Sierra County

Our drive here takes us through some very different landscapes. We start off with very flat, very dry land with low scrub vegetation. We head through the Lincoln National Forest and through the Sacramento Mountains where the Mescalero Indian Reserve is. These are the Apache Indians. This landscape is very pretty with tall pines, mountains and a huge rain storm. As we head toward Las Cruces we see vast orchards of pecan trees. This is at least a break in the landscape. Every now and then you see mountain ranges in the distance. This part of New Mexico has many high peaks of around 9000-12000 ft. apparently there are several ski slopes here. I never thought of New Mexico as a ski destination, but that is the thing with travel…you get an education. On route to Elephant Butte is the city called Truth or Consequences. Could this be where Bob Barker lives? Or are there other truths or consequences that we don't know about here in the New Mexico desert?

We arrive at our campground with no issue. Elephant Butte State Park is very large with several campsite. Ours is the furthest point on the lake. After checking in we head down the road for about 10 miles to our campground. It is very windy here and you have to watch when you enter or exit the motorhome or the door will take off your legs. It is too windy for the boys to go out and they are not impressed with us. Our site is very large (over 20 meters) and there is no one behind us, just a beautiful vista of the mountains. We set up and have some dinner. We take a walk around the park and see that all the sites are pretty well spaced with lots of room in between. The bathrooms and showers are nice and clean, which is a good thing since we don’t have any sewers here.



Day 1

Today starts off as windy as yesterday. The campground host says that tomorrow should be better. We are up on top of a hill here overlooking the lake. I wonder if this is part of the reason for the wind. It may also be the time of year or the region. I’m not too sure. So the boys don’t get to go out again. We don’t have happy kitties again.

After breakfast we head off to the Gila National Forest. This is a little ways on the map and a long ways in the car. As we drive through the backroads you see how the real people live. I’m not sure where or how they make a living. There is nothing here but flat land with the low scrub again. The houses here are basically mobile homes of the single and double wide variety. There are plenty of junk cars (and other stuff) in the yards and old tires holding the roof on. It looks like a very depressed area. It also seems deserted. You go through little villages and no one is around, not even a stray dog laying on a front lawn.

We head through a mountain pass and stop for some pictures. There is a tiny stream running through and you wonder how life could be sustained here. You see homes every now and then, sometimes some cows or a horse, but this is a very sparse area. As you look around and hear the quiet you drift back a couple of hundred years and your imagination takes over. You picture a Wells Fargo stagecoach heading through the pass looking for an ambush. Are the Indians up the hill behind a tree? Is Jessie James or Billy the Kid waiting to rob the stagecoach? As I turn around I see a lone Cherokee on the road. Maybe my imagination is not that wild after all?

We head into the forest area and are pleased to see that the area is turning to tall pines and mountains. The scenery is improving, but you don’t see any deer, birds, prairie dogs, or anything that is alive. The road here through the forest is very steep and winding around the mountains. The speed is slow, but the views are beautiful. There is evidence of a forest fire here. It looks like a large part of the forest was destroyed, but you see where the regrowth is starting to replenish the forest. There are plenty of hiking trails and a few rough camping places. You wouldn’t get a trailer or motorhome in these but a popup trailer or a truck camper would work. The drive takes us a couple of hours.

We finally hit a small town called Silver City, we stop for a late lunch and by the time we finish it is 4:00 pm. It seems to take a lot longer to get somewhere here then I think. We were going to go for a hike, but by the time we get back it would be dark. I have to plan a little better next time.

On the way back we hit a copper mine. They have stripped the mountain completely and it looks awful. At least we have found some form of commerce here for the people to earn a living. We head home and maybe we can take the boys out for a walk around. I think we are going to have a campfire tonight. We haven’t had one yet, so this will be nice. Our campground is very dark and the stars are very pretty at night.

Day 2

Today I am going to try and find some Wi-Fi to book some more parks. One problem we are having with the state parks is that they don’t have any internet connections. This park said it did. So off I go to the main campground to find it. I ask at the front check in booths where not one but two young students are working. Young people should know this stuff right?? I get this blank look and a vague over by the picnic tables. So I try but the signal keeps cutting out and there doesn’t seem to be anyone with an IQ to ask. So off I go to McDonalds. Trying to book parks on the fly is very difficult. I will have to get a hotspot and internet for my own.

Guenther has had his own trials and tribulations as well. We seem to have a problem in this park with moths. They come out around dusk and somehow make their way into the trailer. I’m talking like 30 or 40 of them. This is quite annoying. So today Guenther is filling any cracks or crevices we have with expandable foam.

This takes a while so no exploring today.

Day 3

Today is a down day to just relax and head down to the boat launch and see what kind of birds I can find. This park doesn’t have as many animals and birds as the other park. Tomorrow we are off to Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona. Different state maybe more animals? We’ll see.Read more