telluride, co - what would you do?

[Deleted User]

if you had to pick one of two activities to do near telluride, co, which would it be?

rafting (specie creek to beaver creek):
http://bootdoctors.com/further/FURTHERraft.html

train trip:
http://www.durangotrain.com/

vallyhoo

I'm a water person so rafting would be for me

laurenclaire1386

Ditto Valley. I've always wanted to go rafting.

crfische

I'd go to the Phish concert?

Did I win?

[Deleted User]

this is in addition to that, silly fishy.

CLSchramm

The ride on the Durango Silverton line is absolutely breathtaking. We did this a few summers ago and it was a blast. I'll have to see if I can get some pictures for you.

On the other hand, I've always wanted to go white water rafting, so I imagine that would be fun too!

ac_in_dc

Rafting is pretty awesome, but make sure there's enough water for a good trip. And maybe consider the class IV triip? B/c if there's a drought class II will be class I, etc,  and I think a lot of CO has been dry this year, so do some research.

The rafting I've done in WV has been unbelievable, but it really depends on the conditions.

[Deleted User]

cls - if you can post pics that would be awesome. would you say the train ride was more enjoyable than you'd imagine rafting to be?

LesPaul

Durango to Silverton railroad is awesome.  That's a beautiful part of the state - we backpack in the San Juan mountains every summer.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I would pick the train, but FI would pick rafting.

[Deleted User]

ac - that's a good point about conditions that i hadn't considered. i guess there's no way to predict that?

kikibaby

I'd raft. 

Oh, and it's not dry at all here right now.  We just had 3 straight days of rain.  But even when it's a dry summer, the rivers are always fine for rafting.

wadingmoose

I've rafted and it's awesome, but I can do that here anytime so I chose the train ride.

ac_in_dc

Well, I think it's pretty easy to predict b/c aren't most of CO's rivers fed by snowmelt?

I know I tried rafting in NC a couple of drought years and it was pretty boring, but this trip my friends & I do every fall is wesome b/c it's fed by a dam release.

You could probably call the company to check or google? I don't know a ton about CO, only what I've absorbed from DH

LesPaul

AC's right.  Rivers are running high right now, but later in the summer the rafting gets really tame.  The southwest part of CO got some decent snowfall this winter, but check with the rafting company.

mandysmear

rivers scare the shiit out of me.  so i chose the train ride.

CLSchramm

I'm trying to find some pictures...no luck so far, i think most of them are at my parent's house grr. As for the ride vs rafting...I think you really have to be into either experience. I know I've gotten bored on float trips, but I realize they're not the same as ww rafting. Then again, my sister was bored to death on the DS ride, but she was like 13 at the time, so everything bored her lol. I thought the ride was really fun, they have guys who come and do a fun little intro and tell you about things that you see on the way who are really in character and get all the passengers involved. There's also a drink and food car: not sure if they have cocktails, I wasn't of drinking age when we went, but that would have made the trip even more fun

[Deleted User]

thanks for all the feedback y'all! good points to ponder. i'll definitely check with the rafting company to see what's up for august.

iamjoesgurl

I know it wasn't on the list, but I would visit Ouray.  It is one of my favorite little towns in that area.

lharri12

I've gone whitewater rafting a couple times in Colorado, and it was a lot of fun, although I must admit that it was not as good as the rafting in West Virginia, which is just the BEST.  I've never done the Durango train trip, but my sister who lives out there says that it's a very cool area.  I agree with PP that you should check on the rafting conditions in CO.  If the conditions are good, I'd go rafting!!

eastunder1

Colorado is awesome.

That is all. 

klovesd

I've done similar activites in CO (the Pike's Peak Cog Railway and rafting in the Royal Gorge).

If you don't mind getting wet and maybe a little icky for the rest of the day, then the rafting is alot of fun. Make sure to check and see it's a higher class river so the trip is worth it. Anything below Class 4 is kind of lame IMO. I was also very sore the next day from rafting, so keep that in mind too for your plans the day after.

JanoBean75

I can't swim and am terrified of moving water. So train trip for me.

coreybride127

Does the train ride involve booze?

mica178

When are you going?  If it's right around now, the water will be really cold because it'll be freshly melted snow, don't know how you feel about 50 degree water while you're rafting.  The water warms in August, but then the levels are down, so you won't have the big rapids.

saschaduran

I refuse to even stand in the Pacific Ocean up to my knees, so there is no way in hell I would get in a raft where I may end up in freezing water.  I would rather jump out of a plane.

So train and wine would be my choice.

HDutko

I did this rafting trip a few years back. The river is freezing so you definately want to wear the wet suits they give you. The suits make you smell musty though. It was a lot of fun!