Sunday, August 16, 2015

Sourdough Slim, the Cascade Picnic And Roadside Elephant's Feet

August 16, 2015
   On Saturday all of our True West friends boarded the Durango-Silverton Presidential train for the ride to Cascade. Here we are crossing the legendary Highline:


The True West Presidential Train crosses The Highline

Here's what the Highline looked like in the 1880s:


Photo taken in the same spot on The Highline, circa 1880s.

All weekend everyone was talking about the EPA spill, at Silverton, and the orange water, but here is how it looks a week later: 


The view, straight down, at the contaminated Animas River.

Al Harper, the man who owns the railroad, hired musicians, gunfighters and dance hall girls to entertain us on our outing and here is one of the best Old West yodelers on the planet:


Sourdough Slim busts out a magnificent yodel in Al Harper's plush parlor car.


We got to Cascade Campground around noon and had a catered lunch with table cloths, towel-draped waiters and filet mignon steaks. 


The "talent" table.

   After lunch we horsed around in front of the train and took a thousand photos.



The Good, The Talented And The Flat Out Ugly: That's trick roper Will Roberts kneeling. Paul Andrew Hutton, at left, with his son, Paul Andy, BBB, Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson.

   Wrapped up everything with a big street dance in downtown Durango and we all kicked out the jams. This is a great event and we need to get more of our True West friends to join us every year in the cool pines of southern Colorado. It's was 68 degrees this morning! Brrrrrrr.


   Hit the road this morning at around seven and came back across the Navajo Res and it's always fun to see the peculiar rock outcroppings. I believe this is called Elephant's Feet, and they are just beyond Tonalea.


Elephant's Feet on the Navajo Res


"That was my country—terrible winds and a wonderful emptiness."
—Georgia O'Keeffe

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