Riding the train on the highest elevation narrow gage railroad in America

Up early today to drive back into New Mexico, destination the town of Chama. It was quite cold at this early hour. The road to Chama was absolutely beautiful, with very thick, low-lying clouds covering the valleys and the lower part of the mountains.

Chama is home to the Cumbres and Toltec railway, which provides passage to the town of Antonito, in Colorado. You may opt to take it all the way (a 6-hour trip one-way), or, as we did, opt to go halfway to the town of Osier (a 6-hour trip, but round-trip).

At the station in Chama

The scenery was very beautiful indeed. The coal-powered steam train passed over a couple of high bridges, periodically blowing its loud whistle, which would scare the wildlife resting peacefully in their hideout, and would scamper in all directions.

There was an open air car from where you feel as one with nature

If you saw the movie Indiana Jones and the last crusade, you surely remember young Indiana Jones swinging from this water spout as he was pursuing a group of grave robbers aboard a circus train.

The aspens changing color

At Cumbres Pass, over 10,000 feet in elevation

We reached Osier, our furthest stop

The beautiful flags of Colorado and New Mexico

This plane came out of nowhere and flew right over our heads

The conductor tests the temperature of the wheels

The train we were on is continuing its ride to Antonito

We had to make this stop to collect water necessary for the steam engines. The locomotive holds 5000 gallons.

So many hours on the train was more tiring than you might expect, but we still had to make it to Taos for the night, so we had to push through. On the way there, we drove by a multitude of homes which seemed to rise out of the ground, a huge subdivision of 300 abodes, which Gianna recognized immediately as being the largest “Earthship Biosphere” in the world.

\

Biosphere homes scattered through the Taos Valley

There will be more on this on the next blog, which I hope you won’t miss. For now, our beds at the Luna Mystica hotel are waiting for us. Buenas Noches, amigos.