Shakespeare, Sondheim, and Silverton or: When you buy new boots

One of the views from the San Juan Skyway

This summer I had the opportunities while enjoying the rocky mountains of Colorado.  I got to see the Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and Sweeney Todd (one of my favorite musicals) at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.  Trying to make it back to Boulder from Flagstaff during a thunderstorm with a broken drivers-side windshield wiper was certainly fun.  Riding, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is always a treat. Finally driving the stunning San Juan Skyway (aka Million Dollar Highway) from Ouray to Durango. 

Before the Storm from Flagstaff, CO

The real fun this summer, however, began when  I bought new boots.  OK, you might be thinking that not the most exciting blog topic, but I feel that the fact warrants mentioning since I also spent a good portion of the summer hiking trails around Durango in an effort to break in my new boots. 

The view from the Anasazi Descent trail

Like Almaty, in Durango you can easily get into the mountains from the streets of town.  My first couple of hikes in my new boots, for example, were on the Telegraph Trail system - a network of trails in the foothills and canyons that border Durango's Eastern edge.  You can access this trail system from several points. Since I live in the southern part of town, I hiked in on the "Carbon Junction" trail which takes off from the 550 and rt. 3 interchange. On my first hike, I connected from Carbon Junction trail to the Big Canyon trail (a 3 mile hike that ended up only 100 meters down the road by Walmart).  In a later attempt to make sure my boots are comfortable for upcoming adventures, I took the Crites connect toward town and then the Anasazi descent down to Horse Gulch Road.  The trails in the telegraph system are perfect for mountain biking but make nice walking and hiking trails as well. 

The view from atop Animas City Mountain

Cool Tree: animas mountain

Last week, my dad and I walked the Animas City Mountain trail, a well groomed trail that takes off from 32nd and 4th street accross from the city market in the north side of town.  This 6 mile, moderate hike takes you high above the valley for stunning views of Durango, and of the Animas River.

For a map of the telegraph system click here.
For a short list of hikes from Durango click here or here