RoadNotes: Colorado At Last!

Woods and River RV Park, Del Norte, CO – 7-7 to 10, 2016

Leaving Seeping Springs in Ruidoso Downs, NM we passed through Carrizozo, NM once more. We had briefly considered staying ar the Valley of Fire campground, but the heat convinced us that we either needed to find a campground with at least a 30 amp hookup or get to higher altitudes. We had been in the Ruidoso area for 10 days and it was time for a real change of scenery. So we opted for higher elevations and will save the Valley of fire for a cooler time of year.

EJ found us a pull out on Highway 285 just north of Clines Corner, NM. Right after we pull in and put the jacks down a big ole semi pulled in right next to us. With his cab parked right next to our bedroom window he left his diesel engine running. With our luck, it will run all night long. So we raised the stabilizer jacks and and moved as far away from the rumbling engine as possible. Wouldn’t you know it? About an hour later he left.

In the meantime, we set up the chairs and table and proceeded to have our happy hour and watch a gorgeous sunset.

The difference in elevation was quite apparent the next morning when we woke up. EJ packed several gadgets and this morning she got to use one of them. It’s a Puls-Ox which measures your heart rate and how well your body is handling oxygen intake. As you can see, EJ’s O2 absorbtion rate is lower than it should be and as a result her heart is pumping faster than normal. Deep breaths, EJ, deep breaths.

After arriving at Woods and River RV Park in Del Norte, CO we found and tried the local brewery. Great pizza and beer, and it warm cool enough to sit outside in the afternoon.

We weren’t in the campground for 24 hours before we got offered the job of host. The current host was moving on and they were looking for likely suspects to fill his spot. After marching to “the Man’s” tune for 30 some years, having a schedule and a boss just doesn’t sound all that attractive any more. We politely declined the offer.

EJ found a place for us to explore near La Garita, CO. Along the way we admired the view.

It was a rock arch way way back in the wilderness on a dirt road. Several times we wondered if we were headed in the right direction but we finally figured it out.

As we were going up, this lady and her dog were coming down. She had to stop and coax him several times.

Up and up we went towards the arch. We were almost at the top when a group of 20 or so people came blasting by us. Part of the joy of hiking for us is the quiet and solitude. Combat hiking, elbow to elbow, just doesn’t cut it. So we turned around and descended the hill.

After the arch, we moved on to Penitente Canyon, again at the end of many miles of washboard dirt roads. But Sunny, the Explorer handled it well. The canyon hike had a couple of surprises for us.

The first was this drawing on a rock face. It resembles a man in a space suit. Maybe an alien creature?

We stopped to take a break and a bunch of these little guys entertained us.

At the end of the trail, we take another break. Remember we flat landers are still operating under a serious case of oxygen deprevation.

On the way back to the car, we get our second surprise, a couple climbing up a vertical rock. In the canyon, there are warning signs admonishing you to not use new pitots, use the ones already pounded into the rock as there are plenty.

Then we took off in search of the Garden of the Gods. It eluded us, as the were no signs indicating its location. So we found a pull off and a likely pile of rocks and dubbed it thusly.