No Destination : hoyden and two dogs hit the road full-time

[hoyden]

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

It reminded me a lot of Goblin Valley in Utah. Neat!

I rolled a 5 = go to the nearest border. That’s New Mexico tomorrow!

Monday, December 19, 2016

I’m afraid of heights, so every time I come across a name or a map of “something Pass” I get nervous. But I keep going over them anyway. Learning my truck’s low gears and giving myself permission to be the slowest person on the mountain – and waving people by – makes it doable.

A few miles up the road after leaving the Chiricahua National Monument, I came across a truck sideways on the small, quiet highway. The driver with his cowboy hate was on his cell phone. I slowed to a stop next to him and asked if I could help. He was on the phone with AAA, and asked if I could help him push his truck off the road. We tried through muscle to push the massive vehicle into the grasses on the side, but even though we were able to get it rocking a few inches forward, we weren’t able to get it further. I pulled my truck around and slowly and carefully pushed him onto the side. That did the trick. Turns out, he owns the local mortuary and had been on his way to a funeral. The “remains” were in the back of his Durango and a friend of his was heading over to pick those up and get to the funeral. Glad I was able to help a little, I went on my way.

When I crossed into New Mexico, I felt a flitter of solidity to my leaving. I traveled into a whole different state. Arizona is officially behind me. I’ll return, of course, but in a wholly different capacity. The state line punctuated a finality to those previous eight years in Arizona.

Worry is one of my frequent companions when traveling. It’s impressive how large the world feels when stuck with a flat tire, and how small it feels when smoothly traveling on paved roads. From here, I could be in Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson, or back to Bisbee in a number of hours within one day. I could be visiting my mom in a just a few days. Small world. But if I was that truck sideways on a quiet highway, my world would suddenly become very small.

 

[hoyden]

I can see this posting this is going to be a bit daunting. I have two more to be caught up, but the weather isn't looking great, so I'm going to get lunch and get on the road. I wanted to get up to the Very Large Array today, but we'll see.

More later! :-D

 

[CALIcamperdad]

Wow! Crazy glad your ok. Nothing worse than tooth problems. I dont know what it is about setting out as a long term traveler. Some of the craziest health things seem to surface.
I enjoy long distance ocean racing and every time I hear about scary stuff like this it goes into my "What if" mental folder. Being a 1000 miles from help has a funny affect on how you remember the odd scary health things and what they turn out being. This one goes into the "What if" folder ;-)

Sheesh!
Have a great trip!

 

[GroovyDad]

Make sure that you check the "How many nights did you camp in 2016" thread and let us know your tally at the end of the year. You should have a very respectable number of nights under your belt...

 

[kmcintyre]

What would have happened if you rolled a 1? Just curious how you match a roll with a route.

 

[Cayuse]

What would have happened if you rolled a 1? Just curious how you match a rolll with a route.

The idea came off a Dirtbagdiaries.com podcast it goes something like:

1=North
2=South
3=East
4=West
5= Cross the nearest state border
6= Stay put/ explore the local area

The one rule being no backtracking so if you go north one day you can't go south the next...

You can set the actual numbers to mean whatever you want but is a way of traveling without having a specific destination in mind.

 

[kmcintyre]

The idea came off a Dirtbagdiaries.com podcast it goes something like:

1=North
2=South
3=East
4=West
5= Cross the nearest state border
6= Stay put/ explore the local area

The one rule being no backtracking so if you go north one day you can't go south the next...

You can set the actual numbers to mean whatever you want but is a way of traveling without having a specific destination in mind.

Nice as long as you don't keep rolling 6's as you'd never move

 

[CougarCouple]

Good thing you don't roll two dice.
Merry Christmas Hoyden, and to your companions also.
Russ

 

[hoyden]

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Silver City and Gila Hot Springs

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice and yesterday I climbed a mountain to find some hot springs, but first stopped at Silver City, New Mexico. Silver City, NM is an artsy little town similar to a couple of other mining towns I’ve visited, Jerome and Bisbee, Az. It’s interesting that artsy little towns grow from the chaos and destruction of the mining industry. On the way to Silver city, is the Continental Divide Trail.

When I arrived at Silver City, my plan was to drive up to these hot springs, but instead I lingered around a café. I didn’t quite have the motivation yet, or perhaps I was just hungry. A man named Nick struck up a conversation about places to visit in the area and we ended up going to lunch at the Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery. They have a curry vegetable dish that is spectacular!

After lunch, and against my usual unease around strangers, I agreed to follow him up the mountain to the hot springs. It’s somewhat developed, and on private land, so I figured (hoped) there would be other folks around.

The 40 mile drive took over an hour and a half, up some severely twisty mountainy roads. This would be a fun road on a motorcycle, with the usual cautions of cars crossing the centerline.

At the turn off to the hot springs, the little rocky drive goes through a number of goat pens. I really wanted to get out and pet them but kept following Nick on to the hot springs.

There is a little booth set up for taking the minimal fee – I think it’s $5 for a day of soaking, or $6 for camping.

The campsites are close to the three multi-people sized tubs, so I set up and we headed for a soak.

Star gazing while lounging in a hot tub on a wintry mountain night in December is one of life’s small pleasures. Actually, star gazing from any hot tub anywhere is a pleasure. But this is a special treat.

Nick had planned to drive up, enjoy a soak and a fireside chat, then head back down the mountain to his home in Silver City. However, on the drive up we crossed over more than a few snowy or wet patches that would turn icy once the sunset. He decided to stay over as well, and after our fireside chat, he retired to his Subaru. Unfortunately, since he hadn’t planned to overnight, he didn’t have anything warm in his car. I loaned him the quilt my friend Julie made for me, but it wasn’t enough. When I got up at 7am to walk the dogs, his car was gone and there was my comforter on the hood of my truck, and a sticky note on the windshield. “too cold”.

I took a morning soak and met Clint, Shannon, and their doggy Heidi. They live full-time in a somewhat beat-up 80’s van. She’s relatively new to this lifestyle, but he’s been a road bum for over 7 years. He’s got a degree in Criminal Justice, is a certified welder, and mechanic. He has hiked the Continental Divide Trail a few times, along with the Appalachian Trail. I think he said he’s also hiked the PCT, but I don’t remember. They work odd jobs, and spend a month max in one place. They are content. Heidi has hiked thousands of miles with him. I think I need to get Argos some booties.

We talked for quite a while during our soak in the open tub. When I said I didn’t think I’d like the congestion of the Appalachian Trail, he mentioned a philosophy they have on the trails: HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) . It is very much like the motorcycle creed of “ride your own ride” - don't try to keep up with someone else, or pace with them. Do your own pace and level. It’s a solid philosophy.

They moved on from the campsite and I retreated into my camper for breakfast and coffee.
I am tempted to stay here another night. A friend in Prescott is trying to connect me with a friend of his in Silver City. Unfortunately, the woman is out of town today, but will be back this evening. I’m trying to decide if I feel like hanging out for another day, and meet up with her tomorrow, or head out?
It’s now 9am and I’m about to roll the dice again.

I rolled a 6.
6 = stay put.
Well, okay then.

 

[hoyden]

Well, if a photo goes sideways, it's staying sideways. Not sure why this reformats them. Odd.

 

[kmcintyre]

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Silver City and Gila Hot Springs

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice and yesterday I climbed a mountain to find some hot springs, but first stopped at Silver City, New Mexico. Silver City, NM is an artsy little town similar to a couple of other mining towns I’ve visited, Jerome and Bisbee, Az. It’s interesting that artsy little towns grow from the chaos and destruction of the mining industry. On the way to Silver city, is the Continental Divide Trail.

When I arrived at Silver City, my plan was to drive up to these hot springs, but instead I lingered around a café. I didn’t quite have the motivation yet, or perhaps I was just hungry. A man named Nick struck up a conversation about places to visit in the area and we ended up going to lunch at the Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery. They have a curry vegetable dish that is spectacular!

After lunch, and against my usual unease around strangers, I agreed to follow him up the mountain to the hot springs. It’s somewhat developed, and on private land, so I figured (hoped) there would be other folks around.

The 40 mile drive took over an hour and a half, up some severely twisty mountainy roads. This would be a fun road on a motorcycle, with the usual cautions of cars crossing the centerline.

At the turn off to the hot springs, the little rocky drive goes through a number of goat pens. I really wanted to get out and pet them but kept following Nick on to the hot springs.

There is a little booth set up for taking the minimal fee – I think it’s $5 for a day of soaking, or $6 for camping.

The campsites are close to the three multi-people sized tubs, so I set up and we headed for a soak.

Star gazing while lounging in a hot tub on a wintry mountain night in December is one of life’s small pleasures. Actually, star gazing from any hot tub anywhere is a pleasure. But this is a special treat.

Nick had planned to drive up, enjoy a soak and a fireside chat, then head back down the mountain to his home in Silver City. However, on the drive up we crossed over more than a few snowy or wet patches that would turn icy once the sunset. He decided to stay over as well, and after our fireside chat, he retired to his Subaru. Unfortunately, since he hadn’t planned to overnight, he didn’t have anything warm in his car. I loaned him the quilt my friend Julie made for me, but it wasn’t enough. When I got up at 7am to walk the dogs, his car was gone and there was my comforter on the hood of my truck, and a sticky note on the windshield. “too cold”.

I took a morning soak and met Clint, Shannon, and their doggy Heidi. They live full-time in a somewhat beat-up 80’s van. She’s relatively new to this lifestyle, but he’s been a road bum for over 7 years. He’s got a degree in Criminal Justice, is a certified welder, and mechanic. He has hiked the Continental Divide Trail a few times, along with the Appalachian Trail. I think he said he’s also hiked the PCT, but I don’t remember. They work odd jobs, and spend a month max in one place. They are content. Heidi has hiked thousands of miles with him. I think I need to get Argos some booties.

We talked for quite a while during our soak in the open tub. When I said I didn’t think I’d like the congestion of the Appalachian Trail, he mentioned a philosophy they have on the trails: HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) . It is very much like the motorcycle creed of “ride your own ride” - don't try to keep up with someone else, or pace with them. Do your own pace and level. It’s a solid philosophy.

They moved on from the campsite and I retreated into my camper for breakfast and coffee.
I am tempted to stay here another night. A friend in Prescott is trying to connect me with a friend of his in Silver City. Unfortunately, the woman is out of town today, but will be back this evening. I’m trying to decide if I feel like hanging out for another day, and meet up with her tomorrow, or head out?
It’s now 9am and I’m about to roll the dice again.

I rolled a 6.
6 = stay put.
Well, okay then.

Nice! You're meeting some interesting people. Meeting strangers can really make a trip!

 

[hoyden]

Gila Cliff Dwellings and more hot springs

I woke up and took a morning soak. I could get used to this.

Pugsly seems to like stomping around in the leaves.

After my morning soak, coffee, and breakfast, I packed up camp and headed for the Gila Cliff Dwellings about 8 miles up the road. I stopped at the Visitor’s Center and arrived just in time for the 15-minute informational movie. The Puebloans of the Mogollon area built these dwellings between 1276 and 1287, but they only lived there for one generation. The pamphlet I received at the Visitor’s Center says, “Archeological evidence suggests that many different groups of people inhabited this area over several thousand years. What motivated this group to build inside the caves? And why did they stay for only a few decades?”

At the Visitor’s Center parking lot, there is a fresh water fill-up station, complete with hose. Initially, I tried to hold the hose at my camper water-fill-up hole, and then turn on the water with my other hand. The first time, I don’t think I got any water in the camper water tank, but instead cleaned a section of the Tacoma and soaked my jeans, jacket, and face. It was highly comedic and would have been very entertaining to anyone watching.

The second time, I managed to balance the hose on my tank fill-up, and turn the water on with my foot. Still amusing, but far more functional.

I drove over to the trailhead for the cliff dwellings with my heater blasting on full and hoped that I’d dry off quickly.

There are about 40 dwellings built inside five natural caves!

It’s pretty high elevation here, and there were still icicles hanging from the cliffs, and ice crystals along the walkway.

Inside the Ranger Station at the trailhead was more information about the Peoples, food they ate, tools used, and indigenous creatures. This Gray Wolf captivated me.

Unfortunately, he is no longer alive.

But hopefully his pups are still roaming the area.

I went back to the Hot Springs for more soaking and another night of campering.
After making lunch, I set about to do some re-organizing inside my camper.
There is very limited space in my camper, so of course, I brought along too many books, and my rather large cozy slippers.

I also found that my fridge is magnet-friendly, so I decorated a bit with a drawing from a young friend of mine, Iggy,in Prescott. He made me a going away card and included me in the picture of his family. On the back is an “I love you” and “I miss you”. When Iggy gave me the card, I teared up. That’s a good kid and I miss our daily chats.

The orange magnet is my “sad monster” drawing that I created when I was about Iggy’s age. And of course, no fridge is complete without an “I heart Power Tools” patch.

These are some of the important things.

 

[hoyden]

Nice! You're meeting some interesting people. Meeting strangers can really make a trip!

Hi! I have met some interesting people so far. It's been really good. I am starting to feel that my October month trip was about getting out and away, and this one is shaping up to be more about people and learning.

 

[hoyden]

December 21, 2016
Datil Well Campground, NM

When I set up yesterday, it was lovely. I took Argos for a little walk and discovered that we had the campground all to ourselves.

It started raining last night and didn't stop.
I wrote this morning.

It’s raining. I’m not good at sitting and just “doing nothing” so perhaps this is good for me. I do wish I had connectivity though so that I could check the forecast and find out how long this rain is expected. This is one of the problems with having my house on my back – in order to go somewhere, I have to pack up. However, packing up isn’t a big deal. I could pop-down and go into Datil proper. It’s only 8:30am, so that’s a distinct possibility. As well, I don’t really want to run my propane heater all day. My batteries are at 11.8volts, which is okay for now, but with no sun to bolster my roof-top solar, I might want to go for a drive later today. My plan was to visit the Very Large Array, but seems rather pointless to try to see outdoor structures in a rainstorm.

I wrote about worry the other day. I was thinking about this on my drive north on State Route 180 yesterday. I revisited a few road trips from my younger days, when weather didn’t concern me and a snow storm was an excuse to test my winter driving skills. I didn’t sleep well my last night at the Gila Hot Springs because I heard the pitter-patter of rain on the camper roof and could only think about the icy, curvy, mountain road I had to traverse to get back to Silver City. It occurred to me that I used to be a lot cockier. That cockiness probably put me in more potentially dangerous situations, but it certainly kept the worry away. There has to be a happy medium where the worry is only around for helping with logistics, but doesn’t cause sleeplessness.

Last night I texted to a friend that I miss people. I wrote that I so enjoyed my freedom during my October trip, but I wonder if it’s because now I have nothing that I’m pushing against. I have no job time-constraints or other constraints, except to be in southern Illinois by January 4th, but that deadline isn’t oppressive. I also speculated the feeling was both because of my fatigue yesterday from poor sleep the night before at the hot springs, and that I’m still in ‘getting used to being on the road’ mode. It has only been about a week and a half, and a good chunk of that was spent dealing with dental issues while staying at friends’ house in Tucson.

Along 180 I notice that pickup trucks wave at each other. I test this and wave at a couple of sedans, and receive no reply, but every truck that goes by either waves back or initiates the little steering wheel finger wiggle we acknowledge as the vehicle-wave. It’s a comfortable occurrence for me. In the country where I grew up in Southern Illinois, there were so few drivers on the backwoods barely paved road, the likelihood that the other car was a neighbor was high, and we all waggled our fingers at each other.

 

[craig333]

Sounds like the "Jeep" wave. Quite a journey you've undertaken. I wonder if I could do the same?

 

[buckland]

Being alone at times is difficult. I am a "loner" at least my friends know me as one that can be by myself for long stretches. But I have found it is easier to be secluded (I live in the boonies) when I have missions to accomplish... a sense of duty or purpose. It stops, what my old TM teacher would call "the barking dog" ... round and round one goes on a line of thought that is more a whirligig. That's when the worry seeps in... little anxieties that really shouldn't be there. It is easier to be alone surrounded by 'have-to do's. Though disaster does strike on occasion, I seem to make my own problems... Pogo "We have seen the enemy and it is us". I think travel tests your metal... it is surely an exciting adventure outwardly but the real adventure happens inside.... sometimes like wrestling a bear! I think it is true though that the ups and downs of being on the road make one live more in a month than most people do in a year. It's that I can't be be distracted from living with myself! I know people who watch TV all day... never have a self-examining thought. Ride your rollercoaster and know you are better for it!!!!
BTW... we have the raised index finger hello around here too... less a wave and more a howdy.

 

[ski3pin]

Lady Bug, your stories are a family affair around here. "What's Lady Bug up to now?" is a question asked by the Lady when she sees the familiar WTW banner across the screen. Last evening we read together all of your posts on this thread. We admire your ability and desire to honestly share your concerns, worries, successes, and growth as an outdoor woman. You are sifting through so many of life's puzzles and distilling it down to what is really important and matters.

Worries, cares, mishaps are around every corner. You are learning to handle them with grace and a sense of discovery.

Your journey is quite the undertaking and we continue to wish you the very best.

Perhaps, one day we will cross paths.

 

[GroovyDad]

I'm jealous of your visit to Gila Hot Springs. Even though I'm from NM and lived there a good chunk of my life, I've never made it to Silver City. I hear it's a little gem though and it's on my list.

Whatever you do, don't leave NM without getting a few plates of our great green and red chile. You'll probably be going through Las Cruces on your way east, if so, you should try Napolitos Restaurant or La Posta.

 

[PaulT]

Dawn,

"I do wish I had connectivity though so that I could check the forecast and find out how long this rain is expected."

Look into the DeLorme (now Garmin) Inreach Explorer to provide the connectivity that you may need to worry less. In addition to providing a means to text someone, provide breadcrumbs to friends of your travels, or send an SOS for help when without cell service, it allows you to retrieve simple or detailed weather for your location for the cost of a few of your allowed monthly messages.

Although fairly expensive, it is on sale for significant discounts at times. We found it useful for planning our next moves while in the Canadian Rockies this summer when it appeared that the rain had set in for eternity. (I still have no personal experience that the Canadian Rockies have any substance above cloud, er, treeline

Appreciate your posts of your travails,...travels.
Paul

 

[Captm]

X2 on Delorme Inreach, we use the recreation plan ($25.70 mthly) it gives peace of mind when soloing.
Check out San Lorenzo Canyon, it's not far from you - it's beautiful with free camping.
This past spring we met a group from the University of Iowa on a spring break trip trying to figure out the geology there.

https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/socorro/san_lorenzo_canyon.html

https://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/nm/programs/recreation/rec_docs.Par.56023.File.dat/sanlo_brochure.pdf

Cheers and Merry Christmas