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ELCC Cumbres & Toltec Railroad Expedition
The Enchanted Lens Camera Club (ELCC) Adventure Trip Committee has planned a fun and interesting expedition for ELCC members to photograph the historic Cumbres & Toltec Railroad as it travels against a backdrop of fall foliage on the weekend of Saturday, 11 October and Sunday, 12 October.
On Sunday, the train departs from Antonito, CO at 10 am and arrives in Chama, NM at 420 pm. We start by photographing at the Antonito Railyard from 730 am – 9 am as the train is made ready for its trip. The railyard and its setting are a great photo op. Then 45 – 60 min before the train departs, we drive in our vehicles ahead to several successive vantage points (approximately 14 sites) to shoot the train as it passes before us. The Adventure Trips Committee members have already scouted this trip and the overlook spots.
Here are some important trip details:
- Two ways to attend the photo event:
OPTION 1 – Drive up on Saturday and stay overnight in Alamosa, CO (accommodation options shown on the handout) and also attend the Club Group dinner Saturday evening.
OPTION 2 – To join us only on Sunday 10/12, drive up and meet us at the Antonito Railyard at 7:30 am. You can get the map & briefing for the overlooks from Kat at the Railyard.
- Club members will drive their own vehicles to their accommodations on Saturday night and then along the “chase route” before returning home. Driving time to Alamosa from Albuquerque is about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Alamosa is our Saturday rendezvous with a greater selection of hotel accommodations and the group dinner.
- We have made tentative arrangements for a Club group dinner on Saturday at 4:00 PM at the Friar’s Fork restaurant, 607 Fourth St, Alamosa, CO 81101, when we will hand out a detailed map with photo overlook sites. We can also talk about the route and the plan there also. If you plan to attend, please contact Kat at swkathrs@gmail.com and let her know which option you select, your name, and the number in your party.
- WE MUST HAVE AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES TO CONFIRM THE DINNER, so RSVP to swkathrs@gmail.com with your name and # attending by Sept 10 and No Later Than 30 Sept! Also contact Kat at swkathrs@gmail.com if you have any questions.
- The train depot in Antonito is 30-minutes south of Alamosa by car if you select OPTION 1.
- A schedule w/best locations for train stops/photography and a list of GPS coordinates for each recommended photo site (Antonito to Chama) will be emailed to each trip participant 3 – 6 days prior to the trip. Be sure to list a name and email for every participant in your group who wants to receive this information. Please DOWNLOAD this info onto a tablet and/or your phone PRIOR to the ACTUAL TRIP due to areas where connectivity is unavailable.
- A flyer has additional details. It is attached to any email from Darrel Patterson/ Stephen Foiles which was sent to all club members on Aug. 29th. (Attachments cannot be made to the club calendar) As noted, you need not stay at the Best Western in Alamosa, CO but that is the primary spot for this trip if Club members wish to try and be in one place. (A nice alternative is the Hampton Inn.) We suggest you make reservations as soon as possible to insure you have a room.
- Driving to all of the planned shooting sites on Sunday can be done in any vehicle. However, if you would like to explore beyond this expedition, there are some Forest Roads along the train route that are best negotiated with an all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle with good clearance.
Let’s ADVENTURE The ELCC Adventure Trips Committee
We hope to see you there.
Again, if you have questions, please email Kat at swkathrs@gmail.com