NM -- Oliver Lee State Park, 14-18 Feb 2020

Oliver Lee State Park is named for Oliver Lee who moved to the area from Texas in 1885.  He was a rancher, cowboy, and gunslinger.  He notoriously was involved a range war and was chased down by Pat Garret. Later in life he was a senator and one of the founders of the city of Alamogordo. 

The location of the ranch that is now a State Park is situated on an alluvial fan below the Sacramento Mountains.

The State Park is about 16 miles southeast of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Campground 

The campground is a large loop with pull-through and back-in sites.  Some of them have tent pads as well.  There are only a few reservable water and electric sites.

We arrived on the Friday before Presidents’ Day weekend around 1pm.  When we arrived there were about eight empty sites.  By the end of the night, they were all full and the campground stayed full through the weekend.

Our campsite was a large square open area with a fire ring.  We backed the trailer in at an angle to give us a good view up to the ridge.

We did not have any hook-ups but we managed just fine with our solar and one tank of water for four days.  The water spigot was not too far from our site so we filled out fresh water tank before we parked.

We had two bars 4G Verizon phone and a decent data signal.  Satellite would have not been a problem if we had connected.  We could live without it for four days.

Unfortunately, we had a tent camper across the road from us the first two nights.  They were in and out of their car till late at night and we had to listen to the slam, slam of the car door.  Otherwise, even with the campground being full, it was very peaceful.  We enjoyed our walks around the large loop a few times a day.

We were in site #31 which we liked but if we were to come back to spend more time, we’d like to try and get a reservable site with water and electric:  Site #2, #3, or #4.  We liked #3 the best!

Nearby Towns 

Alamogordo is 16 miles northwest of Oliver Lee.  The city that has a population of just over 30,000 and sits at 4,336 feet.

Alamogordo sits in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert bordered by the Sacramento Mountains to the east and Holloman Air Force Base to the west.  Alamogordo is known for its connection with the Trinity test, the first explosion of an atomic bomb.

The small city has basic services and shopping. 

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, is about 225 miles to the north.  It sits at a higher elevation of 5,312 feet.  With a metro population of just over a million people, you could find any service or shopping you would need there.

Adventures

Heart of the Desert Pistachios 

“Heart of the Desert Pistachios are the home-grown product of Eagle Ranch in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Our pistachios are harvested, processed, packaged right on the farm – guaranteeing the freshness and value of our pistachios are second-to-none.”

"Our award winning pistachios come in nine unique flavors. For the “pistachio purist” we have the traditional salted & roasted, or unsalted & roasted pistachios. For the more adventurous, we have flavored pistachios in red chile, red chile & lime, extra hot red chile, Hatch green chile kernels, garlic & green chile, and garlic & onion.”

We had wanted a tour of the ranch but they are only offered Monday through Friday and we visited on a Saturday. However, the friendly lady in the wine bar set up a video for us to watch.

We learned pistachios are harvested in September by shaking the trees.  They also grow grapes for wine and have 24,000 vines that they make seven different varieties of award wining wine from.

We bought some pistachios and a few other knickknacks.

White Sands National Park

White Sands was just designated a national park in December 2019.  Previously it had been a National Monument.

“Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.”

The incredibly white dunes can be seen for miles away as you approach from any direction!

We were shocked at how crowded the parking lot was at the Visitor Center.  We found a spot to park behind it. I quickly snuck in and got my last sticker and stamp to go in my National Parks Passport book.

Then we headed into the park on the main road. The further into the park we drove, the more the road was covered with sand.  We imagine that they have to plow it as we’ve seen in similar locations.  People were driving on the white sand similar to how they would drive on snow.

Shawn and I were amused as the car in front of us pulled very slowly into a parking area almost like they expected to go slip-sliding.  It did look like snow covered ice!

We parked near the amphitheater and area 19.  We headed up into the gypsum dunes.  Because of recent rains the sand was hard packed and was easy to walk on.

I knelt to feel the sand and it was cold to the touch.  It also stuck to my hand like fine styrofoam peanuts.

We could see a number of barefoot and boot prints in the sand.  After a quarter of a mile into the dunes they disappeared.  We felt like we were walking on sand that had never been walked on by humans before.

We did a large counter clockwise loop.  We took pictures of distant Sierra Blanca Peak, 11,981ft high, with the dunes in the foreground.  They are striking images.

We were amazed at the formations that the plants made with the sand.  The yuccas have to compete to stay on top of sand and the dune.  If they get stranded without sand in their roots they will die.

We took a break on top of one of the larger dunes.  We were only a few miles from the parking area but we were completely by ourselves.

As we headed back, we could tell when we were close to the parking area as the yells and laughter of people playing in the sand reached us.  Children and adults alike were sledding down the steeper dunes.  We saw a few toddlers with their buckets and shovels.

It was fitting that such a special place was the last National Park that we would visit during our nine years of full-time RV traveling. 

After visiting the dunes, we drove through Holloman AFB.  Shawn's Dad was stationed here back when Shawn was a toddler.

Riparian Trail 

There is a trailhead behind the Visitor Center at Oliver Lee.  You have the choice to do the lower Riparian trail or Dog Canyon Trail.  

The Riparian trail is only about a half mile long and meanders around the nearly ephemeral creek running out of Dog Canyon.  During spring runoff and monsoon there is good water flow otherwise, it is a slow lazy hit and miss trickle.  During dry times it is possible to scramble up the creek bed a few miles.

When we combined the Riparian with a full walk around the campground, we were able to do about a mile and a half.

Dog Canyon Trail 

Two days later we took a right at the trailhead behind the Visitor Center to hike up the more challenging Dog Canyon Trail.  “The Dog Canyon Trail provides a rigorous day hike up the western escarpment of the Sacramento Mountains.  This steep trail rises 3,100 feet in 5.5 miles and is open to hikers year-round.”

“The trail provides great views of the Tularosa Basin and White Sands to the west.  The trail winds through three vegetation zones: Chihuahuan desert scrub and grassland, pinon-juniper woodland, and ponderosa pine forest.”

Shawn was feeling good and I was so happy to have my mountain man join me.  I'd been missing him.  Our goal was just to go up to where he felt comfortable.  Out and back trails are good for that.

The trail did not mess around and immediately climbed up.  It was just the aerobic workout sort of trail that Shawn and I love!  The trail is available right from the campground and has plenty of elevation gain to give us a good workout.  And the spectacular views were a bonus.

We stopped from time to time to admire the views over the basin out to the dunes to the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.  We also admired the groves of yuccas, the New Mexico state flower.  They would be impressive during the summer and full bloom.

We hiked up to the two mile point and took a nice long break.  We could see the trail continuing to climb the escarpment.  It was a great turn around point.

We had only seen one other couple on our way up the trail but we saw quite a few folks on the way down.  It is such a great hike to do if you are staying in the campground!

Next… 

After Oliver Lee, we spent a few days each in Socorro and Bernalillo, both in New Mexico.

We are in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Our nine year traveling odyssey has ended.  However, we are thrilled to have a home base in a great community and we will continue to make occasional trips exploring the southwest.

We'll have the blogs out for our final stop in the next week or so. In addition, we will also have a finale blog that summarizes our nine years of travel. 

Parting Shots

  

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NM -- City of Rocks State Park, 10-14 Feb 2020

City of Rocks State Park is 27 miles north of Deming, New Mexico.

City of Rocks gets its name from the incredible volcanic rock formations found here. The park encompasses a one square mile area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet.

"The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles, rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. These rocks were formed about 34.9 million years ago when a very large volcano erupted. Then, erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape.

Located about halfway between Silver City and Deming, City of Rocks offers camp sites, hiking trails, excellent mountain biking, wildlife viewing, birding, stargazing, picnic areas and a desert botanical garden. The uniquely designed, new Visitor Center includes a large display area and modern restrooms with hot showers."

Campground 

By the time we arrived at 2pm a lot of the roomier sites were already taken.

We backed the trailer into three different sites.  The sand was very soft from recent rains and the sites were very unlevel. We had flashbacks to Valley at Fire a few years ago.

Finally, we went to a site our friends had recommended:  # 30.  It was long enough, level and a pull-through but we only had a weak 3G data signal.  That's ok - we were happy.

We set up in the middle of thunderstorms.  The trailer was not level.  Additional leveling blocks would have just sunk into the sand.  We could live with it for four days.

We did not have any hook-ups.  However, we did great with our water conservation.  At the end of our stay we had to drive back to Deming to dump tanks.  Thankfully,  the set up at the 5R Travel Center made it easy.  There’s even a propane store just across the street so we stopped there first to fill one of our bottles.

We left Deming with full propane bottles, a full tank of diesel, and empty RV tanks.

We did not do as well with solar power during our stay.  The second day was cloudy and raining.  To add to the fun, the rain switched to snow in the afternoon and we had a couple of inches by the next morning.  

Our batteries were pretty low by the third day.  However, as soon as the sun peaked around the rocks and the fog lifted, the batteries recharged quickly.

Nearby Towns 

Deming is 30 miles south of City of Rocks, 60 miles west of Las Cruces, and thirty-three miles north of the Mexican border.

Deming sits at an elevation of 4,335 and has a population of almost 15,000.  It is the county seat and principal community of Luna County.

The small city has a good selection of services and shopping.

Silver City, is 32 miles to the northwest of City of Rocks.  Its history is linked to mining which continues today.

Silver City sits at an elevation of 5,895 and has a population of about 10,000.  However, it is home to Western New Mexico University which makes it feel larger. We had the impression that it is a vibrant small city.

It appeared to have a good selection of services and shopping. 

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, is about 234 miles to the north.  It sits at a higher elevation of 5,312 feet.  With a metro population of just over a million people, you could find any service or shopping you would need there. 

Lucinda and Craig 

Our travel friends, Lucinda and Craig, were also there at the same time.  This was the fifth state that we have met up with them: Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico.  That’s a record!

We first met them four years ago when they were beginning their full-time travel adventure.  They have taken dry camping to a higher level with a very ruggedized solar and communication system.  It was fun to get a tour of their Arctic Fox.

Adventures 

City of Rocks Trail System

The day after the snow we got together for an adventure with Lucinda and Craig.  It was chilly but we did not have to drive at all!

We wanted to explore the trails that were available to us right at City of Rocks State Park.  Shawn and I walked around the loop to their Arctic Fox.  They made reservations and had a nice electric site in the “North Suburb area”.

We set out on the Site 16 Spur.  We turned left onto the Hydra Trail Loop to walk in counter clockwise manner, saving the highlight of the trail system for last.

The trail to the west that intersects with the Vault 3 Spur climbed to a good overlook on the campground where we could see our little home.

Just past the visitor center we climbed to the Observation Point overlook.  You can also drive to the overlook where they have a shelter and picnic table.

Next, we took the Hydra Trail to the intersection with the Table Mountain Trail just northeast of the campground.  At this point we had walked over five miles with the highlight but the most challenging part ahead of us.  Shawn’s back was still bothering him and decided against it.

Lucinda, Craig and I started up the narrow trail that immediately pitched up and became rocky.  In addition, a few spots were muddy from the rain and snow a few days before.  The last few hundred yards to the 5,726 foot overlook was a scramble!

From the top we had a great view of the campground and back to the Cooks Mountain Range and the Gila Wilderness area.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument 

We invited Lucinda and Craig to go with us to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.  We all piled into our big Dodge truck for the hour and 45 minute drive to get there.

The National Monument was created to protect the Mogollon cliff dwellings in the Gila Wilderness.

“The Monument landscape ranges in elevation from around 5,700 to 7,300 feet above sea level and follows the branches of the Gila River. The terrain around the ruins is rugged and arid, and contains steep-sided canyons cut by shallow spring rivers and mesas and bluffs forested with Ponderosa Pine, Gambel’s oak, Douglas fir, New Mexico juniper, pinon pine, and alligator juniper.”

“The area geologic history stems from volcanic activity that covered the area with ash.  The Monument’s hot springs are remnants of this volcanic history.”  Our first stop was the Visitor Center.

We were disappointed to see a school bus pull into the Visitor Center and see a few dozen teenagers pile out.  Good for them for getting out for an interesting field trip.  However…

We didn’t take the time to watch the film as we normally would since the small theater was packed with high school students.  I quickly purchased my sticker and got my passport book stamped.

The four of us eagerly drove the few miles up the road to see the cliff dwellings.  The nice ranger at the trailhead recommended that we go clockwise.  But he also mentioned it was steeper on the way back and icy.  We set out to go counterclockwise and we’re glad we did as we made our way up the steep icy trail.

We were all amazed when we arrived at the first cave.  “The developers made use of natural caves to build interlinked dwellings within five cliff alcoves above Cliff Dweller Canyon overlooking the Gila River.”

We eagerly climbed the 15 foot ladder to further explore the large alcove.  After the monument was established in 1912, the Park Service stabilized the caves in order to protect them from the increase in visitors.

It was fun to explore the different rooms and to see the view they had out the windows and imagine living a day-to-day life there.

It was expansive.  “Archaeologists have identified 46 rooms in the five caves and believe they were occupied by 10 to 15 families.”

As we picked our way through the snow and ice down the less steep trail into the Canyon, we first heard and then met the group of boisterous teenagers headed up to the caves.  Our timing was perfect.

 

 

We chose to make our way back though Silver City to complete a loop drive.  On the way, we stopped at Doc’s, Craig’s favorite store in the area.  “The first park ranger was an early settler to the region, Doc Cambell.”

Shawn and I found an interesting book on edible plants for New Mexico.  It will be a nice addition to our future collection of reference books.

A portion of the drive along Highway 15 was interesting to say the least.  It was only about a lane and a half wide without a center line.  In addition, it was winding and hilly.  We had a few close calls with oncoming traffic as we tried to maneuver a few turns.  Our big truck feels huge on those little roads.

Next, we stopped for lunch in Silver City.  We ate at Mi Casita restaurant recommended by another travel friend.  It was delicious, authentic New Mexican food with the green, red, or “Christmas” chili we were looking for.

Finally, we drove through the school area that Shawn’s sister Nichole attended back in the day.  She was really excited when we sent her pictures of Western New Mexico University.

The highway from Silver City back to the campground was a good four lane road.
 
It was another wonderful meeting with Lucinda and Craig and we look forward to meeting them again during their travels. 

Next… 

After City of Rocks, we made short stops in Alamogordo, Socorro and Bernalillo.

Now we are in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Our nine year traveling odyssey has ended.  However, we are thrilled to have a home base in a great community and we will continue to make occasional trips.

We'll have the blogs out for our final stops over the next few weeks. We will also have a finale blog that summarizes our nine years of travel. 

Parting Shots

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