Chama and Northern New Mexico

We were in Chama for about a week, enjoying the very northern part of NM while waiting for our appointment in Farmington at the Freightliner dealer for some warranty work.  We have been to Chama before, the last time by accident and discovered the wonderful narrow gauge steam train that runs between Chama and Antonito, CO.  The train system in the area was established in 1880-81 as the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and the stretch known as the Cumbers and Toltec is 64 miles long, summits at over 10,000' and took only 9 months to complete. Trains in the Northern NM, Southern CO area were originally built to service the silver mining industry, then used to carry oil and pipe for the oil boom around Farmington.  It also carried peppers from Santa Fe (the Pepper Express) and transported lamb and wool raised on ranches in Northern NM and Southern CO.  More on that in a future "Fiber" blog (no, not Metamucil!). While we did not ride the train this time, we camped right next to the trestle and watched and heard it travel north at 10:00 am and return at 4:00.  It is a big operation jointly run by the  "Friends of the Train" and reactivated by a cooperative effort between New Mexico and Colorado.  The RV Park  contains a number of retirees who spend the summer volunteering in the steam shop.  

Steam Shop

The only wooden coal steam train chute left in the US

While we didn't ride the train we did take a drive that paralleled the route and were able to follow the progress of the train as it traveled north.  While different from being on the train, it was as nice an experience.

This part of NM is beautiful and still very green because of the rainy spring.  We get thunderstorms most afternoons and I have never experienced such loud thunder.  Max is not fond of it but doesn't go too crazy.  Raggie's hearing loss is an advantage.  The other end of the train is a small town named Antonito.  It used to be a major sheep raising area but has clearly fallen on hard times.  An old building intrigued me.

SPMDTO stands for Sociedad Protección Mutua De Trabajadores. and was founded in 1900 in Antonito in order to prevent Hispanic land usurpation and combat discrimination against wage laborers.  It grew into 65 lodges in CO, NM, and UT providing financial aid, low cost insurance and fraternal support.

Another interesting building was the Catholic Church, the first church in Colorado, dedicated in 1863.

First Church in Colorado

One day we took about a 90 mile ride due east to Taos.  It had been a few years since I visited the little town, which was relatively quiet and quaint at the time.  No more.  Like so many places it seems, the word gets out and they become overrun by tourists, retirees and people seeking 2nd homes.  It is a small village with limited traffic infrastructure, resulting in crowded streets and too many people.  We found a lovely cafe at the edge of town and had, yes some more, NM food in a shady patio.  While the town was a big disappointment, the ride to and from was gorgeous.  The summit is 10,500, with the western section a part of a Spanish land grant and the eastern belonging to the Carson National Forest.  At one time there were ranches in the area but the harsh conditions resulted in most being abandoned though summer grazing leases still exist.

Brazos Cliffs

Just west of Taos is the Rio Grande Rift.  It is an impressive, deep "canyon" with the Rio Grande at the bottom going south.  According to an article on Geology of the Taos area:

"The Rio Grande Rift has cleaved Northern Mexico, Texas, New Mexico and half of Colorado over a distance of 800 miles.  The rift is somewhat like a plowed furrow with raised shoulders, partly filled with alluvium.  In this area, the shoulders are the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the east and Brazos Uplift (Tusas Mountains) on the west.  Just west of Taos, the floor of the rift is estimated to be down-faulted 36,000 feet.  If we could vacuum out the alluvium, the basin would be six times deeper than the Grand Canyon."

Rio Grande Rift