photos by Stephen Eginoire

Spring has finally arrived, and the trails have dried, the river is raging, and flowers are blooming. The last piles of snow are gone and life is returning to the Animas Valley. In case you havent had time to check out the spring splendor, here are a few panoramics to get you through the work week and reiterate that there is life beyond those four walls.

A quick 15-minute drive up Junction Creek Road brings you to Animas Overlook. This vantage point is equipped with an ADA Accessible trail, picnic tables and informative signage. Views west from Smelter Mountain reveal that boaters still have a few weeks to get their feet wet. Sunlight begins to flood Durango as the sun crests Raider Ridge from this early morning view atop Smelter Mountain.

 

In this week's issue...

May 15, 2025
End of the trail

Despite tariff pause, Colorado bike company can’t hang on through supply chain chaos

May 8, 2025
Shared pain

Dismal trend highlights need to cut usage in Upper Basin, too

April 24, 2025
A tale of two bills

Nuclear gets all the hype, but optimizing infrastructure will have bigger impact