Easter in New Mexico

Tomorrow we will pull up the jacks and start making our way back north and east toward Iowa. The bikes will likely stay in the truck the rest of the way home.  The past week has been a whole new level of riding for me and I’ve experienced things I never thought I would on a motorcycle. Champ has done it all many times but has enjoyed watching me experience this kind of riding for the first time.

Our short stay in southern New Mexico did not disappoint. I am glad we chose the Alamogordo area for this trip. I have so many other places in this beautiful state I want to see, but this was a tasty appetizer. We scheduled two full days here.

Basecamp in Alamogordo

Gambel's Quail behind the rig

View of the Sacramento Mountains from our site

Day 1 was spent at White Sands National Park. It was Easter Sunday. If you have not been there make it a point to go. It is such a unique area. The history and geology are fascinating and I always marvel that there are species that adapt to harsh climates like this. We hiked the trails and marveled at our surroundings. The interpretive signage throughout the park does a great job educating visitors about what they are seeing and what to look for.  To see about the park to to   https://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm

I was examining a grouping of tracks in the sand on a dune when a family with three kids, armed with their Jr. Ranger guidebooks approached. I encouraged them to come to where I was standing and pointed out the tracks. I just stood back and my heart smiled as they got out their guides and began to identify the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Darkling Beetle, Bleached Earless Lizard, and Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat tracks in the 10’ square area where I was standing. I love to see kids get excited about things like that. It once again reminded me how much I love interpretive work when I get to do it on our Volunteer gigs at the Wildlife Refuges and State Parks.

Champ in the Dunes

Families enjoying Easter Sunday

Taking a rest on the boardwalk

Soap Tree Yucca at the top of the dune

Blue=Merriam's Kangaroo rat Red= Darkling Beetle Green =Bleached Earless Lizard

                                       

The park manager lent us sleds and a brick of resin so we could do some sledding ourselves. Champ even managed a trip down the hill standing up on the sled. Sand surfing!

Families had their canopies, and some their campers dry docked in the big parking lots at the base of the dunes. The kids were sledding and playing on the dunes. Grills were going, music was playing and it was Easter at White Sands. How special is that?

Day 2 today was motorcycle day. The park host here is a cyclist as well as the neighbor next to us. They helped me choose a route that I would not have come up with on my own.  We headed north from the park and Caught US  70 East toward the Sacramento Mountains. The first stop was Inn of the Mountain Gods. Not for the inn or the Casino but the beautiful canyon ride that ended at the lake near the lodge. There we put on our heavy jackets and headed into the Lincoln National Forest for the 30-mile ride to Cloud Croft. It was at least as challenging as the Twisted Sisters routes last week but this was through pine forest with a 4000’ gain in elevation. We ascended to 8600’. The scenery was breathtaking. The sun shone bright and warm on my face, a strong scent of pine hung in the air and signs warning of free ranging cattle, elk and wild horses reminded me to stay alert. It was hard to absorb all the beauty that was around me. I just rode and basked. Toward the end of the route, we came around a corner to find 4 remarkable wild horses prancing about in the middle of the road. We slowed and Champ revved his engine to get their attention. Two of them reared and all four scampered off the side of the road down into the valley. It was stunning! I have never seen wild horses, let along up close and on the road! That was one I’ll remember when I’m 98 years old sitting around reliving things in my mind. After a tasty lunch at a Wild Game Restaurant on the way down the mountain I thought I had been dazzled enough for the day. I was wrong. As we descended into Alamogordo, I came around a corner and saw the White Sands on the horizon, that was worth the quick stop on the shoulder for a picture. The temperature was a full 20 degrees warmer once we returned to the flat lands.

Sierra Blanca from US 70

Inn of the Mountain God's Lake

Tunnel on the way down

View of Alamogordo on the descent ~ 6000 ' Elev

The descent White Sands on the horizon at the foot of the San Andreas Mts. 

The rest of the day will be getting ready to travel once again.  We will make a couple more stops before we put jacks down in our summer home in north central Iowa. The past week has been long anticipated and very enjoyable. The weather has been perfect and the people we have met have been just as warm and inviting as the sun that has shown everyday since we left Mathis. What more could a girl ask for?

Until Next Time…

West Texas Part II 4-3-2021

 

Today we are travelling from West Texas to Tularosa New Mexico near White Sands. I am leaving West Texas with an appreciation for the area I did not expect to have. When we decided to go, the vision in my mind was fabricated from the old westerns and modern movies like The Rookie and Friday Night Lights. With a few rare exceptions I thought the entire place would be flat, barren and dusty. As far as Junction and Alpine went I could not have been more wrong.

Yesterday we had another picture-perfect day to ride the bikes and head up to Ft. Davis State Park. At 6300 feet elevation. I learned two things while there. I learned that my love of birding and riding my motorcycle do not mesh well in the same day.  It was too cold in the morning to ride into the mountains. By the time we got there around Noon, the birds were starting to settle in for the afternoon. The clothing for the two activities doesn’t really work either. I did spend some time in a very nice bird blind that had several feeders and water falls and was treated to my first sighting of a Pine Siskin and a Lark Bunting. I was hoping to see a Green Tailed Towhee, but it wasn’t meant to be. There were several species that would have been new to me if I had arrived earlier in the morning, I may have seen them. My bike didn’t mind the altitude and ran fine. My body wasn’t a fan. I adjust to higher altitudes a little slowly so my initial assent up a trail was cut short by my lightheadedness as my body struggled in the thinner air. Instead of fighting it, we got back on the bikes and spent the afternoon riding the unbelievably scenic roads through the park.  I looked at the Skyline Drive switchbacks from below and wondered if I had the skill to ride it. I took a deep breath and led the way up. Out of my comfort zone once again I honed my riding skills a bit more and learned some things about riding on steep grades. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be and we basked in the stunning views at the top.

Pine Siskin on a feeder at the bird blind

Rose's Claret Cup Cactus in bloom

Skyline Dr. road assent from below

The other thing I learned is, I really want to go back!  Next time we will pull the rig up to one of the nice camping sites and stay for at least a week, so I can really do some serious birding and have a couple of days to adjust to the altitude, so I can hike the miles of trails in the park. The Observatory was closed so that gives me another reason to go back.

Riding the bike up into the mountains that morning was a profound experience. The morning light lit up the mountain face, the air was warm, and I was there on my motorcycle alone with my music, drinking up the scenery around me. It was one of the moments, some would describe as feeling close to God. I would describe it as feeling very connected to the natural world that enveloped me. All my senses were heightened, yet I was more relaxed riding those mountain pass roads than I have felt in an awfully long time.

The Haystacks from the South at Marfa 4400 Ft. Elevation

The Haystacks from the  North Ft. Davis top of Skyline Drive 6300 Ft. Elev.

View of the Hotel in the park from 1/2  way up Skyline Dr 

 

At the top of the park

This morning the drive between Marfa and El Paso was the flat dry west Texas I imagined last week. As I drove the motorhome, I was continually surprised at the beauty of the mountain ranges that surrounded the flat lands. I am excited to be headed to New Mexico. I have wanted to go there since I was a kid. My only disappointment will be that the Georgia O’Keefe (one of my favorite artists) museum complex continues to stay closed due to ‘you know what’. I’ll have to stop in Santa Fe another time. For now, we head to Tularosa for three days of immersion in all that southern New Mexico has to offer.

Until Next Time...

West Texas Part I Th, 2021ursday April 1

 

We travelled from Junction to Alpine Texas on Today. For once the scenery holds my attention. Normally I get bored and work on a crossword puzzle or read a book on my Kindle.  I am enchanted with this rocky, hilly land. I have never associated Texas with mountains and was surprised to find that Alpine is at nearly 4500 feet elevation.  Almost as high as Denver! I knew we were headed for the Davis Mountains but thought the name was more a formality.

I-10 between Junction and Alpine

View from our site in Junction Bluffs in the background

The plan is to ride the motorcycles to Fr. Davis State Park tomorrow. When I read that the elevation was 6300 feet, I immediately thought of my carbureted motorcycle engine. I went to a forum to see what the modern carburetors’ tolerance for higher altitudes is and what the remedy is. As it turns out I will be riding at the threshold of the limits of the factory settings, so we are prepared to stop and tweak the jet screw if it starts to load up and run like crap tomorrow. We have been told by many that the 25 mile route from our RV Park to the State Park in the mountains is breathtaking. Birding is on the agenda when we get there. I tried to get tickets to the tour of the McDonald Observatory but was disappointed to find that the soonest available date was April 22^nd. Due to the current circumstances that I don’t need to explain, entry is limited to those with advance reservations. I even had to buy State Park Day passes in advance in order to be let into the park as they work to limit crowds. I am thankful to at least get to go birding and pack a lunch to enjoy while we are there.

This evening we will drive the truck over to Marfa and check out the eclectic town and eat dinner at one of the many unique restaurants. I hear it is a Foodies paradise. Then after dark we will head to the Marfa Lights viewing area East of town and try our luck at seeing the famous, mysterious lights in the night sky. I am looking forward to a good night sky away from civilization. Even if I don’t see the Marfa Lights, the stars are bound to be spectacular.

Marfa Lights Viewing area at Sunset

We are on US 67 South headed into Alpine and the landscape is dotted with scrub, Soap TreeYucca  that is new to me and dirt devils winding about all over the open fields. Having watch 100’s of Westerns in my lifetime, especially in the past 20 years living with Champ, I look around and think to myself, things haven’t changed all that much out here.

As we drove today, we talked about what the experience of living in such a remote area must be like. When a large grocery store or Wall-mart is 200 miles away and a small town is easily 75 to 100 for some of these ranchers. I muse at the thought that many are likely wealthy enough to own airplanes and simply fly to El Paso for groceries.

Our time in Junction was exactly what I imagined. It is nice when a plan comes together. We had good riding weather for our 185-mile ride to and around the entire Twisted Sisters Motorcycle loop on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Champs’s cousin Zeke and his with Roselyn drove the 52 miles from Kerrville. After a delicious lunch at the local BBQ joint and good conversation catching up. We went back to our site and spent the afternoon playing a rather rowdy and fun few games of Pitch.

For the rest of the trip, we will not see anyone we know till we get back to the Midwest and possibly see my cousins in Kansas.

Texas never ceases to amaze me with its expanse and diversity of landscape and climate. I am glad we finally made it to this part of the state.

Until Next Time...