Spirit of Durango | Purgatory Resort

Spirit of Durango | Purgatory Resort  
Durango - Colorado
Logojet #11
N946WP B737-317 Western Pacific 1996-98

In Summer 1996 Western Pacific and its new affiliate Mountain Air Express (MAX) announced they would commit to the Colorado ski industry and launch service to six mountain ski destinations in December 1996 - Durango/Purgatory, Gunnison/Crested Butte, Aspen/Snowmass, Steamboat Springs/Hayden, Telluride/Montrose and Eagle/Vail. Cooperation with the local tourism boards started in the meantime with two logojets seeing the light of day.

The port side of the plane advertises the Durango area in Southwest Colorado and its best known attraction, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad heritage railway. The steam-powered trains (with rolling stock dating back to the 1920s and before) link Durango to the historic mining town of Silverton.

The starboard side promotes the Purgatory Mountain Resort located in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado. The name Purgatory comes from Purgatory Creek which runs through the area and Purgatory Flats, today the location of the base of the ski area. The exact origin of the name itself however remains unclear.

Images  ©  Jacques Guillem Collection (PHX)
Tags   Landscape, Tourism, Winter Sports