Picture yourself traveling through historic mountain passes with tunnels, horseshoe curves, seeing abundant wildlife and spectacular views of the San Luis Valley and the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Ranges all in the comfort of a restored 100 year old steam engine on the Rio Grande Railroad.
On Aug. 25th, a dear friend and I left Alamosa to watch and listen to Michael Martin Murphey at the Fir Mountain Scenic Railroad Rails Live Concert. Murphey is best known for writing and performing Western music as well as country and pop. Murphey has become a prominent musical voice for the Western horseman, rancher, and cowboy. A Western Music Association Hall of Fame inductee, Murphey has six gold albums, including Cowboy Songs, the first album of cowboy music to achieve gold status since the career of Marty Robbins. He has recorded the hit singles, “Wildfire”, “Carolina in the Pines”, “What’s Forever For”, “A Long Line of Love”, “What She Wants”, “Don’t Count the Rainy Days”, and “Cowboy Logic”. (Click to listen here)
The only song I knew of his was, “Wildfire.†However, after his performance, I now love all his music. Once at the concert site, we encountered a brief rain storm, and ended up sitting under a wood frame covering till it blew over. Fortunately, Rocky Mountain summer rains only last about an hour and soon the sun was shining and all was well. We wandered back over to the outdoor amphitheater to put our feet up and enjoy the rest of the show. When Michael Martin Murphey came on, it was sunny again. He finished with, “Wildfireâ€, which totally brought a smile to my lips and heart.
If you forget to bring food, the Whistle Stop Barbeque on top offer meals for $12.00 per plate and other snacks.  Also, exclusive to Fir, Colorado Concert/ Festival Amphitheater, is a 60-foot wind turbine and 5,000 watt solar system to power the first all green high mountain concert series. The wind turbine produces enough power for an average sized home, but with the demands of the stage and sound equipment, solar was needed to produce consistent power.
Michael Martin Murphey will be playing again for the last time of this 2013 season on Sept. 14 and 15th. You may not want to miss this sensational outdoor venue. Visit www. MountainRailsLive.com for more information and consider bringing sunscreen, bug spray, light jacket, extra water, chair, umbrella, hat and sunglasses for a more comfortable event.