To Chama, NM for the first day of summer

June 21, 2010 First day of summer! Coolest morning of our trip! We were able to break camp in about 45 minutes and head toward our destination for the day, Chama, NM. We stopped at Michael’s Kitchen in Taos for a breakfast with local flavor – which requires chili or green chile sauce on virtually everything, including the hash browns. Needless to say, by eating this breakfast, we avoided having to take any over-the-counter or prescription remedies to keep our sinuses in check – we have been in 7 to 8 thousand feet in altitude for the last 5 days, and will stay in that range for most of our trip. There are too many galleries in Taos to begin to think about visiting – we had to move on due to space and budgetary constraints. On the way out of Taos, we came upon the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which was an unexpected treat – we didn’t realize we were going to drive over it and were very glad we did. The most unique residential development (or commune) we have ever seen appeared in the desert outside of Taos. Called Earthship, the area consisted of many different residences and a visitor center, all containing banks of solar panels, and fashioned into adobe spaceships that were neither gaudy nor too bizarre, in fact they were very appealing. We regret that we didn’t stop to photograph them for your viewing pleasure. Most of our travel today was up and over mountains in the Carson National Forest and we had to stop to photograph the wildflowers, the most imposing was a huge patch of wild iris, that were fronted by some plants that were also very attractive. The pictures won’t do them justice, but we had to return back up the mountain to capture them on the little digital thingy. We are going to make every effort to take our meals, when we dine out, from local establishments, to further enhance our appreciation of the places we visit. We are getting a late start in doing it, but we are also going to include a picture of each one. Tonight, we had dinner at High Mountain Restaurant and Saloon. Another one of those great places out here that cater to an eclectic clientele of real cowboys, fake cowboys, geeky tourists, local legends, local characters, professional types, and of course, the ever cool fly-fishers. Keeping with the local cuisine, we had some kind of New Mexican special dish that was smothered with the green chile sauce. Very tasty, very medicinal, and not too rough on the system, at least in the short-term. Another great finish to this meal: dishes of FX O’Reilly microcreamery ultra premium ice cream, Black Raspberry for me, Expresso Toffee for the lady. OMG! And here’s something really cool; the saloon was filled with the aforementioned mixture of characters, all of which were tuned in to a World Cup telecast on the big screen. First the world, then the US of A!

Hike on Clear Creek: Cimarron Canyon

June 20, 2010 The only thing that could have made this Father’s Day any better would have been to have our son and our fathers along for the ride. We know they would enjoy immensely. But the day started out perfectly with a call from Ben. And we were able to call our Dads too! We are getting organized and about have the camping routine down. We are getting very good at brewing the morning coffee in our Coleman percolator, and juggling a couple of menu items on our one-burner Coleman propane stove – although we’ve decided to probably expedite the process by buying one more one-burner. Who would think that a fried egg sandwich, fresh carrots, and a Little Debbie snack would be such a taste treat – but when done in the outdoors, it is hard to beat. Couscous w/chicken, Vienna sausage and saltines, some fruit, and we’re there. We went on an approximately 2-mile hike on Clear Creek trail. You have to remember that many others hike this trail so you can not think too much about rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lions, etc. This is a heavily forested area of conifers and aspen that pretty much encompass the trail and many downed trees to avoid. The beauty is enhanced by a little stream that runs beside the trail. Of course, I had to take my fly-rod after encouraged by the park ranger. It was a challenge to maneuver a nine-foot rod through all the brush and to avoid snags on all the limbs in the stream – for the opportunity to catch a 6-inch fish. However, these are wild fish that are so beautiful and have unbelievable survival skills to manage in their little, dangerous world. I lost several flies, but it was worth it to catch one fish.

To Red River and Back

June 19, 2010 We took a journey up to Red River, NM, which is a ski town northwest of where we are camping. It is bordered by the Carson National Forest, another one of those areas with spectacular scenery around every corner. We spent most of the afternoon in Red River, opting not to partake of the touristy activities, but rather at the Chamber of Commerce info center, which offered free Wi-Fi. We caught up on email, updated the blog, and enjoyed visiting and getting to know Katie, the very affable college student in charge of the information desk. We also observed our first clouds in three days, albeit just a few wispy, fast-moving puffs. Back at camp, I had another humbling experience trying to outsmart the very spooky trout that reside in this small, clear, mountain stream - made more difficult by incessant winds, persistent biting flies, and all kinds of hook-snagging brush, etc. But hey, this is the only way to improve my game! I was thrilled however that I identified a caddis hatch, tied on the correct fly, made the perfect cast to a rising fish that I had targeted, managed a perfect drift, and watched the fish slam the fly! Success? Not totally – in my excitement, I struck prematurely and was once more outsmarted by a prey with a pecan-sized brain.

CIMARRON DAY 2

Friday, June 18, 2010 Was able to fish for a little while this afternoon. There is a 1.5 mile stretch that is designated Special Trout Water that is inhabited by wild brown trout. I was enjoying this small stream that meanders through valley and canyon until the experience was ruined by five kids coming downstream. They were swimming, chasing fish, messing with the habitat, kicking up mud, etc. Not only did they ruin the fishing upstream, but because of their actions, the water was muddied all the way downstream. I did manage one fish and several missed strikes on dry flies before this happened. So much for the “Special” designation. Oh well, we will have many more opportunities as we scoot along.

CIMARRON STATE PARK

From Folsom, we traveled through the town of Cimarron to our “home” for the next several days, Cimarron Canyon State Park. After lunch at the Cree-Mee Drive-In, and taking care of some logistics, we arrived at the Maverick Campground in the park. There is so much busy work associated with camping, that frequent R&R breaks are necessary. Most of the effort is spent in trying to locate all the stuff we need among the tons of gear we have stashed in every square inch. We are enjoying the relaxed pace and our bedroom in the back of the truck – we are in sleeping bags on top of a great mattress, and is so cozy we look forward to early bedtime to read and then sleeping in until 8am! We are getting used to the two-lane highway that runs near our campsite – in fact, we were just settling in on the first night when a Wal-Mart semi went buzzing by – we’re never too far from home.

FOLSOM, NM

June 17, 2010 You don't get to Folsom unless you make a point to get off the beaten path. My grandmother lived in Folsom for some time when I was growing up. My parents and I lived there for awhile when I was a year old and my brother Ronnie was born nearby in Raton, NM. Thus, our reason to venture to this tiny town stuck in the middle of nowhere. Sadly, the town seems to be dying a slow death, as are many others out here, as there are virtually no opportunities to make a living outside of ranching. However, there are some kind souls that are keeping a small museum alive here. It is crammed with artifacts, both natural and man-made, along with written history and old photographs that have been donated by former residents. What are particularly interesting to us are the many photos and written accounts of several generations of ancestors on my father’s side of the family. They have even published a large “annual” that is packed with the history, which we can’t wait to more thoroughly peruse when we return home. We did learn that my ancestors were on their way to California in a wagon train of 35 wagons, and decided to settle in area. Notice the swallows nests over the entrance. From the museum, we made the short trip out to Folsom Falls, which we had swum in on our childhood visits. Formed from underground springs running through and over the lava rock, this was a state picnic area for some time until discontinued due to vandalism and too many drunks. We did not see anyone else in the time we were there.

Capulin Volcano National Monument

June 17, 2010: Departed Clayton today headed initially to Capulin Volcano National Monument just a few miles down the road and near Folsom, New Mexico. I had visited this park when I was a young kid on the way to Folsom to visit my grandmother. In fact, the story goes that my mother left a camera there and was not able to recover it. They tout this as one of the best examples of a cone volcano. Charlcie and I hiked the one-mile Rim Trail. This was our first exercise in high altitude and so we went at a slow pace, and dealt with very strong winds (which are prevalent everywhere we’ve been so far).