Durango, Colorado - 19 September 2015

    When I left the Matterhorn CG, I drove south over Lizard Head Pass to Dolores, CO then east to Durango, where I stayed at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango, at 2500 Main Street, where it costs $16.50/night with E & W.  It's nothing fancy, just a dirt parking lot (back in), 6 sites, no boondocking, and it's located adjacent to, but 75 to 100 feet above the Animas River.  Between the river and the fairgrounds is the start of a 7-mile long paved hiking/biking trail, and the Durango to Silverton coal-fired train runs by, generally 2 trains/day.
    I got out several days to enjoy the walking trail, and got a shot of a chicory plant in bloom:

    While getting that photo, I heard the morning whistle of the approaching train, so I turned around to get a picture of it.   Here it comes,

and there it goes.

    One night later in the week, I was awakened about 11 PM by someone making a lot of noise, banging the 50 gallon drums that were placed in the camping area for disposal of garbage.  First on one side of my trailer, then on the other.  I finally got up to look out my bedroom window, and saw that it was one BIG black bear, about 30-40 feet from my trailer.  I yelled at it, but that didn't even faze it.  So I went back to bed, but heard later when the night shift workmen from the maintenance shopt next door came over to clean up the mess and set things right.  Perhaps they even drove the bruin off.  But that was the only night I heard or saw him around.  

    Tomorrow I plan to relocate to a National Forest campground outside Silverton, CO, probably the South Mineral CG, where I stayed some 11 years ago right after I retired.  There are, however, 3 other primitive campgrounds available in the immediate area: the Kendall CG, the Golden Horn CG and the Sultan & Anvil CG - this latter CG is named for two of the mountains in the immediate area.  I'm hoping I should be able to get some pictures of aspens in fall color.

    Till then, hope all is going well,

           - Bill -