The Climb to 7000 feet
I purposely awoke around 2:00 a.m. from a nightmarish dream so I wouldn't have to see the actual killing/dismemberment of a man in the dream -- knew it was going to happen and how but, didn't want to fill my memory banks with the vivid images. Am now enjoying a fresh cup of cofee and will be monitoring the chill expected to set-in here as the wee hours of the morning give way to the approaching daylight -- have my fleece handy just in case the short-sleeve shirt and jeans aren't warm enough.
As described in my post last night, besides the noticeable lack of anything in the terrain and countryside there was the constantly dropping temperature inside the cab of the RV as the climb from 3000 feet progressed -- could only sense the climb as the diesel engine at times struggled to maintain speeds above 55 and an engine operating temperature in the middle range of the gauge. Sometimes, I just eased off the gas pedal a bit to let it cruise and keep the engine from running too warm -- didn't want a breakdown out there in the middle of nowhere.
After leaving the mesas or hills around the city of Carlsbad, I thought perhaps that I really should have stopped at that Living Desert State Park just off the 524 truck by-pass to the west of the city. It was on the top of one small mesa -- maybe I could have learned what was really living out there in the nothingness I drove through (besides rattlesnakes and coyotes). It is hard to imagine what it would have been like to ride a horse or horse-drawn wagon through that same area -- not a sand covered desert but, without even a tree or the view of snow-capped mountains in the distance to draw you on it must have been difficult to push onward. Perhaps in the early days, someones detailed description conjured vivid images in peoples minds and that was enough for them and simply amazing to me.
Now we can "Google" an image and off we go but, sometimes we forget what's in between. And don't forget about those provisions needed to cross the 200 plus miles -- breakfast first and a jug of water is all I needed -- and all but 10 gallons of the remaining diesel fuel I had put into the RV back in San Antonio. Five hours of driving just from Carlsbad and that equates to 5 days of travel for those early folks -- add another 7 days from San Antonio and that means a couple weeks -- talk about torture.
Approaching 4:00 a.m. here and maybe just another half cup of coffee while I look out the front window -- after checking the cabin temp. May be time for that fleece with the cup of coffee -- 65 degrees inside.
By the way, this RV park (Los Campos) looks more like a deserted drive-in movie theater (minus the big screen). There are only about a half-dozen big rigs sprinkled around and a few other camper/trailers in this mostly empty patch of land -- mountains to the east (Sangre de Cristos, I believe) where daylight should begin to appear in a couple hours.
Just enough daylight to make the solar-powered "Dancing Flower" to start dancing
As described in my post last night, besides the noticeable lack of anything in the terrain and countryside there was the constantly dropping temperature inside the cab of the RV as the climb from 3000 feet progressed -- could only sense the climb as the diesel engine at times struggled to maintain speeds above 55 and an engine operating temperature in the middle range of the gauge. Sometimes, I just eased off the gas pedal a bit to let it cruise and keep the engine from running too warm -- didn't want a breakdown out there in the middle of nowhere.
After leaving the mesas or hills around the city of Carlsbad, I thought perhaps that I really should have stopped at that Living Desert State Park just off the 524 truck by-pass to the west of the city. It was on the top of one small mesa -- maybe I could have learned what was really living out there in the nothingness I drove through (besides rattlesnakes and coyotes). It is hard to imagine what it would have been like to ride a horse or horse-drawn wagon through that same area -- not a sand covered desert but, without even a tree or the view of snow-capped mountains in the distance to draw you on it must have been difficult to push onward. Perhaps in the early days, someones detailed description conjured vivid images in peoples minds and that was enough for them and simply amazing to me.
Now we can "Google" an image and off we go but, sometimes we forget what's in between. And don't forget about those provisions needed to cross the 200 plus miles -- breakfast first and a jug of water is all I needed -- and all but 10 gallons of the remaining diesel fuel I had put into the RV back in San Antonio. Five hours of driving just from Carlsbad and that equates to 5 days of travel for those early folks -- add another 7 days from San Antonio and that means a couple weeks -- talk about torture.
Approaching 4:00 a.m. here and maybe just another half cup of coffee while I look out the front window -- after checking the cabin temp. May be time for that fleece with the cup of coffee -- 65 degrees inside.
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| My First Sunrise here in Santa Fe |
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| Thnks, Jim for the flower |
posted by Ray at
7:26 AM
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