May trip west
We were headed to Northeastern New Mexico and then Taos, Arizona , Utah, Colorado , Wyoming and Home. On the way we spent two days in Hamilton, Missouri at quilt shops. Then continued toward NM. I wanted to go through Liberal , Kansas for what I don’t know but then to Mills Canyon, New Mexico. We arrived at the canyon rim Forest service campground and unhitched. We then drove down into the canyon. We had been driving on dirt roads for the last 25 miles and we had wondered if we could pull the 5.0 down into the canyon where there was another campground. The road into the canyon had several rise and dips that I think would have resulted in interference between the frame of the trailer and the bed of the truck . The switchbacks would have been no problem. Down in the canyon there are posted signs showing where the flood water crested that wiped out the fruit farm that Mills had established.
The next night it snowed and rained (May 8). It was cold (35deg F) . Our furnace did not work even though I tried it before we left on the trip. The next day it continued rain and cold and we decided to leave. I would have liked to explore more down in the canyon. We barely made it out on the road from the campground. I was in four wheel drive and moving at about 2 MPH but we made it to the flat ground and finally to a paved road . That slimy mud is good for making Adobe bricks but not for driving in wet dirt roads.
We headed to Las Vegas ,New Mexico and spent two days at a plug in campground in the rain and snow.
We headed to Taos, where I used to live right after College. We camped along the Rio Grande south of Taos and the weather was sunny and cool. It was sweet! The Rio Grande was close to flood . We visited the hot springs in Ohio Caliente.
We left Taos and crossed the bridge over the Rio Grande , went through Tres Piedras. Sometime after that we saw a mountain lion cross the road in front of us. It was an incredibly powerful looking creature only 75 feet or so in front of our truck.
We were headed to Pagosa Springs and camped in a Forest service campground but also hit the Hot Springs. A hot soak at river level and even a dip in the freezing river. Then some Nuevos rancheros in a good place in town within a short walk from the hot springs.
More continued later . It’s music night and way past wine thirty.
Steve
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