El Malpais & Chain of Craters Byway

The monsoons are still in full swing and prompted me to move off Forest Road 400. It's about 20 miles west of Grants on highway 53 and has a plethora of campspots, but it turns to gumbo when wet. I'm carrying less water these days to aid in Eggbert's agility but it means more tho't to running out.  

So I moved about 10 miles to a jeep trail off the Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway. It's west of The Divide and a tad drier. The Malpais is an irresistible hiking draw, but even a brief swarai (neon colors!) begs the idea of suiting up (note motorcycle sounds) in football gear. You'd think after 10,000 years the rocks 'd've settled into tight niches. No way! Every other step tips just enough to inspire the wire-walker armspread. I tried pretending I was drunk, but sans alcohol the challenge of continuously falling (mostly) forward while watching the scenery reel was just plain tedious. After a couple of slugs of gin I was able to discard my compulsion and settled in to an ennobled (and seated) state of admiration. I had this venerable alligator juniper for company.

The 'soons made rainbows every few miles. I trundled down Historic Route 66 at a leisurely 35 mph taking it all in before being forced onto the freeway at Mesita.

Maybe when we have brain implants we'll be able to "share" the experience. Something to look fwd to, eh?  

   

First day of Fall at 2,134m (7,000ft). 

The 2 inch Pine Resin Ball

I found this while hiking near Pecos, New Mexico.

It's the largest I've ever seen.

While Waiting

There's a command performance Saturday, but the plan, at least as of today, is to head north, and maybe west, on Sunday. In the interim, here's one I dredged from a 2011 backup...

AN IRISH BLONDE IN A CASINO

    A blonde from Cork arrived at the casino.  

Stepping up to the table she said, 'I hope you don't mind, but I feel much luckier when I'm nude'. And with that, she stripped from the neck down.

She seemed a little intoxicated (this should clue you that this isn't a real Irish joke) and bet twenty-thousand Euros on a single roll. Then, giving forth in a fine, heathen brogue she yelled, 'Come on, baby, Mama needs new clothes!'

The dice had barely stopped when she began jumping up and down squealing, 'YES! YES! I WON, I WON!'

As she hugged each of the dealers she collected her winnings, her clothes and quickly
departed.

    Dumbfounded, the dealers stared at each other.

    Finally, one of them asked, 'What did she roll?'

    The other answered,  'I don't know, I thought you were watching.'

    MORAL OF THE STORY -

    Not all Irish are drunks;
    not all blondes are dumb.
    But all men...

    are 

    men.

Big Horn Symposium - Riverton, Wyoming

There I was, bombing along northbound on I-25 and Kim Fuka, the world-famous quiller (see July 4, 2014 post), had just rung me up. Suddenly, I looked down and noticed the temperature gauge was in the red! I pulled over and settled into the conversation while Eggbert regained his cool. Back in town, the mechanic said he'd get right on it, but he doesn't work weekends. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it'll be a one-day job.  

The unusual Time-is-of-the-Essence circumstances are due to having discovered, AND REGiSTEReD FOR, the (FREE) Big Horn River Symposium in Riverton, Wyoming, Sept 10-12. Below was lifted from the symposium's main page...

Logo used with permission

The Big Horn River general stream adjudication was initiated by the Wyoming legislature in January 1977 in response to an assertion of water rights in the Wind-Big Horn River system by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes.  The adjudication is currently poised to reach its conclusion later this year.  The Wyoming District Court is expected to enter a final decree in the adjudication, which reviewed water claims held by over 20,000 parties within the Big Horn Basin.  This complex and often contentious proceeding has now spanned thirty-seven years.  It has been visible regionally and nationally, prompting two seminal opinions by the Wyoming Supreme Court as well as one closely watched decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, all of which involved water rights held by the two tribes located on the Wind River Reservation in the southwest corner of the basin.  Constituting a landmark in the fields of western water law and American Indian law, the University of Wyoming (UW) College of Law is proud and excited to be hosting a symposium focusing on the Big Horn River general stream adjudication from September 10-12, 2014, at the Wind River Hotel and Casino in Riverton, Wyoming. 


Other obligations had me ambivalent about attending until I spoke with Professor Debra Donahue, author of The Western Range Revisited: Removing Livestock from Public Lands to Conserve Biodiversity. Her enthusiasm for the speakers and the fact that she too will be there convinced me to go. You should too!

Westward Ho to The Gallery In Williams...Arizona, that is.

I was on the east side of The Rez when my intuition grabbed me by the shirt-front, slammed me against the wall, and whispered, "Get thee hence to the The Gallery in Williams."...Williams, Arizona that is. It's a two-day trek from Albuquerque and I often camp on Buffalo Range Rd.

As many times as I've been here (30 miles east of Flagstaff) this was the first I was in the mood to pilgrimage the 14 miles to the famed Yeager Canyon Trail. Supposedly accessible from this side, the information at the Raymond Ranch sign-in kiosk about a mile before "headquarters" touts it as easy. There's also a varied and interesting (interesting what might be if they hadn't been removed in the name of cattle-ranching) list of animals that can be seen on the reserve; I saw an (one!!) antelope. 

My one (and only) principal is: dawdle. So by the time I arrived at headquarters it was past 6:00 pm. The roads beyond headquarters were rougher than anticipated; top speed maaaaybe, 5mph. If it'd been earlier I'd have continued the last four miles, but there's a notice at the aforementioned kiosk that stipulates: Camping only allowed in the designated spot...300 ft N of headquarters. The "campspot" is a weed-covered area recognizable only by the presence of the picnic table & barbecue grill. There are no "facilities." 

I do all I can to avoid formal campsites and with still four miles to the trailhead at an estimated four-miles-per hour, I couldn't make it before sunset. And I've reached the age where I don't like to drive after dark.

I returned north of the kiosk and spent a peaceful night on the campable lands (photo above).

Nancy Grossman Discovered!! (Better eventually than never)

Ah, the library. It's one of the culture's few assets. 

Generously donated to the Albuquerque system by the Richard A. Freedman Trust, it's a beautiful artifact that was compiled to accompany the exhibit of the same title (curated by Ian Berry 2/18/12 - 5/20/12). It does a splendid job of showcasing Ms. Grossman's varied talents.  

Most astonishing was the fact that many of the pieces were done in the late 60s. The bracing realization that it takes MUCH longer for those of us in the fly-over states to get a clue set me to worrying abt what else I've missed. (Perhaps LSD has made a comeback?)  

Having spent my formative years in the marketing department of UNM Press, I'm appreciative of design. Thus, it was with focused interest that I perused the credits. There were two, designers, that is...Barbara Glauber of Heavy Meta and Florian Brozek. 

The photographers are too numerous to list, but I found it interesting that the three that caught my eye (pp. 144,145, 147) were among the unattributed. (There is a request for information on the copyright page.) 

Well worth a trip into town.
Mil Gras! to the Freedman Trust.

Treasure Valley, Colorado

It's troo, I'll share locations on request, but this one is so high up and so far off the beaten path I figure most of you'll just enjoy the photos. It's on the one side-road that goes west a few miles south of Platoro. I forget the Forest Number, but if you search on Treasure Creek (Conejos County) you'll find it.

The profusion of the state flower was overwhelming!! But you can see pictures of them anywhere.

Photos just don't do it. When I came around the bend and saw the view below I stopped, got out, and spent the rest of the afternoon walking. I kept expecting Heidi to show up at any moment. Treasure Creek flows through on the far left side. 

This magnificent specimen was its sole representative.

Lookout Mountain and Lake De Nolda in the afternoon light. (Friggin rain!!!)

It gets wild in the upper altitudes!!