City of Rocks Arrival – March 2019

March 28, 2019September 23, 2019 Carol Carnicom1 Comment

Wednesday March 27: Clifford and I are up a little earlier this morning, our last morning at Rock Hound New Mexico State Park. I make tea for the road, we finish packing and are on our way to City of Rocks New Mexico State Park by 9:30. It is not a long drive, as City of Rocks is only about 30 miles north of Deming, New Mexico. When we arrive, there is only one first-come first serve electric site open, and just as we are about to pull into it, some lady comes and plunks down a chair and sort of says sorry, not that she’s really sorry. She’s glad she snagged it before we did.

There aren’t a lot of sites in City of Rocks that are suitable for bigger RV’s, not that Cougar is huge, but she still needs more level ground and room for slide-out. We drive around and see a couple campsites that could work, and in the end we pick one near the “kokopelli site” where we first camped with our old Terry Resort trailer several years ago.

The kokopelli pictograph where we camped years ago

It is tricky getting backed into this site, but Clifford does an excellent job. Cougar is leveled, slide-out out, awing up, and we are tucked into the rocks with much more privacy than we would have had in the electric site. Also, there is immediate access to the rocks for hiking. So, in the end, this is a better spot for us and we are quite pleased with it.

Once we are in place, I go for a walk in the rocks.

Thursday March 28: I get up earlier this morning so I can walk in the rocks at first light. Mucky haze on the horizon dampens the light, but I walk anyway, loving the meandering of the pathways through the rocks.

Big boulders reflect early morning light

This boulder pile out in the desert basin was created by a volcanic eruption from the Emory Caldera, centered near Hillsboro Peak at the southern end of the Black Range, 30 million years ago, with wind and water erosion shaping these monolithic blocks, some 40 feet tall.

Formations created from lava after a volcano 30 million years ago

One of numerous balanced rocks found at City of Rocks

In the morning we work on CI projects: emails and a fund-raising campaign. In the afternoon, I edit a book proposal for an author and Clifford continues his preparation for the talk to be given in Santa Fe in later April.

Near sundown, I go for another walk in the rocks, as the colors at the last light of day are quite spectacular.

Light from the setting sun turns the west-facing rocks golden

I am not the only one catching the setting sun

After a dinner of breakfast burritos, I complete and publish a blog while Clifford watches documentaries on some of his favorite musicians. This was a very enjoyable day.

Last Days at Rock Hound – March 2019

March 26, 2019September 21, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Monday March 25: Not a very interesting day here at Rock Hound New Mexico State Park where we are camped, as far as photos or outings go. We run errands in Deming, including the laundromat. Nice to have clean clothes and groceries. Leftovers for dinner and then we sit out for a bit to watch the sunset even though the sky has been messed up with spraying all day. Nice light on the cacti, however.

Sitting out at sunset
Nice light on the cacti

Tuesday March 26: It was super windy all night and much of the day, but I managed to sneak in a few shots of the poppies and another wildflower that I see as I walk back and forth from the bathhouse.

After putting away the clean clothes from yesterday’s outing to the laundromat, I take care of emails, texts with photos, and start reading an interesting book on life-saving foods. How to stay healthy is always of interest to me. Clifford is busy with his projects – ham radio and preparing for the upcoming presentation in Santa Fe. The rest of the day is spent packing up everything from outside that can be put away, as well as much of the inside stuff, as today is our last day here.

In the evening, I go for a walk on the Thunder Egg Trail and catch a few shots of the setting sun. Our stay here has been good, but I am not especially sad to leave it, either.

More of Rock Hound – March 2019

March 24, 2019September 21, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Saturday March 23: It is calm this morning, so I walk to the entrance of Rock Hound New Mexico State Park where we are camped, as I saw a nice stand of poppies there. By time I get there, I only get a few shots before the wind starts to blow. Poppies waving about are pretty, but not well-suited for photos.

Today we work on more fund-raising campaigns for Carnicom Institute, as well taking care of CI email. I work on another blog and play viola inside, as it is too windy outside. Clifford continues with his preparation for his talk in Santa Fe in April. He also flies his kite with the new tails that he put on it.

Sunday March 24: This morning, coming back from taking a shower at the bathhouse, I take a detour on the Thunder Egg Trail, going just a short ways to photography some flowers. Kneeling down, wearing my wool poncho and my head still wrapped in a towel, I startle some guy who is going for a hike. But then, when he realizes I am just an ordinary human with my wet hair wrapped in a towel, we have a good conversation about various places we have camped.

Wildflowers on Thunder Egg Trail

After breakfast, Clifford and I continue with the fund-raising campaigns. Once we get a couple more done, we hike the Thunder Egg Trail from one side of the campground, across the face of the mesa, and down to the far side of the campground. It is quite windy, but at least the sky is blue so the photos look pretty good.

Yucca and prickly pear are abundant along Thunder Egg Trail

Rugged mesa looms ahead; luckily the trail takes us back to the campground

Back at the campsite, I work on another blog, write in the journal, and try to figure out why I’m not seeing cell photos in the Google Cloud. Technology just leaves me baffled sometimes, actually often! But I sure am grateful for the cell phone allowing me to take and share photos so readily.

Rock Hound Days – March 2019

March 22, 2019September 19, 2019 Carol Carnicom1 Comment

Wednesday March 20: It was super windy all night here at Rock Hound New Mexico State Park, so I didn’t sleep well, and the wind continues throughout the day. After breakfast, we start the accounting for 2018. Once done, we walk to the Visitors Center, just to get out. The Visitors Center is already closed for the day, but a short Nature Trail provides a diversion before we head back to our campsite.

We sit out to watch the sunset before dinner. Viola, email, text, and journal finish out the day.

Thursday March 21: Today is another windy day, but I get photos of the poppies before it gets too bad. After breakfast, we start the 2018 taxes. Mostly Clifford does the taxes, but I am in charge of receipts and check book register and can be called upon to clarify expenses now and then. Mostly I work on the next blog. Once the taxes are done, I take care of email, as well as sending texts with photos to family.

Love…
Love…
Poppies!

In the afternoon, we start the 2019 accounting. Taking a break, we sit outside to watch the sunset. Soup for dinner, as it is too late to do anything more than that. Clifford watches a documentary on the Civil War, which is extremely depressing and hard to ignore. I keep working on the blog, but this documentary is a very unpleasant way to end the day.

Friday March 22: Today we start working on fund-raising campaigns for Carnicom Institute. These campaigns will form the basis of the prospective changes to the direction of CI and are needed for the presentation that Clifford will be giving in Santa Fe in April.

It is relatively calm this morning, so we decide to make an outing to Spring Creek, just a few miles away in the Florida Mountains, a small but very rugged mountain range in southwest New Mexico. Las Floridas was the name given because of the expanses of California poppies that used to bloom on the lower slopes. Due to changes in climate, fewer poppies bloom in New Mexico, but the name remains.

The rugged Florida Mountains – Las Floridas

We drive up the mountain to the end of the road looking for the Spring Creek trailhead.

There are several picnic tables and shelters at the end of the road, but we are the only ones here. The wind has come up again, so Clifford flies his kite.

Looking at the kiosk map, we see that the trail from here, the Lovers’ Leap Trail, is very steep. The Spring Creek Trail is back down the way we came, but not marked. We eventually find the overgrown road that once led to picnic tables on the mountainside, a road long since abandoned in favor of the current road.

Walking along this abandoned road, we find the Spring Creek trail, obviously not used often, along the rocky side of a ravine. It looks like a great place to find rattlesnakes, with hundreds of rocky hiding places. Yikes!

Spring Creek Trail
Clifford stops to wait for me

The trail goes up a steep draw to a ridge, and about the time I’m ready to turn back, Clifford, who has gone on ahead, finds the dry creek bed, which leads to a small spring.

Yes, this is the trail with lots of places for rattlesnakes to hide

The water flows out over the rocks in the shade of juniper and scrub oak trees. We find big rocks to sit on and relax in this cool moist spot. Going up was taxing for the cardio-vascular system, going down is hard on the knees, and we stay ever-vigilant for snakes.

Relaxing at the spring
Leaving the shade and the spring

Looking back up the trail; staying ever-vigilant for rattlesnakes

Back at camp, it is still early enough to make a trip to Deming for errands. When we return, naps are in order, as it has been a very busy day. Later, Clifford flies his kite in the campground, which is fine until the long tail gets caught in a tall ocotillo. This is not a good thing, but Clifford figures a clever way to get the kite tail out of the thorny bush.

Clifford getting kite tail out of the ocotillo

In the evening, I pick photos for the next blog, send texts with photos, and check Facebook after posting a photo there, while Clifford works on his projects. What a jam-packed day!

Cochise Stronghold to Rock Hound – March 2019

March 19, 2019September 18, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Monday March 18: Beautiful blue sky this morning in southeast Arizona. Kind of sad that we are leaving Cochise Stronghold where we have had a couple weeks of camping in the dispersed area, enjoying the great rocky landscape, the hiking, and playing bluegrass with neighbors who left yesterday.

My brother Rollie is also leaving, and I drive his S10 out of the canyon so he doesn’t have to hook it up to his motor home until we reach the straight and dry road past the creek crossings… much easier for his rig. Rollie is heading to Dallas to visit cousins; Clifford and I are heading to state parks in New Mexico.

Leaving Cochise Stronghold – looking back

Heading east, as we cross the deserts of Arizona and into New Mexico, there are numerous signs warning of sand storms in the area. Not too encouraging, especially since New Mexico has had severe winds recently, even blowing a train off a trestle. We are being quite cautious, watching the weather forecasts, and know today is our best chance to get across this section with only moderate winds.

One thing we are seeing as we drive are expanses of California poppies in bloom. There are not so many in New Mexico and I wasn’t able to get any good shots of the poppies from the suburban at highway speed. Oh well….

Poppies in southeast Arizona – seen from I-10

At Deming, we go to the Dream Catcher Escapee RV Park. Dry camping is $8.50 per night and we find a spot along the outer edge by some little trees. We run errands in Deming, and then decide to forego the laundromat in favor of having a cup of tea and going to bed early.

Tuesday March 19: We don’t have much to pack up, so are on our way to Rock Hound New Mexico State Park by 10:00. There are only three electric sites left, so we take the one the host recommends, even though I would have preferred a spot on the outer loop. As it turns out, most of the spots are reservation only and within 15 minutes of our arrival, there are no spots left. We are surrounded by RV’s, but at least we have a spot. We need the electricity in order to take care of accounting, taxes, and preparations for the talk that Clifford will be giving in Santa Fe in April.

Lucky to have a spot at Rock Hound State Park

It is a beautiful blue sky day with only a light wind and, happily, I spot poppies here and there all about the campground. Hard to take photos, however, as the bright light reflects off the petals and they wave about in even the slightest breeze. I walk on the Botanical Trail, a pathway out into the desert with only a few signs to identify native vegetation, but a great view of the desert.

I am…
happy to…
see poppies!

The desert landscape at Rock Hound State Park

I send texts and photos to my kids and siblings and hear back from several: Becka is considering a career change and Ang sends photos of the snow nearly obscuring the greenhouse, but veggies growing happily inside. At sunset, I take photos of the light reflecting off the west-facing mesa behind the campground.

We have chicken, rice, quinoa, and spinach for dinner. Since we have electricity for the first time on this trip, we can charge laptops and really get some work done.

Marooned at Cochise Stronghold – March 2019

March 17, 2019September 16, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Wednesday March 13: Very windy and overcast this morning in the Dragoon Mountains of southeast Arizona.

View to the east from Cochise Stronghold dispersed camping area

I feel bad for the folks in tents with all the rain, and especially the family who packed up their tent last night, but couldn’t get out as the creek crossing was impassible, and spent the night in their car. They did make it out this morning, but an RVer who watched them said that it was real iffy. The young fellow in the maroon van parked near the van ladies leaves but comes back shortly. Rollie goes out to get propane and he makes it through the crossing with his little 4-wheel drive S10, but on his way back, the fellows from Santa Fe with their big Ford F350 are stuck in the crossing. Luckily, he is able to pull them out. We later heard that the Forest Service guys coming out to check on things got stuck there also. Our musician neighbors, Jerry and Sonja, stay inside their little camper much of the day. Later, Rollie and I walk down to the creek crossing closest to the dispersed camping area, usually a mere inch or less across the road, but we can’t even get across without getting quite wet – and this is not even the main creek crossing.

The creek below the usually shallow crossing

Other than the disruption caused by the high water, our day proceeds with the usual activities of study, editing, blog writing, email, and so on. Rollie comes over for dinner – chicken and rice – and I win a game of cribbage before doing dishes.

Staying cozy in Cougar: basil, sprouts, kombucha, and tea in the corner

Thursday March 14: I go out first thing this morning to get photos of the light on the mountain moments before the sun rises and the color fades.

Rollie drives himself and me to the main crossing to see how high the water is. It is quite high, though not quite as high as when the Santa Fe guys got stuck. We meet more of the neighbors throughout the dispersed area who are walking or driving out to check on the crossing, including the fellow in the maroon van. We chat with him a bit and after awhile he decides to see if he can make it out. We wish him good luck and off he goes. The van ladies, Beth and Sally, had planned to leave today, but when I show them photos of the crossing, they decide to stay another day. I also show the photos to Jerry and Sonja, and they also decide to stay. Crossing with so much water could cause damage to rigs or vans, so almost everyone in the dispersed stays put and we don’t see any traffic to or from the campground further up the road.

Creek crossing – not as high as yesterday

Barricades moved aside by brave or foolish travelers

In the afternoon, it is warm enough that Rollie and I play music outside with our neighbors, Jerry and Sonja. The van ladies come over, as does a friendly guy camped in a van and a guy on a bicycle. Clifford is outside playing his dulcimer, but puts it aside to be a part of the blue-grass audience. We really have quite a good time, having more musicians and an audience. Being marooned and getting to know people has been interesting.

Later, Rollie fixes Beth’s Mr. Buddy heater. Rollie is really a great camping companion, having saved our hide a time or two. Editing, journal, and posting a blog fill in the rest of the day. I fix tacos for dinner and lose the cribbage game. It was a fun day getting to know people a bit more and playing music with the neighbors. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet up with them again sometime.

Last Days at Cochise Stronghold – March 2019

March 17, 2019September 18, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Friday March 15: Lots of people are leaving Cochise Stronghold today, as the creek is down enough to be safe. The van ladies and the musician neighbors are among those who are leaving. I will miss them.

Clifford and I work on some CI projects, taking care of email and writing a fund-raising campaign for the book project — the story behind Carnicom Institute. Tacos for dinner again and lose at cribbage again and do dishes again. After running the generator awhile, my laptop can be used and I edit photos for the next blog, a good ending for the day.

Saturday March 16: After breakfast, Rollie and I take our trash up to the campground and visit my camp host friend, Jimi.

Cochise Stronghold is at the base of that mountain

When Rollie and I get back to our camping area, Clifford and I run into the little town of Sunsites, only to discover that the post office and the little market are closed. We are able to take care of a couple things, but mostly it was a waste of time going in. The fun part of the outing was going to Marcia’s Garden again to buy a couple more items. It is a tiny, but delightful shop and I enjoy spending a few minutes there.

Nachos for dinner tonight and my turn to win at cribbage. After dishes, I post a blog of our camping in Capitol Reef in October.

Sunday March 17: I am up in time to take photos of the golden light and then walk down in the ravine to see if the water is still flowing… and it is.

After breakfast I drive up to the campground to talk to Jimi, as we had tentatively planned on a hike today. However, Clifford and I have to pack, as today is our last day at Cochise Stronghold and hiking isn’t fitting in well. In the afternoon, Rollie and I play music and have a campfire. Dinner is a little of this and that, as left-overs need to be used up before we leave. Cochise Stronghold has been a great stay, but it is time for us to move on.

Waterfalls in Cochise Stronghold – March 2019

March 12, 2019September 15, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Tuesday March 12: The rain that started yesterday evening here in the Dragoon Mountains of southeast Arizona continued throughout the night and into this morning. From where we are camped in the Cochise Stronghold dispersed area, I can hear the waterfalls roaring off the mountainside. I run outside first thing to take photos of this phenomenon. While I am taking photos, I see Sally, one of the van lady neighbors, also taking photos and I show her a different vantage point. While we both take photos of the amazing waterfalls, we strike up a conversation. She is about my age and has recently begun the nomad life in her van, but she has had great independence of thought and action as a sailing captain.

After coffee, journal writing, breakfast, and new kombucha tea, I go out to take photos of the creek, which before the rain was a dry wash, but I can’t find a spot that I like. As I’m poking around for a better view of the creek, I end up near the “gnome home” spot and find the water running off and through the boulders to be quite interesting.

Rain plus rocks…
create flowing water…
with many miniature….
waterfalls

Going on, I slowly make my way up the mountain until I am right at the largest waterfall. Some young guy is there, also, and as I’m heading up and he’s heading down, he offers to take my photo by the waterfall. Okay, good – proof that I actually made it this far up the mountain. I find a different route down to avoid wet sliprock faces.

Approaching the waterfall
Proof I was here in person

Back at camp, I tend to the usual business of posting a blog, checking email, doing some agent research, and other such stuff. Later, Rollie and I go for a wet walk through the campground and talk to the group of guys from Santa Fe who are camped not far away. They tell us that the water is high at the creek crossing between us and the outside world. Camp host friend, Jimi, was going to come visit us today, but the creek crossing between us and the campground further up the road is also high. We are all sort of marooned at our various locations.

In the afternoon, Rollie and I play bluegrass in his rig – a nice-size motorhome with room to invite the van ladies, Sally and Beth, over to listen. Later we have nachos for dinner, I lose a game of cribbage, and finish out the day writing in the journal.

Cochise Stronghold Days – March 2019

March 11, 2019September 11, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Friday March 8: After breakfast we go to Pearce/Sunsites, the nearest town to Cochise Stronghold where Clifford and I are camped in the dispersed area. Several errands: post office to pick up mail, the Farmer’s Market, the little grocery store for local honey, and Marcia’s Garden where I buy lotions made from goats’ milk and essential oils. A shopping trip to Marcia’s Garden is on my priority list when we are in this area and I buy enough for the coming year.

Back at camp, we take care of calls, emails, texts, and editing, some of which are related to Carnicom Institute business. I finally start a new Facebook account, as FB has not responded to any of my attempts to access the account I’ve had for years, which was messed up when my phone “died” last month. I’m not too pleased about the situation, but I still want to share photos and blogs of our travels, as well as stay in touch with family, real friends, and photo group friends. In the meantime, I’ve gotten further behind with posting blogs, and now I’m starting over without recovering many of my previous friends and followers.

Saturday March 9: Beautiful light on the mountain, but frozen fingers at 27 degrees this morning.

Rock cliff face beautiful golden from the early morning light

We sort the mail that we picked up yesterday, I send texts to family and friends, and take care of other domestic chores. My brother Rollie and I walk down the other branch of the dispersed area. The road is really bad, but high clearance vehicles are able to get in and there are a couple of people camped in that area. Nice walk, as it has warmed up to mid-60’s.

Rollie and Ninja

Back at camp, Rollie and I play bluegrass music, inviting the neighbor with the banjo to join us. Also invite some folks walking down the road to join us – just to listen. Clifford is always an appreciative audience, but it is fun to have others play and listen, also. The muffins that are baking turn out great, so we share fresh hot muffins with the neighbors, along with the music.

Chicken for dinner, but no cribbage tonight, as Rollie is figuring out his travel plans for visiting our cousins who have moved to Dallas.

Sunday March 10: This morning I start a campfire and Rollie joints me. When it gets warm enough, he gets out the mandolin and plays while I write in my journal. Later I meet the van neighbor and we visit with the neighbors that Clifford and I met the first day. Kind of interesting that we are all from or have lived in Montana and are familiar with the same places.

After lunch Clifford and I take care of CI email and I post a blog from September travels. We have breakfast burritos for dinner, and Rollie and I play a game of cribbage before I get the dishes done.

Monday March 11: Mostly sunny this morning, and Rollie and I go for a walk down the road through the dispersed camping area and up a bit of a trail.

Taking a bit of a trail up the mountainside
View from our pausing point

Back at camp it is warm enough to play music outside in the shade of the trees at our campsite. We meet the ladies, Beth and Sally, camped in vans near Rollie’s rig when they come over to listen. They are not planning on staying long, but fun to meet them.

Sunshine and shade before clouds move in

By afternoon it has clouded up considerably; by time dinner and cribbage are over, it is raining. After dinner I send the blog of September travels to “new friends” on FB to get former friends to recognize the “new” me. I do hope taking the time to post blogs on FB adds something interesting to someone’s day.

Hiking Cochise Trail – March 2019

March 7, 2019September 9, 2019 Carol CarnicomLeave a comment

Wednesday March 7: It is windy and overcast at Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains where we are camped in the dispersed area. After breakfast I send texts with photos to family, review a memoir that I’m editing, and fix snacks for our hike. About noon, Clifford, my brother Rollie, and I head to the campground to meet up with our friend Jimi, the campground host.

Today we are hiking the Cochise Trail to the Half-Moon Tank, about two miles up the trail. There are lots of stops as we hike, catching our breath and me taking photos. Except for the white murk in the sky, it is a beautiful day for hike.

As we begin the upward climb, we notice the rock formations beside the trail as well as those on the slope across the creek from us. We can see many places where caves could provide homes or hiding places for people or wildlife.

Jimi looks through a rock formation…
alongside the trail

We spot an interesting formation and a cave on the opposite slope

We stop at the spring, about a mile in, taking a moment to enjoy the lovely creek. As we head onward, Clifford goes ahead of the rest of us. Unfortunately, he has my water bottle. Luckily, Rollie was carrying a spare, so I was able to keep hydrated on the uphill climb.

Rollie and Ninja….
and Jimi relaxing

Beyond the spring, the trail winds around the mountain, revealing the fantastic boulder formations.

Near the tank, Clifford waits for us so we all arrive at the tank together. There is no doubt some history as to why a tank was built here, but we can only guess at what that would be. We find a spot on the nearby sliprock hillside where we can have our picnic. It is a pleasant time of relaxing before we head back down the trail.

At the spring, we stop again, giving ourselves a little more time to be here in this magical place.

Cochise Trail

Back at camp, it is already time for dinner, so I make nachos – quick and easy. Other than washing the bean pan, I let the rest of the dishes go for tonight. Rollie is too tired for cribbage, so I go back to editing until my laptop battery is used up. Clifford and I are both kind of tired out from the hike, so early to bed for us. Hardly anything on the to-do list got done today, and that is okay, as what we did was much more fun.

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