02-10-11 - I'm goin' to (New) Mexico

02-10-11
I've got four or five hundred miles to go
Down that southbound highway
You're much too slow
I'm goin' to (New) Mexico
397 miles
Torilla Flats To Las Cruces
- On to new mexico - (finally)
Car packed by 8:40.
One more swing around the camp for goodbyes then off to Apach Junction ot see what has happened since last night (on the internet) - then on to Las Cruces!
I drive eastbound thru the mountains hoping to cut time. I interstate might be faster, but it might not. Plus I’ve already been down that route. The road not taken, you know?
I drive and see what the other side of the mountains I camped in are like. And why Teddy Roosevelt was so impressed.
I go thru the town of Superior
Across the great divide. I’ve crossed it at least 4 times and have all ways missed it and it’s significance. There is clearly nothing “Great” about it (at least visably) I believe Steinbeck concurred with my opinion. (Ok, perhaps his preceded me, but I had my opinion on my own independently of his and for the same reasons long before I ever read his tak on things. So even though he predated me my opinion of the phenomenon predates my awareness of his opinion of the same phenomenon. Clear as mud, right?!
Anyway, it’s as easy to miss as having entered New Mexico 10 miles back. What?! Don’t they believe in signage? Apparently not.
I get to a Truck Stop before I get to a Welcome Center. I stop and decide to go for technology. Funds are tight (when aren’t they - everything is on a shoe string, every purchase a decision over something else. But I’ve spent money on the cigarette lighter and still don’t even know it it works. I buy their low level inverter (150 watts) It has three plugs and a usb adapter as well as another cigarette lighter connection in the back for some possible future device I can’t even imagine at this point. I get it and read the instructions and plug it in. Nothing. I plug in the computer cable and my cell charger and wait. I twist the connecter inside the socket. The light is showing it ‘s on but…wait, a little fan starts running. My cell is charging and my computer is on!
WOW! Technology I love ya!
I drive on as it’s starting to get late (5 ish) and that means dark soon.
I pull into Las Cruces a little confused as to how to get to the campsite lited in the AAA camping guide for New Mexico. I pull into a gas station to refill and get directions. There are 3 squad cars in the parking lot. The age old fear of being “rousted by the man” rises up in me, but I take the bold approach and go up to the officer that seems the most deferred to. I ask him if he know how to get to the park. He is as nice ansd helpful as can be. Give me an easier short cut than the route I was looking for.. I decide to trust him and follow his directions. I figure “He’s from around here, drives these road everyday…he should know what he’s talking about.
And my boldness pays off, though he see’s my car packed to the gills with “Stuff” and a dog inside, hre doesn’t card me or frisk me or arrest me for being a vagrant. He’s looking right at me and doesn’t see me for the long haired hippie that stands before him. All he sees is an old guy with a dog in his car looking for local camp grounds.
My JedI mind trick worked …on one of us at least.
I take the road north and it goes from city to country pretty quick. I nore a lot of almond trees are being grown for crops here and I’m driving long enough to winder “did that guy really know what he was talking about”: when I see the turn.
I take the path he’d mentioned and it doesn’t seem correct. I appear to be going to the day use side not the camping side. I at least know I’m close. I drive back to the maint road and go to the entrance to the camping area proper. It’s locked up. He guide says it opened weeks ago.
I drive backi to the day use side and see some people working on the property with big cranes and trucks. I ask aobut where the camping is, they say it’s wher I just came from and was closed. They say, well you can’t stay here. We’re working on the sewage pipes all night!
I go back, frustrated and check the main gat again.
As I drive up I see someone in an official truck…on the other side of the gate. Locking the gate!!!
I drive up faster and flash my lights as he’s about to enter his truck and take off.
I explain I’ve been driving all day and just got there and show him the AAA guide and am rambling off at the mouth to do and say anything that will have him help me get into a campsite tonight.
He says he’s with the U Forest servinve and not the State Campground. He has me fill out some personal info (license/plates/ name /address) nad says he’ll contact the Park reanger and I can come in and to fill out payment at the pay station. I drive around trying to find a camp host to ask about payment methods. If I have to go back to town to get money, I’m screwed.
I find a trailer that says Camp Host and there is a car in front…but no one answers the door.
I drive around and see a guy near his tent and ask him about where I could find someone to talk about camping tonight. He tells me about a camp host on one of the other loops. I go to find that person and knock on the wrong person’s trailer and he directs me down a few more trailers. I get there and the camp host whose name I was given won’t even come to the door, but his wife confers with him and tells me where I can set up for the night and that I can just write out a check for the payment and put it in the self pay in the morning.
I find the spot. It has a little adobe shelter with a picnic table and I’m presuming the shelter is fir the sun, not h te cold. I put up the tent and move essentials in. bring out my bad of ice for a soda before going to sleep and have a little fire and a meal and settle in for the night. During the process of getting ice for my soda some of it spills on the ground and on the metal table. It will melt away.
I go to sleep with all the covers I can muster…it will be cold tonight. I’d been holding off coming into New Mexico for 3 days because of the bad weather…this is the lowest I was going to feel safe with after Tombstone. But you never really know until the morning. Mischa & I huddled together for the long cold night. It was going to be a “One Human Night” for Mischa. She gets the better of the deal I’m a larger heat mass.