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Antonito, eastern terminus of the C&TS, is situated in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. This village has an average annual temperature of just over 40 degrees (F) with precipitation just over 7" annually. Environmentally it is a "Cold Desert".
Cumbres Pass at 10,015' is the high point of the 64 mile journey. The Pass is 51 miles from Antonito via the C&TS
Chama, at a slightly lower elevation than Antonito, is the western terminus of the C&TS. This village has an annual average temperature of nearly 42 degrees (F) with precipitation of nearly 24". Environmentally it is a "temperate woodland." It is 13 miles from Cumbres Pass to Chama.
The
San Luis Valley is in the rain shadow of the San Juan and Tusas Mountain
ranges. Chama benefits from the precipitation condensing into rain and
snow as the westerly winds lift and compress over the north/south
mountain ranges.
Two different worlds environmentally with the critical difference being moisture.
Two different worlds environmentally with the critical difference being moisture.
