overhead, but we were heartened by the many ‘Thank You Firefighters’ signs that were posted everywhere.
We had signed up for a zipline adventure that was supposed to start at the train station in Durango, because the zipline was only accessible by train or by a 6-mile hike on foot. Unfortunately the iconic Durango-Silverton train was not running because of the fire, so we were instructed to go to a small train station north of Durango where we boarded a little open train car that took us Tree Top Adventures. The 30-minute scenic train ride ran along side the Animas River and was absolutely breathtaking. We arrived at Tall Timbers, a stop on the Durango-Silverton line, that was originally a high-end resort built in the 70’s. A zipline course was constructed for the resort’s guests, which fortunately survived after the resort closed. The course consisted of an amazing 27 traverses. Tree Top Adventures is very environmentally conscious and installed platforms in a manner that does not harm the trees.
After a safety briefing and being fit with harnesses, we soared through Ponderosa pines, crisscrossed the Animas River, stopped for a fabulous lunch, were raised 50 feet by a helicopter lift, rappelled down the same distance and ended with the longest run on the course – a whopping 1,400 feet. We couldn’t say enough good things about the professionalism of the staff members, the environmental talks that were given along the way and the wonderful upbeat attitude of these young men and women. This was the best zipline adventure I’ve ever had, and would highly recommend it.
A trip to southern Colorado isn’t complete without visiting Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
While some of these cliff dwellings can be seen up close by hiking down steep, narrow pathways and climbing up and down ladders, we chose to drive the 21-mile loop where we viewed the amazing dwellings from above.
