March 11th, excape from Tx

I got up late in Van Horn. Ive no idea what time it was as I've been changing time zones like a harlot changes underwear....and to boot Daylight saving time was changed, last night. Could be as early as 8 am or as late as eleven.

It really no matter as I've planned an easy day's drive. It's a 120 miles to El Paso and the NM border. The above picture was outside of Sierra Blanca, a little town that was all but gone now. I figure to cross the NM border at southern El paso instead of going to Las Cruces and staying on I-10.

In fact, I was tired of I-10 about 60 miles east of El Paso, so I jumped down on Tx 20 so I could toddle along through the small towns of working Tx. I prolly wasn't more than 5 miles from the Rio Grande all the way to El Paso.

I was getting very warm and fuzzy over this ride in the Sunday sun as I rode along at 50 mph enjoying the folks around doing what working people do. Some ranchos were well organized and then other just barely making it. Most folks were dressed up, and others fishing out of the canals in their grubbies.
The Rio Grande is just this side of those mountains.

No doubt they had earned the day off from honest toil. At least that's what I imagined. And the 'big iron' Dodge rumbled flawless westward with nary a complaint......
That is Mexico in the back ground just behind the Rio Grande River.

I could see on my map that there was a ribbon route around El Paso that would cross me over the NM Border just up the road apiece.  I was determined to take route 9 along the Mex border into Columbus, Animus and Rodeo as I approach Arizona.

With a minimum of mistakes, I was out into the suburbs of El Paso NM side of border. I was trying to take a short cut from the river over to the connector to hwy 9. It wasn't long, and I was where the dirt road started. A border patrol was out there so I asked directions. He said if you can find it, Airport road will cut you across.

As I was leaving this rural mistake here came a lawn mower motored go cart with a 10 year old gal as a driver. Could be the next Danica Patrick, she was a cute little shit, and driving hard too, she was.
Soon I was sure I was on the right road out of town, and I should get some gas as this is big country out here. Sure enough, I had passed the last opportunity to gas up. Hummmm. I had some gas left, but didn't think that I had enough to go 65 miles to Columbus?

I decided that I did have enough, but I was a long ways from knowing that I did, and when the old Columbus jailhouse showed up I was a happy camper. I'll never know why I didn't go back a few miles and gas up. My butt damn near ate the seat up for that whole sixty miles. I might have gotten a stomach ulcer from that hour of driving.


So as I drove along not more than a few miles from the border, I noted that there were many military (our guys) humvees with a small rocket launcher attached just sitting and waiting out there. Don't know how I felt about that.  It was a bit spooky.


I gassed up in Columbus and looked for a place to eat. No deal on the eating. I had another energy bar instead. 80 miles to the next little town, Animus. I thought I'd check out their little store for a snack. Nope they were closing up at 5:30. 20 more miles to Rodeo. I caught this guy just before he shut off the pumps. I gassed up.

There was about an hour and a half's daylight left. I had had a recommendation to check out the Coronado National Forest between Rodeo and Willcox. The 'Big Iron' was running so good that I was inspired to see 'whass up' with those mtns.

We were at 4500 ft at Rodeo, and soon in those Mtns I was at 5000. I was plesantly supprised to find the road was paved. I even took a 200 yard hike to a view spot for a picture. The ride through the Coronado mtns when like this. https://goo.gl/maps/FrzRKhrVk4M2  That link still works.

I even scared up a small deer on that walk. Back under way. Oh, there is the end of pavement with a sign saying something like 20 miles of narrow dirt mountain road that wasn't improved. Cool, that was what I was looking for.

It was very peaceful up in those trees. I found a little stream with a parking space and settled there for the night. I had 45minutes till full dark. I boiled up a pot of water in my homade electric boiler, and added my Ramen noodles, with a tin of Chicken, and a can of green beans.

A king's meal for sure, but it was over too soon as full darness set in. It was only 7pm. What the hell was I going to do for the next couple hours till bedtime? So after sitting there in the dark for a spell, I put the earphones in and listen to Patsy Cline till the triple A battery conked out.

I slept like a baby till about 5am. I was just on the verge of being cold. It was freezing ass cold outside. I knew it would be trouble when I had to climb out of that down sleeping bag. There wouldn't be any sun in those canyons to heat things up till about 10am. And did I mention that Big Iron didn't have a heater?

I stayed in the bag till about 7am then I was forced out by mother nature. I went down to the fast running stream and got a couple bottles of water as I was out of drinking water by then. I was carrying 5 gallon of water in a soap bucket that Linda gave me. Good for the van, if needed, but tasted like soap.

I apprehensively turned the key to get things started when I was ready to leave. 'Big Iron' lit right up. Whew, I was a bit worried about that. I plugged in my water boiler and off we went. A little coffee in a few minutes would be good.

Thought I smelled something funny. In about 5 minutes my plug for the cigarette lighter melted out onto the console. GuessI knew what was burning then. No hot coffee for me. Ha.

We climbed for a bit. Remnants of snow were beginning to show in the shadows. I still have to go up the road on that far bank of the picture, and higher after that, also. That was ok I was in no hurry and enjoying this bit of what the Indians called Sky Islands (Mountains).

In fact, me and Big Iron went right up near the stars.

I was real happy when I got to this summit, and knew that I wasn't going to get stopped by snow.

So for the next hour or so I worked myself down the mtn on the Willcox side. Eventually I was at the high desert floor. Thirty miles lay between me an I-10.
These 30 mile stretches of desert between the mountains make them isolated, and it is hard for different species to get over to the different mountains in the southwest. It make them ecosystems unto themselves.......But before we leave these mtn, there is a Chiricahua national Monument that they snuck into that mountain that I had to go see........