Day 38

July 16, 2017                                                                                                         Day 38

It was so hard to get up this morning when my alarm went off at 05:00 am.  I had good intentions of making coffee and creating a plan for today.  Instead, I laid curled in my warm bed until after 06:00 when I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the National Park.  There I bought a ticket to tour the Cliff Palace dwelling and the drive there was about an hour long.  Since the road there is up a mountain with sharp corners the park actually had a parking area for trailers so I unhitched my baby and headed out.  Let me tell you, driving on the twisting mountain road without a trailer felt wonderful! I was flying high and enjoying the little bit of freedom I had without the trailer.  The drive itself wasn't the best mountain drive I have done but it was still beautiful to see and I just love driving thru tunnels.

Arriving at Cliff Palace I waited with all the other tourists for the ranger to show up.  The guy we got stuck with I really liked for he was interesting and hilarious but also made sure to be very informative. Once we began the actual tour we walked down a narrow stone path to the dwellings and it was interesting to learn that the holes I thought were windows in the "buildings" were in fact doors!  When the tour ended, about an hour later, I leisurely drove around the park stopping here and there to take a few random pictures.  Soon I lost interest and drove away towards The Great Sand Dunes National Park.

I have to interject here for a moment and say that the weather in Colorado is worse than a woman on her menstrual cycle and believe me I would know!  This morning it was 60 degrees out and warmed to 80 degrees which is normal and what I expected.  What I did not expect was for the temperature to go from 80 degrees down to 53 degrees and back up to 78 degrees in less than a two hour time span.  Then to top it all off, when I reached the national park it dropped within less than thirty minutes to 50 degrees and started raining and hailing with gale force winds! Like what the fuck is mother nature doing!!

Now that I got that out of my system lets get back on track.  Since it was raining I ran into the visitor center to ask a few questions and to verify that the BLM land I was interested in camping on was indeed there.  With the verification that I needed I headed to the said BLM land with the hail and rain pounding down all around me.  Since it was raining so hard I sat in my vehicle until it subsided some so that I could get out and read the sign to make sure I was at the right location.  From there I drove up a dirt road and half of the road soon became a rushing river! I feared that my vehicle would get stuck and I would not be able to make it to a campsite; however, I persevered and found a site to camp at.

Due to the prevailing winds and the rain I sat in my vehicle talking to my dad in Florida while running short trips to my camper trying not to be knocked over.  Eventually, I had everything I need in my camper and climbed on in out the rain.  I had planned to cook some rice for dinner and possibly some beans; however, the weather decided that one for me.  Instead I just ate the last of my lunch meat and cheese since I also had no bread.  During this time frame I took to updating my blog and adding pictures now that I had cell service once again.  Before I knew it it was time to go to bed.

Cliff Palace

Day 37

July 15, 2017                                                                                                                    Day 37

Last night Ryan had invited me to join him for coffee in the morning so I set my alarm and got up early so I could gather all my things and prep for the next leg of my journey.  By 08:30, I was following him back into Taos to the coffee shop we had met at the other day.  There we both acquired a delicious cup of coffee and went outside to sit down and talk.  While we were outside, Ryan started talking to a gentlemen about earth ships and other things and then he brought up that I am on a trip and built my own camper.  The mans wife heard this and wanted to see my camper so I took them both out back and showed it to them.  From there we all talked for quite some time during which we all exchanged contact information and I planned to get in touch with the couple when I get to Arizona which is where they live.

When they took off I went back inside the coffee shop with Ryan to give my opinion on his business card and then we said our goodbyes.  Back on the road, my next destination was the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado which was about a five hour drive.  The drive itself was quite challenging for it rained often and took me into the mountains which my vehicle greatly protested.  Entering Colorado the land was lush and green which normally is my favorite type of environment; oddly, I found myself missing the arid and barren landscape I had left behind.  I am hoping that it is just a temporary feeling and due to me being in that barren landscape for so long and that it will just take some adjustment to deal with this new environment.

Arriving at the national park, I went straight to the visitor center to buy my sticker and speak to one of the rangers about the tours and other activities in the park.  The woman informed me that the tours are $5.00 and fill up very quickly so if I want to get a ticket I should come back as soon as they open in the morning.  With all my information in hand and a plan to come back at 07:00 am I headed across the highway, literally, to the BLM land that I would camp at for free for the night.  Parked on a hill by a dead tree and on soil that literally felt like I was in the desert I made myself a sandwich and climbed into my camper.  There was some cell service so I started to update my blog; however, within less than a half hour I was too exhausted to continue and called it a night.

Day 36

July 14, 2017                                                                                                            Day 36

The eerie silence of this place is what amazes me the most for I can literally hear the blood circulating in my ears it is so silent.  There are no birds singing or insects at night making any sort of noise.  I have not been anywhere yet that is so silent.

Waking up this morning I was cold but the beauty of the landscape took my mind off of that.  Since Ryan was not home I cleaned up my camper some and set up my portable shower and finally washed my hair; albeit the water was cold for I was not patient enough to let the solar shower sit in the sun to warm up.  Once he came back we set off to look at some properties he is interested in buying and then he showed me the earth ships.  It blows my mind what people can build homes out of and make them look so beautiful and yet so functional at the same time.

By the time we had driven around looking at properties, earth ships and talking with a friend of his who built his own home we were both quite hungry.  We decided to go to the brewery we were at the other day and both of us ordered a BBQ pulled pork sandwich with sweet potatoes fries.  While eating we talked about stocks and investments... Afterwards, we headed back to where he lived and my camper was stationed and since he was taking a nap I decided I should try to take one also.  Naps never really go to plan for me and soon I was up and writing in my journal.  Since it was somewhat chilly out I dressed in a sweater and pants and decided to boil some water for tea.  I messaged him to see if he was interested in joining me for tea and we spent the rest of the evening talking and looking at the night sky.

The sky here, like in Terlingua, is wide open and one can see every star and the milky way.  I could literally sit outside all night long looking up at the stars searching for satellites and shooting stars. I don't know what it is about the night sky that is so relaxing.

Day 35

July 13, 2017                                                                                                               Day 35

My alarm woke me up today at 06:30 so that I could get on the road by 07:00 to pick up Ryan's friend Kristin on my way thru Santa Fe to Taos.  Once I picked her up we talked most of the way to Taos about our lives and what we do.  Arriving in Taos we met up with Ryan at a coffee shop and all had a hot beverage before heading out to go hiking at a nearby mountain/ski slope.

The hike wasn't too long and although it was quite the elevation change for me I think I did quite well and was rarely out of breath.  The landscape was absolutely beautiful and looked like something that would be found in Switzerland.  Wildflowers grew abundantly everywhere, the grass was lush and green, birds sang all around and the air was crisp and smelled of fresh pine.  When we reached Williams Lake which was our destination it was mind blowing.  My mountains still contained patches of snow and throughout the hike it would rain or hail every once in awhile and the air took on a cool chill that made me wish I would have packed a long sleeved shirt. One could hear groundhogs all around and I even caught a glimpse of two of them.

After sitting on top of an overlook of the lake we headed back down to the vehicle and went to get a drink and some snacks.  From there we stopped at a brewery and to my surprise The Peterson Brothers who had played with Joe Taylor twice in Texas were about to play at the brewery! I wanted to hear them play but alas other plans were in the works.  Leaving the brewery, we drove around looking at the surrounding area and then ended the night with sitting in some hot springs.

 

Day 34

July 12, 2017                                                                                                                   Day 34

When I woke up outside the Inn it was after a night of very little sleep for I am not used to having lights on around me or the noises of vehicles driving by all the time. By 07:30 I was driving back thru Carlsbad Caverns National Park for I had planned on hiking the caverns today before heading up the state.  At the visitor center, I waited for the gate to the caverns to open and then walked down to where the self-guided tours started; however, I noticed everyone had slips of paper so I asked someone and they said you have to acquire one in order to enter the cavern.  That right there kind of upset me since the ranger I spoke to yesterday didn't mention anything about needing an access slip and told me just to head down in the morning.  Walking back up to the center I waited in line and when it was my turn the ranger behind the counter informed me in a very rude tone that it would cost $10.00 for a self-guided tour; after someone I spoke to on the phone had told me it was free!  At this point, I was just irate and headed back to my camper.

At my camper, I was sitting there about to just leave when I knew if I left I would just be mad at myself later and regret it.  For who knows when, if ever, I will be back in New Mexico to see the caverns and $10.00 is not that bad of a price. So I gathered my pack once again and headed back to the visitor center and got back in line.  This time I approached a woman ranger, I told her that I wanted to do a self-guided tour and she asked if I had an Access Pass which I replied that I did.  She then asked to see that and my drivers license, printed off a slip and told me to have a great day.  Need I mention I didn't pay anything.  I think the employees at this national park need to get their facts straight!

When I finally made it the caverns I descended into darkness that was only lightly lit.  The caverns themselves were intriguing and like normal I took multiple pictures.  It is interesting when one thinks that all of this is right underneath where one is driving and walking!  I love reading how all the caverns were formed and how long of a process it is.  After some time though I could only read and see so many rocks so I began to speed walk the trails.  At the end, I took an elevator back up to the top and left Carlsbad Caverns in the rear view mirror.

I drove through Roswell, New Mexico mainly just to say that I was there since I didn't stop because I am not interested in extraterrestrial life.   Moving away from there I headed to Blue Hole in Santa Rosa to see if I did indeed have to pay or if I would even make it before they closed.  I arrived within a half hour of the pool closing and they wanted $5.00 so I just decided it wasn't worth it for less than a half hour of swimming. I drove on wards towards Santa Fe and as you can probably see I really have no since of urgency or need to be anywhere so I am literally just driving around.  Oddly, I was really exhausted all day and after hiking Guadalupe Peak and then the Caverns my body was stiffening up so all I wanted to do was relax.  Coming across a rest stop I pulled in and decided I would spend the night there and in the morning pick up my friends friend in Santa Fe.

It has been over three full days since I last took a shower and let me tell you I needed one desperately!  Since I couldn't set up my portable shower in the parking lot and there were no showers at this rest stop I came to the conclusion I was going to wash up in the restroom sink.  With conditioner and a sponge in hand I walked to the women's' restroom.  There were two motion sensor sinks so I just placed my head under one and went to town on washing my hair as people came into the restroom and looked at me like I was insane.  At this point I think I have reached a new status! HaHa.  Once I washed my hair, sponged off my body and put on clean clothes I went back to my camper and crawled in for the evening.  I started to update my blog when my mother called me which then proceeded into a skype conversation with my mom, grandma, and later on my little brother.  Talking to them always makes my day a thousand times better and it is nice knowing that one has family and people back home that care for me and are interested in hearing about the things I am doing.

                                             

Day 33

July 11, 2017                                                                                                              Day 33

This morning was quite the interesting affair.  My alarm went off at 06:00; however,  I could tell there was no way it was 06:00 for it was too dark outside and not yet sunrise.  Apparently, my phone could not make up its' mind on which time zone it wanted to be in so though it said it was 06:00 it was actually 05:00.  At this point, I was pretty much awake so I laid in bed until the sun started to peak over the mountains. At which point I got my gear, changed into my hiking clothes, signed in on the trail registry and started the climb to Guadalupe Peak.

Immediately, the trail started to become steep and it wasn't long before I was gasping for air like an asthmatic.  To give a little background on the trail itself, and my physical fitness, it is 8.5 miles long and rises 8,751 feet and I have lived in South Carolina for the past three to four years where there is no elevation and any altitude gain is a big deal!  Soon my legs were burning and I had to stop at almost every switchback to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest and saying the hell with  you.  After awhile my body finally adjusted to the altitude and with the constant steps and boulders I had to climb over by the time this hike is over I should have legs of steel.  Throughout the hike, I had to keep forcing myself to slow down for I kept trying to go at the lightening speed I used to hike at and I hate to admit it but right now my body just cannot handle that.

During the climb, I caught glimpses of another hiker who had started just before me. Eventually, I caught up to him and found out his name was Travis and he is from Texas and on his way to Wyoming for work.  Turns out we had a lot of things in common (not just that we were both redheads) and enjoyed doing similar things.  We ended up hiking the rest of the way up the mountain together which in my opinion made the world of difference.  I found I was more focused on our conversation and less so on the agony my lungs and legs were going thru.  Finally, we made it to the summit! Standing up there we took pictures and looked at each other in silence and were like well now what?  It felt like we should have a flag or celebrate our victory in some way after all the work we did to get to the top and not just turn back around and head down.  HaHa. It was somewhat anti-climatic and hilarious all at the same time!

On the way down, we continued to talk about many things but most importantly we discussed how much we craved a cold crisp beer and either a nice juicy hamburger or a pizza. By the time we did reach the trail head our legs were shaking uncontrollably from the effort and a drink was a must!  After we both changed out of our hiking clothes he came over to look at my camper and discuss where we were to go get a drink.  While we were talking that fine looking park ranger from last night showed up again and came over to us.  We stood around talking for awhile and then he had to get back to work so we said our goodbyes and wished he was off work so that he could join us for a drink for he seemed like a great guy.

Leaving Guadalupe Mountains National Park I followed Travis into Carlsbad where we searched for a place to have a beer and possibly some food.  By 13:30 we walked into the Lucky Bull Grill and ordered an IPA each.  It was so easy to talk to him and I didn't feel like I had just met him but had known him for quite some time.  Eventually we ordered dirty nachos and split a hamburger and ordered another drink.  When the food came we were both overwhelmed by how much food it turned out to be but it was so good so we did our best at knocking it out.  By the time we had finished it was almost 16:00 and he had to get back on the road.  Back at our vehicles which we had parked in a Wells Fargo parking lot we said our goodbyes and I sat in my vehicle to find an auto shop to get my oil changed.  While sitting there, I received a text from Travis saying we forgot to take a selfie and he was turning around! I literally could not stop laughing it was the funniest thing ever as he pulled back up and we snapped a selfie! HA.

After that hilarious moment I took my car to get an oil change and have the trailer hubs looked at.  An hour later I was driving back towards Carlsbad Caverns National Park to see the bat program. Pulling into the park I went into the visitor center and bought a sticker and proceeded down to the amphitheater.  Now, I love bats and seeing wildlife is always amazing; however, the bat program wasn't what I thought it would be for there weren't that many bats and I probably could have gone without seeing it.  Leaving the bat program I drove to an Inn right outside the park and camped in their parking lot for the night.

The trail

Day 32

July 10, 2017                                                                                                                   Day 32

This morning I awoke to my alarm and was bound and determined not to miss the sunrise this time! Plus it was my last morning in this beautiful land and therefore my last opportunity to see it. Seeing the sun rise over the mountains unto this arid landscape is a sight I wish I could see every day.  Before long the sunrise was over with and I went back to bed for another hour or so.  Upon awaking for the final time, there was a sadness within the air for today I would leave this place and the people I have come to call my friends.  Brian's father was down at the office and wished me luck and then it was time for Brian and I to say goodbye.  It was a quick goodbye, for customers were already showing up and it felt surreal in a way. Pulling out of the driveway and driving away from Terlingua I felt a pain in my chest.  I was having such an amazing time and had come to thoroughly enjoy the area that I didn't want to leave just yet.  Part of me wanted to turn the vehicle around; yet, I knew I had to continue on with my journey and that one day I will return to Terlingua and its' people.

With Terlingua behind me I headed North towards the Guadalupe Mountains National Park where I planned to camp and hike Guadalupe Peak in the morning.  Once again the drive was boring for the land was barren and dry and all I could think about was how it just didn't hold the beauty of the place I just left.  All the "creeks" I drove over were completely dried up and sent an eerie feeling down my spine. That feeling only grew when I lost all cell phone service, radio stations, and the distance between gas stations grew.

Eventually, I entered Guadalupe Mountains National Park and although it was beautiful I just couldn't help thinking it wasn't as beautiful as Big Bend National Park.  After speaking to the guy at the visitor center I found a campsite for the night that would cost $8.00.  When I was hooking my camper back up (I had unhooked it to go pay) a couple stopped by to talk to me about my camper. We talked for awhile and then the guy had asked if I minded if he took a picture which I responded by saying of course not.   With a few pictures taken we said our goodbyes and I went about organizing my camper and vehicle and figuring out why my drawer for my stove kept falling down.  I soon realized the wood had warped and therefore was not fitting properly in the slides.

During all of this another gentleman stopped by to look at my camper and I found out that him and his wife are from Scotland and have been traveling around and are in the camper right across from mine.  We spoke for awhile about our trips and he invited me over later to swap stories.  When he went back to his camper I debated whether or not to eat supper or not.  Thinking that I should have something substantial in my stomach for my hike tomorrow I decided to cook up some pasta.  Sitting in my chair eating my pasta I wrote in my journal to catch up on the days I missed.  I am finding it harder and harder to write in it each day for I just keep meeting people and having so much fun that by the time I get to my camper at night I am just too exhausted.

While I was moving around doing something that I can not recall this very fine and handsome Park Ranger pulled up and came over to me.  He was tall, dark and lean and part of me wished he would just stay and talk to me all night so I could have some eye candy to entertain me! HaHa.  In any case, I showed him my camper and he told me about some places I should visit on my trip.  After he had unfortunately left I went and washed my dishes.

I forgot that while I was talking to that fine Park Ranger a woman pulled up on a motorcycle and proceeded to set up a hammock right off of her bike! It was such an interesting setup which I had never seen before.  While she went about getting situated the wife of the gentleman I spoke to early from Scotland came over to ask her about the hammock setup.  Soon all three of us were talking about life on the road and our individual trips. It just amazes me how like minded individuals tend to find each other and how we all have decided that what we were doing before wasn't actually living but just going through the motions of every day.  So we decided enough was enough that it was time to start living life and enjoying all it as to offer for we only have one life to live.