Our route (5th-7.4)..
On Monday, 5.4, we leave the beautiful city on the Rio Penasco and continue with mild slope with right-way traffic many resorts over. The pass should be roughly at 2650 m. On the dark side is still quite a lot of snow. From the top we can see in the distance the White Sands Dunes as a localized, turbulent sea of fog.
Then the journey goes quickly downhill with 6% slope. The gear in the D (Drive) and as always switched on Tow Haul, automatically turns to the 3rd and then in the second Transition. I need the brake at all before.
In Alamogordo, we know from 2006 here, 'Esther goes to the hairdresser to it in record time the hair for a song short, but good cuts. In the distance, ie, 50 km north again we see the 3600 m high snow-capped Sierra Blanca. After shopping at the pricey organic food shop Nature's party we go to Oliver Lee SP, where we enjoy a completely flat course and a view of the plains and the Organ Mountains, Las Cruces lies behind them. The sun is burning, but it blows between a strong, gusty wind. In the RV it is acceptable 30 degrees.
After lunch and a siesta, we make ourselves at 15.30 clock in the Dog Canyon National Recreation Trail, which we wander through a good half. By the end, it would Trail 5.5 miles and 1,000 meters have been! A little too much for the afternoon and our arthritic feet! Within two hours we walk up to the Line Cabin (2.9 miles, at 1880 m, height difference 480). It is warm, 30 ° by 16 clock, clock by 18 or 27 °. First, it is 200 m upwards, then almost an hour at a constant height above the canyon and finally we reach a plateau where once agriculture was perhaps operated. As a strong wind blowing, walking is acceptable. We are located in the west of the Lincoln National Forest. Only after 19 clock we're back, just in time for sunset, which took place today at 19.22 clock. On the western sky give Venus and Mercury come together.
We enjoy the hot shower and pull us back soon in our RV. The silence and the view of the plain and the Organ Mountains in the distance are wonderful. The next morning we meet
before departure of Manfred, born 1942, who emigrated in 1963 from the Ruhr area and has since lived in New Mexico. He acted including spare parts for Mercedes and BMW. He has a son in the vicinity of El Paso a house and lives with his dog some time in each of his VW pickup, leaves his white hair grow on the trips. With its 89-year-old mother, who repeatedly for months with her friend comes to visit him, he has, thanks to Google (satellite phone) close contacts. He knows the area well, was a hundred times the Dog Canyon Trail went to the cabin, a few years ago in chest-deep snow. 14 days ago have been lying here on the campground 20 cm of snow. He is critical of the Americans compared with regrets that the park not to Fancois-Jean "Frenchy" Rochas, one was named around 1885 from southern France eingwanderten French. This model had here and operated agriculture wure of Texans who were indebted to him, were shot. Frenchy had good access to the Apaches and had driven them barter. With a cart, he was always the 100 km to Las Cruces and went back with 500 kg of flour. Part of it was probably intended for the Indians. In its day it was here, where even large grazing areas, but the land was overgrazed by cattle, then sheep. Instead of grass now grow cacti. The local farmers vehemently refused to waive the livestock industry. Manfred also knows many plants. He is brewing in the tea leaves of the Creosote himself and freed his dog with a Creosotesud of ticks. Too bad that we have not met Manfred yesterday! He could give us many other valuable information.
Against strong west wind, we have to fight all over the onward journey. Take I-10, the machine cuts out at 55 MPH, in the second third Gang! Finally we come to Silver City, we had visited in 2006. In Diane's Restaurant, we eat very well. The forsythia blooming, and the Cottonwood (poplar) carry out the first light-green leaves. After a half hour ride on the # 15, we arrive at 16.20 clock in the Visitor Gila Cliff Dwellings Centre of NF (National Forest), just before it closes. The drive through the forested mountains like us very much. This is in sharp curves on a narrow road up to 2400 m and 1700 m down again and again up and down. On the down side there is still snow. The two campgrounds are not accessible to us, because a bridge was damaged by flooding in January 2010. But we must stay free just before the bridge to a parking lot.
washed after a nice evening walk on which we encounter a deer, our sandals in the river (West Fork Gila River) and eat in the RV. Half a dozen deer graze next to the parking lot. The next morning
We wake up with ice-cold nose. The thermometer reads 0 °! At the morning meal in the RV, we observe a mole, ausbuddelt of a hole next to us and the earth carefully creates a circle on the surface.
We have adapted to the customs of the country: We travel by 8 clock by car to the toilet next to the Visitor Center, with the difference that our approach attaches to the toilet a mile, but most Americans already 100 meters away your car before using it! Then we walk across the bridge a mile to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, which open at 9 clock. About this time it has almost no visitors. A nice path leads into the canyon and then up to the cave dwellings in the rock. Half of the six caves are accessible on stairs and ladders. An English couple who have committed themselves as volunteers for three months here, gives us information willingly. We also see the spot where it has been concluded on the basis of urine traces that here, skins were tanned. Below the Gila River rushes past mighty cottonwood, which have not yet set no leaves.
go after the obligatory coffee break we returned on a detour to Silver City, where we buy, breathe and pack in a Chinese restaurant meal.
first place at half past three clock We continued the trip on the # 180 and enter the valley of the San Francisco River at the foot of the Mogollon Mountains. Glenwood shortly after we find a mile on a dusty drive inland a small, comprising about 10 pitches private Camp Ground, from the 8 places of permanent tenants and one by a German couple who arrived shortly before us are busy. We have again been lucky. The site is located under mighty oaks and juniper trees. A neighbor is equal to assist us, as it looks like we are not able to open the sewer cover. He once had 14 cats. 11 of them it the coyotes or hawks have won.
We talk with the German couple, at 4.3. started in Phoenix and in the north of the Grand Canyon temperatures of -7 ° encountered, and also in the Catalina SP 10 days before our stay there for three days according to fixed, because the road was spilled due to heavy rainfall across a river. They could take no walks, where you even wade through a river must be known, was traveling with them to the stream.
A pensioner who spends the most time on this course, knows to tell us much. She knows lots of flowers, has already javelinas (a type of wild boar), seen coyotes, deer, etc., and photographed. She also tells of the great drought. Usually it rains from November to January, and fill out the groundwater and the reservoirs on. The second rainy season, called the monsoon takes place in high summer. These rains are very heavy and make some roads impassable. Last year, fell out of both rainy seasons. Springs and streams dried up, dead cattle in the pastures. It seems to us the whole area very dry. In the past 41 / 2 weeks, we've hardly even seen clouds. The pensioner us with their Internet connection and offers us generous and the connection of our neighbors. So today we can immediately put the message in the blog.
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