Sunday, August 28, 2016

The Canyon

We took my brother in law to the Black Canyon National Park this week. It is about and hour and a half drive from our summer home.
This canyon became a National Park in 1999. It is called the Black Canyon because it is so deep and narrow at one point that the sun only shines there 30 mins. a day.
There are like eleven observation points through the park.
A view of The Painted Wall
There are also trails near and down into the canyon and picturesque picnic areas throughout.
Look closely. Back in 1882 they actually built a narrow gauge passenger train thru the bottom of the canyon. It stretched fifteen miles from Sapinero to Cimaron,Colorado costing then $168,000 a mile to build. The train ran into the 1940's
In the 1960's the Gunnison River was damned and Sapinero and most all of the tracks are now under water.
These days Forrest Service operates a hour and a half boat trip above the old tracks into the canyon.

8 comments:

  1. Terrific photos, especially the first one. What a wonderful for a photographer! Got your comment about the novel you just finished and have already requested it from my library.

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  2. What a wonderful place to have so near to your summer home.

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  3. It is amazing nature there, so deep and narrow.

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  4. I haven't been to the Black Canyon in years. I like the shots you took! Looks like it was cool enough for a sweater there.

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  5. It's beautiful and the boat ride would be so fun!

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