Day 31 8.18
I worked some this morning on my website, then took off to town around noon. Quite a few people have told me I needed to try the green chile cheeseburger from Lottaburger…a New Mexico only fast food place. So, that’s where I went for lunch. It was decent for fast food; but I rarely eat it. I doubt I would order it again; there’s just so many great choices that are fantastic here!
I had written my website, but hadn’t published yet because I have no service where I’m camping. It’s pretty hot here, so I drove down to the Railyard area to Nuckolls Brewery. I had my most loved NM beer, Bosque Scotia & sat for a couple of hours publishing & editing tripscribbles.
Sherry & Lynn arrived in town this afternoon so Sherry can start her Capitol to Capitol ride in a couple of days. We went to the Palicio Restaurant for dinner…yummy! I had the Chile Rellenos…very good! And their margaritas were too!
Then we went for cocktails a local recommended called Secreto Bar. It was good too & so was the conversation. I’d never met Lynn before but I”m sure she’ll make a great logistics Queen for Sherry!
Here’s a photo of something other than food & drink! The Indian Market was over & it was a pretty quiet Sunday evening.
I said goodnight & went back out to camp, read & watched the moon rise above the forest. The temps were perfect…a lovely night!
Day 32 8.19
The three of us were doing our own thing today but I got a text from Sherry early saying I needed to try out this Craft Donut Food Truck…& so I did (I take recommendations very seriously!) Claire & Emma would love this & I’d never seen one before. You build your own donut, like you would an ice cream sundae or a pizza. Or you can order from a list of paired toppings which is what I did.
I had the turtle donut…chocolate icing, caramel topping with chopped pecans. They cook it right there for you so it comes out nice & hot & not greasy. Wow…it was good!
I bought a ticket to the Georgia O’Keefe museum & took the audio tour. I love her art, the story of her life, her homes in both Abiquiu & Ghost Ranch. So, this was a real treat for me! They allowed photos of most of the art…here are my four favorites.
This is of the area I just drove through in Abiquiu.
And here’s the photo I took of the area:
This is a painting she did of Plaza Blanca or the White Palace.
And my photo of when I hiked Plaza Blanco this trip:
This mesa is called Cerro Pederanl.
And here’s my photo from the road.
And this painting is of the door in her home in Abuquiu.
Then I walked over to the Native American Museum of Contemporary Art. I really didn’t enjoy the art, but all the jewelry was really beautiful & interesting.
Everytime I visit Santa Fe I challenge myself to take photos of art, statues, buildings, etc. that I never have before. Here’s this trips collection. Santa Fe has endless photo opportunities!
Canyon Road photos
My second wine slushy of this trip…the one in Golden was soooo much better, bigger & cheaper. But, it was a sweet outdoor garden bar.
I might have taken this photo previously…but it’s too cute to pass up.
We met Roxanne at the Plaza Cafe for dinner….tonight I had the stuffed Sopapillas & another Prickly Pear margarita. It was so good to see her twice this trip & her & Lynn hit it off. Love being around my women friends! I need to find some in Orlando.
Sunset in downtown Santa Fe this evening…just amazing!
Day 33 8.20
Sherry was starting her trip today headed to Denver…the capitol of Colorado. She always starts where her Dad left off, so this spot was 17 miles out of Santa Fe.
I left camp at 5:30am to be sure to not miss her & give her a big send off!
The moon early this morning as I waited for Sherry.
She’s ready to go! Lynn is ready go! I’ll meet up with them in a few days…somewhere!
I was on the High Road to Taos…such a gorgeous drive! But, I was headed to the Nambe Badlands for a 6 mile hike. I’d downloaded the trail because service is sketchy out here. One sort of ‘rule’ I’ve made for my solo travels, is to always have a downloaded map & phone charger when hiking in badlands. This is the 3rd badlands I’ve hiked in. The only thing I don’t like about it is you always feel like your looking down at your phone. And this trail was no different. For about 3/4 of a mile you hike through an Arroyo.
There was only one other person I saw…a Frenchman on a bike with a super well behaved dog. He stopped & visited with me for a few minutes…love those french accents!
There were so many random trails going every which way. Love all these weird rock formations, but it’s a different kind of hiking in badlands. You can’t really always tell which direction your going & the huge formations block any sign of where you parked your car or a trailhead.
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I was supposed to meet my friend Miki yesterday for lunch. She & her mom are on a road trip from Wichita, KS. I met Miki at the Teton brewery in Idaho several years ago & we realized we were from the same state. We both couldn't wait to get out of that state, we both left as often as we could because we both love adventure & the call of the road. Miki is a motorcycle rider as well as a solo camper…we have so much in common. She was great about always keeping in touch with me often when I was sick last summer…friends make a huge difference. But we’ve managed to see each other at least a couple of times a year & talk way more frequently than that. But, yesterday, her mom wasn’t feeling well so we cancelled. It just so happened, we were on the same road today, so she invited me to join them at Rio de Chama restaurant in Chimayo.
Her mom was feeling better & the three of us enjoyed a super great visit.
I ordered a Chimayo…the official cocktail of NM. I’ve made them at home before, but not had one made for me. It’s a blend of tequila, apple cider, creme de cassis & a little lemon juice. It’s rimmed with cinnamon & sugar. So good.
I had a really yummy combo plate. There were several ecletic dining rooms & tons of bright natural light.
The front of this kind of hard to find & in the middle of nowhere restaurant…but soooo worth it!
Hugs all around as we they went back to Taos & I headed north. I can’t wait to hear about Miki’s travel this fall! She’s awesome!
Even though I’ve challenged myself to hike new hikes & camp in new places on this leg of the trip, I headed back to the new spot I’d stayed in last week on my way to Santa Fe. It was raining hard as I arrived, but stopped so I could enjoy a nice night.
Sunsets behind the trees.
Then it rained & stormed all night while I was tucked inside reading. This was the first rain I had since getting into New Mexico.
Day 34 8.21
When I’d met the couple in Black Canyon Campground in Sante Fe, they told me their favorite place in Colorado was Conejas Canon. I’d never heard of it. But I’d looked it up & it was sort of on my way north. So, I turned west to check out this place & it was gorgeous. If you take highway 17 west, it eventually will drop you back down into NM around Chama. I only went about 20 miles exploring, but it was really beautiful! But my photos don’t really show how gorgeous it is.
Passed this old church building along the way.
I have some friends that are camping around Salida I’d been in touch with & we’d made plans to camp together for a couple of nights. Before I got there though, I was hungry so I stopped at Elevation Brewery in Poncha Springs. Danny & I have been here often. Sadly, the food truck was closed, but the beer was good!
Tom & Kelly were staying in a paid campground right on the river. I was able to reserve a site for that day & a different one for the next day. I got the last two sites. But as these stupid reservation systems go, only on one night did one other camper show up….all those other reserved sites went empty.
I met Kelly & Tom back in Crested Butte when I used to camp along the Slate River (same place I met Joanie…it was a sweet & magical spot!) We’ve kept in touch ever since. The last time we camped together was randomly in Idaho. They’ve been on the road about 11 years, full time & in one of the most bad ass truck campers around. They are also phenomenal cooks! I was in for a treat tonight as they fixed dinner & we sat outside & chatted & ate. What a perfect night a camp & I’m so happy to meet up with them once again.
Camping with Tom & Kelly along the Arkansas River just south of Salida at the Rincon campground.
We visited until after dark, then went to our respective campers under cloudy skies.
Day 35 8.22
The.moon is pretty this morning; power lines not so much.
Today I hiked this old narrow gauge rail trail. It’s got to be the flattest…least elevation trail in the mountains. But it’s nice to be up high with the trail going between the mountains.
This is a rockslide area & I also passed a big avalanche area.
Think this is Chalk Creek Lake.
The creek is really pretty & goes all along the road.
And then the daily stormy sky started.
Under pouring raining skies, I stopped into Woods Distillery. It’s owned by the former Mayor of Salida, now a County Commissioner.
I ordered an Old Fashioned, then took myself off to a corner to FaceTime with the girls & Danny (no one else besides the bartender was there).
Back at the campsite by the river, I moved to my other campsite…a better view of the river.
Tom & Kelly cooked another fabulous meal & we continued to visit & talk travel. I wish Danny was here to join in the fun. Then the rain began & sent us scurrying for our homes on wheels. About an hour later, the rain stopped, the skies cleared & I enjoyed some time before it got dark to just sit & watch & listen to the river.
Around 11pm I was sleeping soundly when a big truck with a fifth wheel attached pulled up in the campsite right behind me. He left his headlights blaring in my windshield for 20 minutes. Maybe it’s required to leave your lights on to get all your big slides out! But, I struggled to get back to sleep & didn’t sleep much for the rest of the night.
Day 36 8.23
Tom is a bread baker & made bread & fried eggs for breakfast this morning. It was sooooo good! I’ve really enjoyed my visit with these two wild travelers! I may see them again before I leave this area, but for today we are headed different directions…me back to Hecla Junction BLM campground & them up the road on highway 50.
I decided to stay in camp all day. I read a whole lot, did some Camper chores, practiced my Spanish & watched the weather.
Some moments the skies looked great...
then they'd turn into this….
I love to watch big storms come in from the inside of my 4Runner. I have large windows & it’s warm & dry & cozy in there! I caught up with Pete on the phone later, talked to Luke too. And, always, talk to Danny at least twice a day. I really feel grateful for this time in the mountains.
Day 37 8.24
The sun shines on the Collegiate peaks early in the morning..my view from my campsite.
I drove to the North Backbone trail this morning to hike. It was a pretty view looking over Salida & the mountains all around.
The trail is 4.5 miles long, but it goes into several other mountain bike trails. But at about 1.5 miles, the trail went over the top of the mountain to the other side. The trail then drops into the forest with only views of these other tree covered mountains. I wanted big mountain views, so I turned around & headed back.
I took a walk along the river trail in downtown Salida .
This is how they surf in Colorado!
I went to the Soulcraft Brewery, for the first time. I had a chile beer & a super yummy grilled cheese filled with three different kinds of cheeses, sliced fresh peaches & green chile jam. I’ll be trying to duplicate this one at home!
As I was finishing my beer outside, the temps dropped about 10 degrees & the winds picked up. I went back out to camp & hung out & read for awhile. But after a couple of hours the skies cleared & it got hot again (there’s no shade in my camp, but I don’t usually need it). So, towards evening, I took off & went back to Elevation Beer Co & this time their food truck was open.
I had the Phatty Melt…so good. (Yes I’ve eaten twice today…it doesn’t happen often but all of it was yummy!)
Back out at camp I enjoyed the evening reading with cooler air temps. Caught this photo of the sunsetting behind the mountains….so spectacular!
Day 38 8.25
This is my view when I open my eyes in the morning….great way to begin the day.
I had a slow morning in camp…had nice long conversations with Danny & with Sara. I’d had a plan…nothing big, but then I got a text from Lynn—Sherry encouraged me to drive up to the pass to cheer her on. Her GPS tracking wasn’t working for me, so I thought I had plenty of time. I was out of food & ran to the store, got my ice & water too, & threw my trash away. Then stopped & got gas. I was only about 10 minutes away from Poncha Pass, but when I pulled over off the road, Sherry had just gotten there. I cheered!!!
Then she zoomed off down the pass as Lynn & I drove down to the bottom to see her bike in. Another day is done for her & she’s that much closer to Denver.
The three of us went to to Elevation Brewery in Poncha Springs for lunch & a beer. They are staying in Salida tonight so I took for what had been this mornings plan, driving up to Chalk Creek Road north of Salida.
I did a short hike to the Agnes Vaille Falls….hard to see in the photo but they are back there way up high. They are probably at their lowest flow right now. I’m sure they’re beautiful in the spring with the mountain snow melt. I’ve been here twice before….the first time a very long time ago. The second time the trail was closed for repair.
From this trailhead, I could look across to the mountain on other side & see the rail trail I hiked the other day (camera is zoomed).
After my short hike, I drove up to St Elmo’s which is an old mining town. It’s got some old buildings you can walk by & thankfully I didn’t see a lot of mining stuff. While I’m not a big fan of going to old mines (I know some view it as history, but there’s always so much old crap laying around that seems like it should be cleaned up!) or ghost towns, I’m always amazed by how they built these towns in such difficult places…how did they get here in the winter? I don’t know the history or facts of this place. I’ve been here once before, hiked one of the spur roads, but today I was just out for a drive. I know those storms are coming…it’s just a matter of time. But, I photographed some of the old buildings with dates back in the 1800’s.
Then I drove back to camp after my hike & drive. The sun was out & so are the annoying flies. But soon the wind picked up, the rain came, the rain went, the sun came out. It’s how the weather is going this time of year right now. I seem to add clothes, then take them off, then add them again as night falls. That’s just way summers go in these moody but magnificent mountains.
I spent the rest of the day downloading photos, writing for my website & talking to Danny. As it’s now getting dark, I’m in the “lounge” (what I call it when I sit in the back of camper with my feet outside). Camp is not full…but I hear the chatting but low voices of my neighbors just having a good time. Now that I’m caught up on tripscribbles, I have a good book to finish tonight.
And the thick clouds are covering the mountains as it grows dark
I won’t be surprised one morning to see snow up on the mountains. Crested Butte mountain had it’s first dusting this morning..
I hope we all sleep well tonight!