Chama, New Mexico - August 24th to 27th, 2023
Chama is best known for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. It is a beautiful area. Yes, we rode the train, but we also used our time at a private campground to regroup and recharge.
From South Fork, we headed west on US 160 over Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa Springs. We’ve been over this pass several times before. This time wasn’t quite as spectacular as the last time since it was not donned in fall colors yet (Navajo State Park - October 13th to 16th, 2020), but it was still beautiful.
At Pagosa Springs, we made a left-hand turn to the south on US 84, then east on US 64 to reach Chama. Despite the overcast skies, it was still a pretty drive.
We checked in to Sky Mountain Resort RV Park close to dinner time. Thank goodness we had leftovers we could just reheat in the microwave, because we had some chores to take care of that evening. Since we had been boondocking for five days, we needed to dump our gray tank, dump our cassette toilet, fill our fresh water tank, and empty our garbage, which was overflowing. The full hookups at our site made those tasks easy. Our site was the first site after the office where the dumpster was and just across from the bathhouse and laundry.
We also needed to do laundry. The campground’s laundry was nice, three washers and three dryers. There was a sign-up sheet on the door for two hour time slots. The last time slot for the day, 6 pm to 8 pm, was open, so Ann added our site number for the spot. It was about 5 pm when she poked her head into the laundry room to see what it was like. The woman in there, who had the 4 pm to 6 pm slot, said she was just finishing up. So Ann got our loads started early. We had three loads of clothing and towels which she got started right away. When those loads came out of the washer, Ann started washing our sheets. We got all three loads of clothing folded and back to Red Tail (our Winnebago EKKO) when the rain started. When it was time to retrieve our sheets out of the dryer, it was pouring down rain. There were streams of water running through the campground. We waited for about half an hour for the rain to lighten up. We didn’t want to wait too long, because we were afraid they might lock the laundry room after 8 pm. Not long after 7:30, the rain seemed a little lighter. Ann quickly grabbed her raincoat and an umbrella to retrieve the sheets. Just as she got back with the sheets, it started to pour again. Whew!
The rest of the evening was spent getting caught back up with things that needed an internet connection, like social media, emails, and making reservations. We had a good cell signal which we did not have while boondocking.
Friday we rode the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The train offers several different options, depending on how much time you want to spend on the train. The scenic train runs between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. There are two trains that run daily, one in each direction. You can take the train the whole route starting at either end and ride a bus back, ride the bus first and take the train back, or take the train to the half way point, at Osier in Colorado, and switch trains to get back. A final, shorter option is to board the train at Cumbres in Colorado, ride to Osier, switch trains, and ride back to Cumbres.
We chose the Chama Limited, which took us by train to Osier and back. Lunch at Osier was included in the ticket price. We left Chama at 10 am and were scheduled to return around 4 pm. There are three different accommodations, Parlor, Deluxe, and Coach, depending on how nice of a train car you wanted to ride in and how much drinks and snacks were included. We chose Coach. The double bench seats seemed plenty comfortable enough for the ride and the large windows opened easily for unobstructed views of the beautiful scenery.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a narrow gauge rail line that was built in the 1880’s. The 64 mile line between Antonito and Chama is only one of two sections remaining of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad’s narrow gauge network. The other is the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad that runs up to Silverton from Durango, all in Colorado. A couple of decades ago, we rode the Durango-Silverton train. From what we remember, it goes through more narrow canyons than the Cumbres & Toltec, which makes for stunning scenery, but harder to see from the train as the canyon walls tower above your head. In contrast, the Cumbres & Toltec train, at least the part of the route we took, goes alongside wide open valleys, so the panoramic scenery around you is easy to take in from the windows of the train.
On board the Cumbres & Toltec, knowledgeable volunteers gave us commentary about the area, the trains, and the history. They were entertaining and added a lot to the experience.
About a mile from Chama, the Cumbres & Toltec starts its 4% grade climb up to Cumbres Pass, at an elevation of 10,015 feet above sea level. You can hear the engine working hard, chugging up the steep grade. Then our train came to a stop. There we sat for over half an hour, while we waited for parts to be driven up from Chama to repair the engine. They made quick work of the repair and we were on our way again. During our wait, Ann walked over to the snack car and bought us some drinks and popcorn. Due to the delay, they were giving out the popcorn for free.
Unfortunately, the delay cut our time at Osier. They delayed the trains by a little bit, but we had just short of an hour. After using the restroom when we arrived, we got in line for the food, which was a buffet served cafeteria style. We were one of the last people to get our food, so we felt a little rushed. When the five minute train whistle sounded, Keith had not finished his dessert. There are displays and buildings to explore at Osier, but we had no time to check them out.
Our seats on the train on the way back were on the opposite side of the train as on the way up, which was nice. That allowed us to see the views we missed on the way up to Osier. Due to our train troubles on the way up, we arrived back in Chama after 4:30 pm, over half an hour past our scheduled return.
Saturday was a relaxing day. After lunch, we rode our bikes into town. A stroll up and down Terrace Avenue, the main street through town, didn’t take long as it was only about half a dozen blocks long.
We found some hand-dipped ice cream at the Chama Hotel. Ann had a waffle cone with chocolate, while Keith had butter pecan. The hotel had a hiker box, where hikers could leave items they no longer wanted and other hikers could take what they needed. We’re assuming Chama is a resupply town for the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). The CDT is a long distance National Scenic Trail that runs 3,028 miles from the southern border with Chihuahua, Mexico to the northern border with Alberta, Canada. The CDT crosses highway 17 at Cumbres Pass, about 12 miles from Chama. Hikers would probably hitchhike a ride into town from the trail.
Earlier on Saturday, a couple of other campers in the RV park were telling us how great the peaches were from the nearby market stand. After our bike ride, Ann walked over and came back with two bags full of fresh produce, including peaches. The peaches were from Palisade, Colorado. They are well known around Colorado for their great peaches. Ann cut most of them up and we had fresh peaches and ice cream for dessert after dinner. Yum!
Sunday, Keith was feeling a little under the weather again, so we mainly hung out at the campground. In the morning, Patty and Chuck came by on their bikes to say hi. We met them earlier at Manzano Mountains State Park (Manzano Mountains State Park, New Mexico - August 8th to 11th, 2023). We realized back then that we would both be in Chama at the same time. It was so nice to see them again.
For lunch, we walked down the highway a little ways to a restaurant. Initially, we were going to eat at the Southern Comfort BBQ food truck at the nearby Little Creel RV Park. However, we walked by the Elkhorn Lodge on the way. There were a lot of cars parked outside the Elk Horn Cafe, which is usually a good sign of a good restaurant. So we changed our minds and went inside the Elk Horn. We’re glad we did. The place was pretty full, but we got a table right away. There was live music, a solo vocalist and guitar player. She had a lovely selection of music at a soft volume that still allowed normal conversations. Ann was swaying to the music during our whole meal.
Ann had the turkey wrap while Keith had the Fireman, a burger smothered in green chili. They were both tasty, without too much spice. We spotted the apple and cherry pie on the menu, but, when we went to order some, we found out they were out of pie. We settled for sopapillas with honey. They’re not the same as pie, but they were enjoyable.
Later in the afternoon, Ann decided to work off some of the calories from lunch and went for a bike ride by herself. She rode towards town, then turned into the neighborhood, taking Pine Avenue up to Edward Sergeant Wildlife Management Area. If Keith had felt better, we would have gone for a short hike there. On the way to the wildlife area, Ann was heading into a strong wind. A large storm cloud was off in the distance. As she turned around to go back to the campground, she then had the wind behind her. What was a struggle on the way out became a breeze, literally, on the way back. With no power assist and riding in the highest gear, Ann was hardly pedaling as she flew back to camp.
In the evening, we noticed a large buck with a large rack lounging in a nearby field. It was the largest deer we’ve ever seen. He must have laid there for a couple of hours.
Chama was a great place to hang out. Next time, we’ll have to check out the hiking trails in the area. We could imagine they would be pretty scenic. Hiking a section of the Continental Divide Trail would be fun.
Check out our related video: Chama, New Mexico
(Ann)