Chama, Pagosa and Horses!

Although we’d been planning a trip to the Jemez area this past weekend, controlled burns occurring north of Santa Fe caused us to rethink our plans and consider heading north towards southern Colorado instead. Since the smoke from the recent burns had thwarted our plans to enjoy the natural hot springs in Jemez, it seemed only natural to take ourselves to Pagosa Springs in order to soak our water-hungry bodies.

After a swim at Lake Abiquiu, the next stop was the charming town of Chama, where we ensconced ourselves at The Little Creel Campground where we had spent three lovely days back in May. The river was noticeably lower, but we were able to sleep all night with the sound of the nearby rushing waters, the windows of our rig open despite the temperatures dropping into the 40’s.

Saturday morning, we enjoyed homemade apple and blueberry pie accompanied by fresh decaf coffee at the nearby Elk Horn Café. Lined with wood paneling and filled with hunters in combat fatigues, the Elk Horn and the many nearby lodges all cater to hunters and fishermen looking for their autumnal fix of the outdoors. Pickup trucks filled the parking lot, and the testosterone level in the dining room was palpable as was the cloud of the overpowering scent of Tide detergent that sent us outside to eat our pie in peace.

Leaving the Elk Horn unscathed (bellies filled with quintessentially American coffee and pie) to the farm stand next door, we befriended the friendly Texan proprietor who gave us a sweet deal on some New Mexican gifts destined to be set aside for the holidays. A stray kitten appeared to fall in love with us, and even though the farm stand owner did his best to get us to take the cat with us, we pawned him off on the folks at the gift shop next door who immediately, began the work of finding him a proper home. Phew!

Moments after leaving downtown Chama, we spontaneously picked up a bright young Oregonian hitchhiker named Mary, and we enjoyed the gloriously unrolling landscape, enriching conversation, and a brief encounter with a herd of cattle being ushered down the road by a group of hardworking cowboys and cowgirls. (For all you Easterners, this video is well worth watching for the sheer novelty of traffic stopping for such a spectacle!) 

After dropping off our young passenger in pursuit of her next ride, the balance of this glorious autumn day was spent soaking in the waters at Pagosa Springs, where a downtown resort perches along the river and offers more than a dozen mineral pools ranging from 89 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as quick dips in the chilly river.

Luckily for us, a friend and neighbor from The Commons invited us to spend a few nights at a ranch where she periodically boards her horse, and we made our way deep into the San Juan National Forest to the very remote Snow Angel Ranch, a slice of Coloradan heaven on earth more than five miles from the nearest neighbor or paved road.

To share some equine history, our friend Ellen’s horse, Snow Leopard, usually boards at a stable located an easy ten-minute walk from our casita, so Mary has frequently cared for Snowy in Ellen’s absence. Having established a bond over the last few months, Mary and Snowy were ready to engage on a deeper level, and their relationship as horse and rider was established this weekend under Ellen’s very kind and patient tutelage.

Missing the splendor of October in New England, we were heartened to find one small imported sugar maple on the ranch, imported and transplanted by the owner to remind her of her years in Wisconsin. This lone maple was resplendent with orange and red leaves, and we breathed in the familiar color like kids in a candy shop.

After several days of horses, walking the land, and sharing delicious meals with Ellen and the ranch’s gracious homesteading owners, we returned to Pagosa for a few more hours of soaking before landing back at The Commons where Tina had been in the care of kind neighbors all weekend.

It was a wonderful weekend that took the notion of “Fun Friday” and stretched it into a 72-hour odyssey from the high deserts of northern New Mexico to the lush beauty of southern Colorado. 

On and Off the Grid in Colorado

Well folks, it's been an "action-packed" week here on our excellent adventure, and for most of that time we've been off the grid and out of cell-phone and internet range. That said, today marks our 29-week anniversary of being on the road, and the consistently interesting experiences of people and nature keep things humming along quite smoothly and gloriously.

We had a brief visit to the charming city of Durango in order to check out this city that we've heard so much about. Durango is special----it has some of the best kayaking, mountain biking, skiing and hiking in the country, and the city seems to be steeped in the culture of the great outdoors. The Animas River flows right through downtown, and we've heard that summertime brings literal flotillas of people bobbing down the river in anything that can float. Durango has excellent cafes, restaurants and shops, and also caters to those who prefer the arts. If it wasn't so snowy in the winter, it would certainly be on our short list. Alas, it's a nice place to visit.......

Speaking of visiting Durango, one thing that drew us there was a lovely couple (Randy and Kristen) who we met oh-so-briefly at a campground in Alabama many months back. Giving us their card and inviting us to keep in touch after a thirty-minute conversation of like-minded souls, we took them up on their offer and we had a delightful lunch and walk along the river, confirming the kinship that we felt when we crossed paths so long ago. Last month, we even had lunch with Randy's sister and brother-in-law in Silver City, New Mexico, further proof that the kindness of strangers is alive and well in American society.

Leaving Durango, we made our way not thirty miles east to the San Juan National Forest and a small National Forest Service campground down a dirt road and along a gorgeous rushing Colorado river. Luckily for us, even more kind strangers crossed our paths in the persons of the campground hosts who took us under their wing and made us feel right at home in an otherwise people-free empty wilderness campground. Without electricity, water, sewer hook-ups or cellphone service, we spent two days lying in the hammock, doing some writing, talking with our hosts, and hiring them to do some needed work on the rig (he's an expert RV mechanic and she's a Jill-of-All-Trades).

Jack and Rose are salt-of-the-earth wonderful people who welcomed us warmly and advised us on all manner of things pertaining to RVS, trucks, engines and camping. They carry an encyclopedic knowledge in their heads and willingly shared it with us. We especially enjoyed the stories that they told, and we laughed with them more than we've laughed with anyone in a long, long time. (Who need Laughter Yoga, anyway!)

Who would have thought that two self-professed red-neck hillbillies and two itinerant hippie RV'ers could hit it off to the point that they begged us to stay longer and to visit them at their Arizona hideaway next fall. We owe a debt of gratitude to Jack and Rose for their kindness, skill, friendship and knowledge, and we all had great fun talking about RV'ing and camping as a mutually satisfying way of life. Here's a photo of them leaning over our Cummins Turbo Diesel that Jack says is the best engine ever made, an engine that many a trucker has salivated over when we tell them it has less than 70,000 miles on it (they've been known to last more than 1 million miles!).

Here's Mary meditating by the river.....

The view behind our rig......

Our local pond which was cold but refreshing (and startlingly green)......

The hammock......

Taking our somewhat reluctant leave of our priceless hosts and forest refuge, we headed through the touristy but attractive town of Pagosa Springs. We had to pass up the pricey hot spring resort across the river (the winds were gusting up to 50mph this afternoon), but we had a quick foot soak in some of the public springs just off of the main street in town.

Now, we've returned to northern New Mexico and have ensconced ourselves in the town of Chama, with yet another campsite overlooking a river, this time the Rio Chama (with perhaps some photos manana).

At 29 weeks, we're still looking forward to our more settled time in Santa Fe, but also recognize the blessings of this current lifestyle, one which we are hesitant to give up and will probably continue in some form or another, probably much sooner than later! (Hint, hint!)

Anyway, being back in New Mexico feels like coming home, and we're happy to report that the Land of Enchantment is still as friendly and enchanting as ever!

From Utah to Colorado

Yesterday, we left the charm and natural beauty of Bluff, Utah and made our way northeast across the Four Corners region. Passing through Navajo and Ute ("Yoot") tribal lands, we were saddened to see the mining, oil drilling and other industrialization taking place which we believe benefits the tribes very little. The actual Four Corners Monument is closed for construction, so tourists can't simultaneously put one limb in each of four states for the usual photo-op. Still, the novelty remains and we drove to the spot anyway just to say we'd been there.

By late afternoon, we arrived to Mesa Verde National Park and found our way to the campground, four miles up the mountain at a fairly high elevation. Since dogs are not allowed on any of the park's trails, we each took turns going on an ecstatic bike ride along the "Knife's Edge Trail", which truly hugs a cliff's edge and is the site of frequent rock slides. Just before sunset, I built a cairn in honor of a dear friend who is undergoing a health crisis, laying the rocks one on top of the other with prayers for her healing and recovery. Our Navajo guide at Monument Valley had told us how Native Americans use stone cairns as prayer offerings, so I decided to make one especially for our friend who is in our thoughts daily at this time.

Today we realized that the roads at Mesa Verde are under major construction, and after a bumpy ride to the remote Visitor's Center, we learned that it would be an even bumpier ride to the even more remote site of the famous Puebloan cliff dwellings that make Mesa Verde such a draw for the tourist crowds. With reports of hour-long traffic jams on the road to the cliff dwellings and a cold wind blowing in from the north, we turned tail and decided to head for Durango, leaving Mesa Verde for another day when the construction is complete and we have a smaller vehicle with which to navigate the long drive deep into the mountains. It was somewhat disappointing to leave without seeing the sites for which Mesa Verde is so famous, but the traffic, crowds and plethora of construction vehicles were enough to turn us away in the end.

Durango is a welcoming city with a vibrant center and many shops and cafes. We were luckily able to bring Tina right into a downtown indoor mall where we ate an inexpensive lunch and made use of the free WiFi. Campgrounds here are expensive, but being a captive audience, we found a spot not far from town and even got to watch the famous (and pricey) Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge train go by our campsite.

After 28 weeks and almost 7 months on the road, we are indeed feeling some weariness in our traveling bones. Today the electric cable for our rig seems to have given up the ghost and will need to be replaced. As I came to grips with the situation, I was particularly feeling the challenges of this stage of the journey, even as I reminded myself to feel grateful for such an adventure. Although out casita in Santa Fe will "only" be 600 square feet, that great expanse of living space will no doubt feel relatively luxurious compared to what's feeling like the cramped quarters of our rig.

I must admit to some grumpiness over the last few days (transition days can be especially hard), and a broken electric cable, a return to colder weather, and other troublesome issues can detract from the moment if they're allowed to do so ("if" being the operative word). Still, a rainbow graced the sky over the campground just a few minutes ago, reminding us that the gold we've been seeking is indeed still within reach (something that Mary continues to tell me ad nauseum, since I'm such a slow learner).

Tomorrow, we will probably end our brief sojourn into Colorado and head south into our new (temporary) home state of New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment. With the 1st of June quickly approaching, we realize that this mobile lifestyle is about to come to a close---at least for a while, anyway---and there is still no time like the present to seize the day and make the most of what we have.

---Keith