Day 15 4.1
I left camp early to drive the 3 hour drive up the narrow curvy roads into the Gila National Forest. I’ve been here before….it’s beautiful & so different from the New Mexican desert areas. My first hike, short but I knew how cool the end was, went to the Cliff Dwellings. You can hike right up into these dwellings. The view from below is amazing….how did they build these homes into the rock?
You get to go all the way up inside & have the same view the ancients that built this had.
There are some pictographs you can see from the inside too.
Then I went on a new-to-me hike called Little Bear Canyon. An 8 mile out & back the Ranger had suggested. At the end of the canyon was this cool cave…way high up above your head.
I found a perfect campsite in the forest, just off the road. It had nice privacy but this great view overlooking the Gila.
And, these NM sunsets, don’t disappoint.
I worked on my website, in the quiet of the forest. Night fell & I tucked in my camper. This was such a lovely spot!
Day 16 4.2
The drive down into Silver City gets even tricker…no trailers recommended. It’s early in the season, so it wasn’t busy at all. But the road is even crazier on this west side, but so many places to camp. A person could definitely get lost here if they chose to.
Silver City is one of the non-traditional towns that seems to have invited lots of artists, hippies & out-of-the-box-thinkers. Pretty cool & I love visiting these kind of places. It’s the kind of town I’d want to live in.
My friend Karen, had just been here exploring Silver City in February & said I must stop for Green Chile quiche at The Tranquil Buzz Coffee House. It was very cool…tons of locals there & the quiche was good.
I’d read about a hike just outside of town called the Dragonfly Loop that had petrglyphs of dragonflys along the hike. So, I went there to get some trail miles in & to see the ancient art. There was a lot of info at the trailhead, including photos of the dragonfly petroglyphs. And, so I started on this trail. It was signed well, & I could tell right away, it was a trail where a lot of locals came to walk their dogs for a maybe a 1/2 mile then turn back. I had read it was also a mountain bike trail, but that’s no big deal…you all know I love & so much respect mountain bikers…my fave athletes! But, before too long the trail turned & I stepped over a piece of caution-like tape only it was blue with the name of a well known bike maker.
Then I found myself hiking in the middle of a mountain bike race. I sure got my hopping-on & hopping-off exercise as probably 50 bikers passed me. They were all friendly shouting “thank you” as they flew by. But, I couldn’t help wonder, as a former event planner, why there wasn’t some notice or signage at the trailhead to warn hikers?
But the biggest bummer? I never found the petroglyphs. My first inclination is to argue with myself about how un-observant I can be…was I going to fast? how could I not notice? there were trail signs all along the trail…so how could I miss it. I was annoyed with myself, but I really didn’t see how I could have missed them. I got back to the 4Runner, sat in the back & changed from hikers to sandals. There was another truck in the parking lot…two guys getting ready to unload their bikes & go for a ride.
I asked them if they knew there was a race going on right now? No, they didn’t & were a bit bummed that there fun & easy day of riding might mean sharing the trail with a whole bunch of other speeding bikers. I said, well maybe the race would be over by the time they got on the trail. Then I asked if they were local? Yes, they were. I told them how I’d missed the sign pointing to the Dragonfly. The one guy looked thoughtful & said….well, come to think of it, there is no sign to the petroglyphs. I asked him how do you find them then on a 4 mile trail? He said he wasn’t sure how he’d found them, now that he thought about it.
In the long run, I was just disappointed & wondered how such a well signed trail, could miss pointing out the petroglyphs that the whole trail was named after. Guess you were just supposed to ‘know’ where they were.
Then I drove the short distance back into Silver City to explore the town.
I popped in & out of little galleries along the main drag & a few blocks this way or that way. This was one of the more eclectic galleries I visited. I sent these to an artist friend back in Lawrence…she would totally do something like this.
I went to the Little Toad Brewery & Distillery & found a spot at the bar. They didn’t have any beer that looked great, so I thought I’d try one of their spirits…Five Ducks Tequila. I ordered a Paloma…just OK, & a green chile cheeseburger. I sat by a really nice young guy, working in the oil industry traveling twice a year for a few weeks to NM & he was ONLY eating green chile cheeseburgers…hoping to find the best one. We had a fun conversation…he was a truck camper in a Toyota Tacoma.
After I ate, I walked around town a little bit longer, made a stop at the grocery store, then headed back up the same road I drove in on this morning & into the Gila. I’ve camped at Cherry Creek campground once before…a free NFS campground with sites, picnic tables & a pit toilet. It wasn’t crowded, so a found a good spot. I worked on my website until dark. Then tucked in for the night.
And then I started to get sick. At first it was a sore throat. The one part of my body that seems to be the ‘weakest’, is my throat. It’s been inspected, prodded, filmed, tubed, etc. My teenie-tiny tonsils seem to cause big problems sometimes. So, I thought I was getting a throat infection….which I dreaded. The last time I had one, my throat Doctor said if I got one again, my tonsils had to come out. NO WAY! I’m really hoping to die with these itty bitty trouble makers still in tact (do you how painful & dangerous it is to have your tonsils removed when you are older?)
Day 17 4.3
Ugh…I felt awful this morning. I could hardly swallow, my throat was killing me & I could barely talk. But, I wasn’t going to let this get me down & who was I going to talk to anyway? I drove south of Silver City to a place I’d wanted to visit called City of Rocks State Park. I got there early in the morning to see if I could score one of their walk in campsites, but I was too late (even getting there about 10 minutes after they opened). But, the nice woman at the VC, said if I could find a pullout off the road, I could camp there for $3 plus the $5 park entrance fee. And, that’s what I did. I found a spot, which as it turns out, had formerly been a walk in site, but it was under restoration. So, I was off the road enough. Still pretty close to the main road, but this park locks it’s gates at 9pm & opens them at 7am the next morning…so I didn’t figure there would be any traffic at night when I was sleeping or wanted privacy.
I finally made coffee & choked down part of a green chile muffin I’d bought at Tranquil Buzz yesterday. It wasn’t that good & my throat was awful. My choice was to stay here & be miserable or hike & be miserable with a view…I always choose the hike.
They have several small trails here, but they inter connect & that was my plan. To stay busy, look around, avoid being sick.
And, so, I filled my pack with water, some throat lozenges & took off.
I love camping & hiking in places where there are giant rocks. I love all sizes of rocks. I have cairns in my living room & bedroom at home. I love rocks. So, here’s a boatload of photos of rocks.
I ended up hiking up to this big bluff. See those teeny tiny people on top? That’s where I was going then the trail winds you around to the top of the next mountain.
Once I got to the top of the last mountain, right as I was crossing to the other side, I hear a guy say “hello!”. This is always a nice courtesy, because I had no idea someone else was up there. His name was Dale, about my age, & as I got around to where he was, we visited. He asked if I’d take a photo of him on top of the mountain.
It was a great 360 view from the top. You can see from the photo below, these huge rocks are just in one area in this vast desert. And, that’s also where the campground is.
We visited on the way back down the mountain, he mostly talking, because my voice was barely working, but he was an interesting guy & had done a lot of traveling. We said our good byes as his trail went one way & mine continued around. I was so tired by now & looking for a cut off trail so my hike would end up being 8 miles for the day. Not too bad when you feel like crap. But, I couldn’t find either cut off. So, I continued to hike. I made it back to my car…pretty tired, feeling terrible & hungry, but not sure how I would swallow anything. I made some throat tea I always carry with me & some broth.
I’m not a napper & never have been. It always sounds like a nice idea, but I can’t ever sleep. I sat in my chair awhile, drank another cup of throat tea. There was one more hike I wanted to do before the day ended & it was a short one through the rocks.
This trail wasn’t signed at all…I had the park map. It went too close to others campsites & I soon found my self just bushwacking through the rocks.
I got back to my 4Runner late in the afternoon, ready to call it a day. I was just sitting in my chair, zombie state, when a young girl & her dog walked by. She asked if she could check out my 4Runner & we visited for a few minutes (although I was just rasping out words.) I told her I was going to have Happy Hour up above my campsite tonight & she asked if she could join me. I said yes!
My camping spot from the Happy Hour spot. Naomi & her dog Millie came back a couple of hours later. She was kind enough to bring a plate of appetizers. I offered to share my Port with her, but she wasn’t a fan. So, we sat in this lovely spot & she told me all about her career & travel plans…which both sounded great. She was traveling in a Van…all decked out & self contained. She was on her way to Alaska with many cool destinations in between.
She asked if I wanted to walk down to her van…she had a perfect view for the sunset; and so I did….& it was.
Day 18 4.4
Today is Sara’s birthday! I felt even worse this morning. I left the state park & drove back into Silver City. I stopped for ice, gas & at trip to Walgreens for more potent throat lozenges & hopefully more throat tea…I was going through it like crazy.
I also stopped at a local gear shop to buy fuel…I always like to have plenty on hand & I was down to one cannister with 4 more weeks left to travel. The guy at the gear store told me there was a shortage of the type of fuel I use…uh oh…camping season is about upon us. Danny says I have a ‘scarcity’ issue…maybe I do. So, instead of buying two cannisters I bought three & paid a premium for them. I would now be on the hunt for the rest of my fuel to get through summer.
I left Silver City wondering what the hell was going on with my body. I was wondering if I was running a fever & now had a cough in addition to my kill-me throat pain. But, I kept going. Today, I was driving to a place called the Catwalk. I drove into the parking spot, grabbed my pack & hit the trail. It’s a short one to get to the Catwalk….a metal walkway attached to the side of a rock. I knew there was a trail that went beyond into the forest. The guy at the gear shop where I’d bought my fuel, told me it was a pretty hike, but to be extra careful because it went through a burned area.
The minute I got on the trail, I knew I was toast. I felt like every step was through concrete. Like a balloon with no air. The Catwalk was pretty cool though & I’m glad I got that far.
After the Catwalk, I continued up the trail, but slowly & so unsure whether I was doing the right thing. Then I came to this “Trail Closed” sign. And, I was relieved. There was another hiker on the trail & he asked me if I was going to ignore the sign & continue. I said no I wasn’t…even if I felt great, I doubted if I would have disobeyed this sign. Just didn’t seem like a good idea on a good day…& this wasn’t turning out to be a good day.
I am not a ghost-town person. They just aren’t that interesting to me, but the ghost town of Mongollan was home to only a few residents but also a company that I buy skin care products from called Super Salve. I was hoping to see it & maybe meet some one that worked there. The drive up there is very slow, super narrow roads, blind curves & steep. It was a typical ghost town….old historic buildings, lots of mining stuff left around, but I couldn’t find the company I was looking for. There was one open shop there (everything else looked like it’d closed up a long time ago). That guy told me the where the company was (you could see it from above on one of the curves; but no directions how to get there,) but more importantly he said it’s gated & the gates always locked. So, that seemed a bust, uninviting & a dead end.
I was ready to rest. Unable to eat & talk much, I took off towards my next campsite. A campground called Cosmic Campground…one of 4 in the world endorsed by the Dark Sky organization. It’s a free site but has areas for telescopes to set up. It was practically empty when I got there….I chose a spot & parked. I got out my chair, my Kindle & some more throat tea & tried to pass the rest of the day in hopes my body would heal soon.
The night sky was beautiful….but truthfully, so many of the night skies have been that way here in New Mexico. So grateful to be here now.
Day 19 4.5
The first thing I went for this morning was my thermometer…but, its battery had died. I knew I was running a temp; couldn’t eat anything & was just able to sip water.
The drive from the campground, through the town of Reserve & up to El Malpais National Monument was spectacular! So very beautiful. But, I was getting worse. I passed trailhead after trailhead, not feeling like I could walk a mile. Once into the National Monument, where there are several hikes that were on my list, the only one I did was the super short one to La Ventana Arch…the largest natural arch in New Mexico.
This looked like such a cool place to spend time…but I just didn’t feel like it.
So, I sat there in parking lot & thought. I was not able to hike. I was not able to eat. Because of the pain, I hadn’t slept the past two nights. I drove north. I was supposed to head north west, but when I got to the turn off for Alburquerque, I pulled off the road. I thought & thought. ABQ was the nearest town, 70 miles away (in the wrong direction,) that had an Urgent Care & multiple pharmacies. So, that was my decision for now…head towards help & get better.
I drove to a Walgreens, bought a new thermometer & then drove to a community park. Yes, I was running a temp. I texted by daughter with all my sad info. She called me back, more than willing to help, but first wanted me to take a Covid test. Really? in hindsight, I feel really stupid, but I was sure I had a bad throat infection. I’d packed a Covid test with me & in just a few minutes I had my answer…I was positive. Sara didn’t want me going back into the forest in case I had breathing problems. I could stay in a hotel for a few days (just shoot me rather than lock me in a hotel room) or I could cancel my trip & drive home. I talked to Danny, but ultimately the decision was mine….mine to make & mine to do. Oh how I dreaded the 13 hour drive home.
I left town, just sipping water & more tired than I’d been in years. I drove for about 80 miles, then pulled off into a rest area for the night. I knew my fever was up & I was dead tired.
Day 20 4.6
I was able to sleep some, even with the sweats on & off all night. I headed east for hours & hours…it was rather brutal, but I did it. I made it home early in the evening. Danny was home from work, but neither one of us wanted him to catch Covid from me (he had it in 2020, but still able to get it again). We waved to each other from across the room, I took a fast shower & fell into bed.
Day 14 of having Covid 4.16
It’s been a long haul. I was egotistical to think since I am very healthy & vaccinated & boosted I would not get Covid very bad…I was wrong. I say that, yet I have been at home the whole time…no trouble breathing, no hospitalization…& I’m super grateful for that. But, I was in bed for days. Once the throat & fever went away, I have had stomach/digestive problems. The lack of food, calories & being unable to keep food in has caused me to be lethargic for almost two weeks.
I am so bummed to have had to cancel my trip; only making not even 1/2 way through my plans. But, I am grateful for so much. For the time I had exploring this wonderful, diverse state. For being able to get home & for not being any sicker than I have been.
Flexibility is a key to enjoying travel…to enjoying life. We never really know what’s about to happen. Life seems to be a bit more predictable when you stay close to home & have the same routine everyday. But, when you travel, putting yourself out there in the wilderness, on trails, in places that are new to you, meeting new friends & eating new foods….it’s unpredictable on a good day. And some days, don’t go the way you want.
Go anyway.
Do things & get outside.
Get out of your comfort zone.
Learn to be fluid.