And More Off-Road Adventures

19  Feb Thursday

The Honda was due for its initial maintenance check-up so I enlisted some help, got it loaded up on my new trailer, and headed for Las Cruces.

Things went perfectly, right up to about five miles from the park on the way home.   Jeep overheated.  GGGRRRRR.  A call to Good Sam's roadside assistance for a tow, two hours later I got home.  When I bought the Jeep, I bought a service contract, 48 months.  The dealership checked and repairs for the shot fan motor will be covered.  I think I have a deductible but better than paying the whole thing.


21 Feb Saturday

We were spoiled by last week's beautiful weather.  Now we have more typical NM spring:  WIND WIND WIND and it's chilly.  Nonetheless our fearless team ventures forth.

Local wisdom says that the snakes appear after the small lizards.  So much for local wisdom.  See photo below.

Captain Bill the great snake handler.

We pulled into a small box canyon to get out of the wind.  Bill and Winston (Bill is the human, Winston is the dog) wandered over close to the canyon wall.  And then the chilling sound of the rattlesnake.  Fortunately the snake was sluggish or Bill and Winston would both have gotten nailed.  Bill and Mike both carry a sidearm and, after a volley of shots, dispatched the snake.  Note to self:  it's time to keep both dogs on leashes.  I have been letting them roam around during stops on the off-road trips.  

Did you know there is a vaccine for rattlesnake venom?  I talked to the vet here in Deming (a K-State graduate) about it.  He said my dogs are so small that the vaccine probably wouldn't do them any good.

Days later:

Well, another cow got hit two nights ago on the road into the ranch.  After dark, the ranch road is pitch black if there isn't a full moon.  Another park resident slammed into a cow in the dark.  That's two in the past couple of months.  I hope the rancher who owns these cattle considers it an acceptable risk to graze his stock on BLM unfenced land.  Fortunately, no one was injured (except, of course, for the cow).

I am still waiting to get the Jeep back.  Parts arrived in Deming yesterday (Tuesday).  The dealership is supposed to call me today to give me an updated report.  I will have to find someone to give me a ride into Deming so I can pick up the Jeep...and buy groceries...and gas...  I am out of nearly everything since I was planning a supplies run for last Friday.

Update

Got the Jeep back yesterday (Friday).  I paid $136.16 of a $900+ repair bill.  The service contract almost paid for itself in one repair.  Now...my hot water heater in the Hitchhiker has quit working. Can I please have just one month when everything works?

More Off-Road Adventures

I think on an earlier page I talked about Fort Cummings and the two soldiers who were out on patrol. Indians attacked and one was killed instantly.  The other somehow managed to ride back to the fort (it's 8 miles and very rough country).   I am clueless as to the symbolism of the coins left on the grave marker.  Maybe someone at the park knows.

The weather has turned cloudy, windy, and chilly so rides are temporarily suspended.  I drove into Las Cruces yesterday to pick up the side mirrors and a cover for the Honda and also bought a trailer to haul it.  Next week it has to go into the Service Department for its initial maintenance work.

13 February
Another beautiful (if a bit windy and chilly) day here.  Today's destination was the top of Little Florida mountain (Little Floridas), where many, many communications towers are located (including the one which supplies the park's WiFi).  Since this area is not adjacent to the park, the rigs had to be loaded onto trailers/pickup beds.  (I was a passenger this day as I am not yet a good enough driver to try this trail.)

We wandered around on the trails at the base of the mountain, trying to find where the road UP was located.  At last we found it.  Not much at the top but these communication towers at multiple locations.

Deming in the distance.

The afternoon was getting short so we came back down, found our way back to the trucks/trailers and proceeded to load the rigs.  That's where things got interesting.

One of the ramps slipped as Gilbert was driving his 4-wheeler up to the truck bed.  Fortunately, he wasn't hurt and neither was the rig.  More adventure than I wanted for the day.

We went to Switchback yesterday but I forgot my camera.  I drove my Honda since it is a less challenging trail than the one at Little Florida.

Glorious Weather Leads to Desert Trips

5 February

We are in a stretch of near-perfect weather and groups are going out into the desert nearly every day. On this trip, my guide pointed out a rock wall atop a rise (going too fast to get photo).  He said that legend says the conquistadors built it as a quick fort against Indian attacks.  Possible but not probable.

One of the nice things about a lot of RVers is that their dogs go with them everywhere.  It's been really good for Lola, as her social skills left a lot to be desired.  The caravans take periodic breaks and the dogs all jump out for water and social hour.

There is a couple in the park now from South Dakota.  They have a large farm and winter is downtime for them so they go RVing.  Their dog is a 5-month-old English Springer Spaniel, Winston.

Bill and Winston

Winston

Winston may be the friendliest pup on the planet.  He doesn't seem to know a stranger and he tries to play with the little dogs.   The little dogs, on the other hand, are not eager to have Winston stomp them.

Mike, Lola, Bill, Winston, Wenda 

There is another state park on the opposite side of the valley from Hidden Valley Ranch.  I drove up there on Monday but the park gates were locked.  Only open Wednesday through Sunday.  I will try again on the correct day.  The photo below is taken from the entrance to the park.

The beautiful weather continued for a couple more days, so I got to go on two more excursions.

Gilbert

Indian's Bathtub

This must be beautiful when there is water cascading down the rocks.

Muppet wants to go home.

 You can't really tell from this photo but we are standing at the top of a mountain looking down into the valley.  Elevation must be 6000 feet or so.

Wenda and Gilbert

Gilbert believes in only the finest, high-end equipment.  Check out the gasoline can's stopper.

FINALLY

31 January

Got up this morning to bright sunshine.  It's been raining here for 2 1/2 days.  The interior roads at the park are okay but the ranch road is a swamp.  It's passable but...

. 

The RPOD was at Jimmy's RV Repair for some maintenance.  Somehow their voice mail messages telling me it was ready didn't get to me.  I called Friday (after the rain had made the road a mess) and the RPOD had been ready since Tuesday.  That's how it got mud-covered.  I had mud from knees down; had to put my jeans in the shower to get the worst of it off as I didn't want to put so much sand into the washers at the park.

Obviously the Jeep also was mud-covered on that trip.  I had park fever so I went into Las Cruces Saturday and then back across the same road.  The Jeep looks even worse now.   There is no point in going into town to the car wash as I would have to cross the same road to get back.  The road should dry out in a couple of days so I will hitch up the RPOD and Jeep and get them both clean again.

There were 65 people at the potluck supper Friday night, a new record.  It's almost the capacity of the room.  All 70 of the lease lots are occupied and there is a waiting list.  Shanon and Jolene's management is beginning to show.

While in Las Cruces Saturday, I stopped at Las Cruces Motorsports to look at a Honda 4x4.  Decided on the Pioneer 500.  See photo below.  

Two of the guys in the park took me out today in a small convoy to give me some experience with the rough roads.  When I get more confident, I will take the dogs with me.  That should be interesting. Most of the time people go out at least in twos so if there is a problem, someone can return for help.  There is also a ham radio network and the hardcore people all have transmitters to call for help if needed.