Magnus in New Mexico, Day 7

 
Sun 24 Mar

The plan for the day was to take the scenic route across the Chiricahuas to the visitor center and then up to Massai Point. But alas, the point was closed. Here's what happened.

We started out in chilly morning clouds that looked like rain, and indeed they did sprinkle a bit of rain here and there.  We headed north and then west, up into the mountains and the town of Paradise. We'd barely hit the highlands until the road turned into damp mud and it started to look like flurries. Soon there was a lot of snow on the ground (quarter inch or more, but remember, this is the desert and that seems like a lot). And it began sleeting on us and continued, off and on, sleet, snow and freezing rain. The road was murder--one lane most of the time and slimy--no ice, just mud--and very rocky and dangerous. We were lucky  to hit 10 mph.

 

At the town of Paradise, which seemed to consist of three houses, we passed a woman walking a little boy. People live out there? Seemed impossible. How would they get utilities run up so narrow and curvy a road? I couldn't imagine a concrete truck making the route. 

We eventually met a car, stopped on the opposite side of the road. We spoke to the driver and he said he was just taking a break. And soon we knew why--we were heading over the route he'd just traversed--he'd just done an hour of hard mountain driving.

Eventually we came out over the mountains--very beautiful. We met another SUV on the way, this one driven by a guy with a German accent who seemed to be having a ball. He said it wasn't too bad ahead (for us) and sure enough it wasn't. Eventually we came down into a valley (a high valley) with a cemetery that appeared to still be in use.  Somewhere along there a flock of very small quail crossed the road. I didn't think to stop and look at them, but they were almost certainly Montezuma Quail, which would have been a new species for me.

Eventually the road improved enough that we could go 12 or even 15 mph in spots. And then a very nice dispersed campground. I don't think it had restrooms or any utilities, but it was nice.

 

It would have been a blast to hike the route we'd taken. Although I have to admit that it took us about an hour-and-a half after we hit the mountain, so that would have been at least a four hour walk or even a whole day. With birdwatching, longer. But a person could have backpacked into the campground and spent the night, then walked north and out.

 

To get to the visitor center, we had to pass out of the mountains, turn north for a bit, then hit a very nice asphalt road going back east. That's where the entrance person told us that the monument had no fee but that the scenic drive to Masai Point was closed.  We went on to the visitor center, not too great, and on to another campground for vehicles 28-feet and under. Or 25 or something. It was lovely. Just as we were turning around ot go back, a park service guy told us he was opening the route a little farther but that it was still closed at the peak. So we went on and saw some cool rock formations.

 

Molly didn't get much walking. Dogs were forbidden on the trails and the parking lot was too wet and it was really cold out there. Note that when we were coming over the mountains, the temperature got down to 32 and had barely climbed up to 38 when we reached the other side. And it was still sleeting.  So given the choice of walking Molly on the road or going back to camp, I chose to go back.

We returned on the Interstate, getting on at Bowie, Arizona, the pistachio capital of the U.S. (or so the sign said) and drove through tons of pistachio and pecan groves to return. The entire drive took over five hours.

Also we drove past the trailhead to Fort Bowie, a notorious place in the Native American/Apache genocide story. The walk out to the fort was marked 1.5 miles which would have been a blast to take--with interpretive signs, too--but out of the question for us all.

The usual birds, but nothing much special on account of the weather.  Molly and I saw curve-billed thrashers on our walk and stirred up a whole colony of Gambel's quail. Also in the morning I tracked down a peculiar bird song and found that it was a white-crowned sparrow. How peculiar that I'd never heard one singing before. Also Cactus Wren and Ladder=backed woodpecker (on the ground, weird)