Sagebrush personal hiking blog
The Cumbres & Toltec Railroad runs a vintage coal-fired steam engine with train up a 4% grade, over Cumbres Pass, between Chama and Antonito, CO. That’s my way back up the mountain after resupply, much more fun than hitching.
The passenger cars, with their stained wood and cast metal features, bring the passenger to an earlier time.
The views are memorable.
The terrain remains bunch grass meadows bordered with aspen and spruces, though now the ground and pathway is often rocky.
As the hiker Al warned, deep snow hides the trail, starting about 7 miles from the end. Some post-holing happens, though not as much as anticipated. A large number of downed trees enhance the challenge.
Hopewell Lake appears in early morning, a man-made lake stocked with plenty of fish, with several campsites in use and several people fishing.
The terrain is still meadows with aspen and spruce. Any pine seems to be dead from beetle or other cause. Plenty of seasonal creeks are running due to snow melt or recent rain, and marshy spots on the trail can be expected.
