DURANGO-SILVERTON (Day 17 - part 4)

Why are the riverbanks orange?

Unfortunately, just because a mine closes, that doesn't mean that's the end of it. The state of Colorado has some 230 old mines that have been leaking contaminants into over 1,600 miles of rivers and streams for decades, filling them with cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic, manganese and zinc. It is estimated that 40% of river headwaters in the West are impaired by acid mine drainage. Naturally, the old mining hub of Silverton is a hotspot. With nearly 5,400 mining sites in the upper Animas watershed, about 400 impact the area, with 60 of those depositing more than 516,000 pounds of heavy metals into the watershed each year.

But the state faces numerous limitations. First, cleanup is expensive. Also, thanks to an old 1872 mining law, companies are not required to pay any fees to deal with abandoned mines... and even if they did, most of them aren't around anymore anyway.

There aren't any state or federal program for inspecting remote mines. Usually the leaks are only discovered when residents report bright colors or dead fish.

Furthermore, according to federal law, anybody who tries to clean up a mine and inadvertently makes the problem worse can face federal prosecution for tens of millions of dollars for environmental damages. So much for getting any help from conservation groups!

As a result, Colorado has resorted to installing plugs inside of mines as a way to at least stop the toxic discharge. But that backfired last year when Environmental Protection Agency workers accidentally destroyed the plug holding water trapped inside the Gold King mine (abandoned in 1923), spilling three million gallons of mine waste water into the Animas River... causing it to become bright orange. While it has mostly returned to running clear, some of the orange sediment remains.

The only good thing to come from this mess is that the area got bumped up on the priority list. The Bonita Peak Mining District is now being considered for Superfund, a federal government hazardous substances cleanup program. 48 mines are to be looked at.

Mount Garfield (at 13,074 feet) is the westernmost peak in the San Juan Mountains' Grenadier Range.

Workers cut down dead trees and clean up dry underbrush,...

... collecting them in piles...

... which are eventually burned. The biggest piles are only burned when there's lots of snow on the ground.

A weevil hitchhikes a ride on my shirt. Weevils belong to the family of snout beetles, one of the most diverse groups with over 40,000 species worldwide. They don't all have the long, needle-like nose that most people think of when they think of a weevil. The one thing they do all have in common is that they are SUPER tiny.

Mile 489.87, the 55-foot Elk Park Bridge was built in 1964. Periodic flooding has drastically weakened it.

The Small Cabbage White was accidentally introduced to Canada from Europe around 1860 and spread rapidly throughout North America.

A mule deer (based on her giant ears and the black tip on her tail) grazes peacefully.

Rafters float merrily down the Animas. The river is filled with many fun and challenging rapids.

High Bridge is a good spot for the train to clear out any sediment that accumulates on the bottom of the boiler by blowing it out the side.

As we approached the High Line, I went into the concession car to get a view out their windows... since our side faced directly into the cliff.

Leaving the High Line

Small 'fire trucks' such as this one in Rockwood help extinguish any fires started by the steam engine's stray embers.

Complete with water tank in tow

The water at Hermosa no longer flows from the old wooden tank but rather from the long metal one next to it.

Right about now, one of the train attendants came into our car and profusely apologize din advance for what we were about to see... a sight he called Moon River... or the exhibitionist youths of Durango.

We pulled into the Durango station around 5:15 pm.

A thorough of the wheels as the train rolls slowly past

Back at the depot

To read about my previous train ride in 2013 and watch a short movie of the adventure, visit my Wild West trip #4

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