Much of the Animas River Canyon below Silverton in Colorado is completely inaccessible by road or foot. The river sits in a narrow and dramatically steep canyon that cuts through the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. Towards the old mining town of Silverton, which sits at 9300 feet, the canyon peters out and skilled horsemen can find a way towards the river and into the canyon alongside the single-track railway line that once served the miners.
The river runs fast in the summer as the snow melts and much of the terrain is not designed for human activity. There are, of course, gentler sections that attract fishermen, but 10 miles south of Silverton is fierce and untamed. That seemed the perfect place to film two of the best horsemen I know in the West.
I had difficulty making my way out into the river - not because the water was either cold or deep, but because the boulders are big and largely undetectable through the murky water. I knew that the scale of the backdrop behind me was awesome and as I stumbled into position I could not help but wonder if anyone had taken a camera here before. I had only got there by hiring the whole train personally at dawn and asking to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere by this section of the river. I have known the train’s owner for 10 years and we have a solid partnership - this is not a normal service.
But the credit for the picture goes to my cowboys - the skills involved to ride up through that river are something I cannot relate to at all.
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