SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 (PAGE 2 OF 4 )
SATURDAY DAYTIME EVENTS - ROYAL GORGE RAILWAY
Cheyenne Mt and NORAD entrance in oval.
There's the station where we boarded our Royal Gorge train. But, first, there's always time to shop.
We are anxiously awaiting to board and start our experience through the Royal Gorge alongside the rapids of the Arkansas River.
A really narrow part of the gorge to the point that at on one portion the tracks hang over the river. See next pic.
Don & Judi Callaway enjoy the open car, but unfortunately Judi lost her lovely white hat to a gust of wind.
We finally reach the highlight of the trip - the suspension bridge. Highest in the world at 1,053 feet above the raging Arkansas River.
Bob The Engineer. At Parkdale he leaves the front engine and walks the length of the train to begin the return trip making the rear engine now the front engine. Got it?
It's a long train with a different mix of cars, gondola, coach and open flat bed. The forward cars are first class and a fine dining experince for those so inclined. We chose coach and open observation cars and were treated to a nice box lunch.
Newest Life Member and Board of Directors Member Don Kearney and First Lady Deanna Bennett enjoy the great outdoors on a flat bed observation car.
Railroad enthusiast Al Babinsky described this hanging railroad bridge to us on Thursday night and he was completely accurate. The 300-foot long bridge cost $30,261 to build and was completed in 1879.
Sorry, Mr President. No cell phone access in this remote western place.
Wow! We can see tiny specks of people up there. We shout, "You send us your pics of us and we'll send our pics of you!" LOL
Our on-board guide explains everything we are seeing.
This is where the raft trips begin. Rafting degree of difficulty has six classes. Royal Gorge offers Class IV and V with steep drops and hugh rapids that make this the run that draws experienced rafters. You don't want to know about Class VI they say.