Gunsmoke

We enjoyed our time on the trails at NRA Whittington Center.  The two-mile round trip to the site of the abandoned Van Houten Mine on the property has always been special for us.  Last year when we visited, the mine road was closed because of the extreme drought and fire danger.  We were happy this year to find it open and took full advantage of hikes there several days.

Some of the old buildings are still standing.  The first was called "Soup Bone" and the second was the doctor's office.

But the real reason we stop here is to enjoy the opportunity to shoot our pistols.  There are several ranges where we can sharpen our shooting skills, and we took advantage of them every day.  

I’m pleased with the improvement in my marksmanship, but still hope to get more practice as we continue to travel.  I’m especially pleased with my new “holster,” a gift from our good friend, Lex Henderson. 

This simple leather strap holds my firearm securely, and is much less awkward and obtrusive than a traditional holster.  Thanks, Lex!

We were glad to find that the dogs were less concerned by the shots from the distant ranges than they have been in years past.  When we passed the ranges on the way to our hikes, Kota was temporarily agitated, but once we were around the corner and the shots muffled, she relaxed and explored the roadsides with Rue.  

We were only here for a week, but Rue and I found time to play some ball.  

We miss Colt, though.  His attempts to get to the ball before Rue, or to snatch it from her mouth always provided some extra drama.  What a special dog he was.  

We haven’t seen as much wildlife this year as in years past.  I think it is because there has been so much rain and forage and water are abundant.  We did see some antelope, though, like this handsome young male.

The mule deer were also fat and sleek.  We saw a number of does, but no fawns, and no young antelope as in years past.  

This beautiful buck was busy growing an impressive set of antlers.  But what disappointed us was the wildlife we didn't see.  Park personnel said that one day while we were there, a bear strolled up to the entrance station, walked around the main building, sat down and watched some men painting one of the outbuildings.  We would have enjoyed seeing that!

Sweet Sugarite Canyon

We have often said that the NRA Whittington Center, where we are camped this week, is a real “hidden gem.”  Here, we have a lovely campground surrounded by thousands of acres of rolling hills and mesas, and offering outstanding opportunities for anyone who enjoys the shooting sports.  

We have been coming here for a number of years, and this year we have discovered another “hidden gem” just a few miles east of Raton, and an easy 20-minute drive from camp.  It is called Sugarite (pronounced sugareet) Canyon State Park.  We went there for a hike on Monday and enjoyed it so much we went back on Wednesday.

The park includes the site of the town of Sugarite and the Sugarite Coal Camp.  From 1912 until 1941, high-quality bituminous coal was mined from three mines.  The miners were a diverse group.  It is said they once spoke 19 different languages, and that conflict among them was uncommon.  A one-mile walking tour of the Sugarite Coal Camp begins at the visitor center and winds past the mine entrances and ruins of some of the buildings.  We look forward to taking this short hike and learning more about the history of this area.

The park’s 4500 acres include grasslands of the Great Plains, as well as mesas and forested slopes of the Rocky Mountains.  The elevation at the visitor center is 6,900 feet, and the top of Little Horse Mesa rises to 8,320 feet.  In addition, there are two lakes, Lake Alice, which lies alongside the road, and just above it the larger Lake Maloya. 

The park’s northern boundary is the New Mexico-Colorado state line.  Lake Maloya extends a short distance into Colorado, so when we hiked the perimeter we were actually making our way in and out of two states. 

Just across the Colorado State Line above the park sits the beautiful Lake Dorothey.  It is accessible only on foot or by horseback, and the locals tell us it has excellent trout fishing.

We took the one-half mile road up to the lake, and enjoyed dramatic scenery and beautiful wildflowers along the way.  

Both John and I were impressed with the size of the dandelions here.  This one was not only beautiful, but the size of John's palm.

Doubling back to the parking area, we struck out on the trail along and above Lake Maloya.  The trail is steep in places, but with beautiful shade and access to the lake and streams where the dogs could cool off.  

There were even more wildflowers lining the trail through the trees.  

We loved this little white one, but haven't yet identified it.

There were also stands of a local variety of the flower we call "horsemint."  The flower heads are smaller, but it has the same color and fragrance.

There were several varieties of blue flowers....more reasons to get a book of wildflowers of New Mexico.

But I think our favorite was this one, which is called "sky rocket" according to the rangers.  I think it is also called scarlet gilia or Ipomopsis aggregata.

Rue and Kota wore their packs on Wednesday, and we were glad we had someone to carry our water since we can't drink from the lake like they do. 

They were most interested in the small mouse-like meadow voles whose den entrances pock-marked the trailside.  Rue tried her best to catch one, but was only successful when she dug into one of the burrows and came out with a juvenile.  

The meadow voles we saw were dark brown with short tails.  They are mouse-like, but have smaller ears and less prominent eyes.  I did some research and found that a female vole is ready to breed at about one month of age…and so are her daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters.  Believe-it-or-not, one video I watched said that in one year’s time, the offspring of one female meadow vole will weigh more than an elephant.  Rue and Kota would have been happy with just one, and I don’t think they would have made much of a dent in the population.

As we made our way along the lake today, we came upon a group of people in the process of erecting a raptor nesting platform.  It was the Eagle Scout project of the young man below.  We wished him success and left him and his helpers to their task.

Sugarite State Park has two campgrounds.  Lake Alice Campground has 16 sites, 12 with water and electric hookups.  Soda Pocket Campground may not have water and electric, but it takes the prize for the view.  

Up a steep, rutted dirt road, it overlooks Sugarite Canyon to the east and south, 

and has a dramatic view of Little Horse Mesa to the north. 

We might consider taking Falcon and the Royals up someday, but it could be a nail-biter in bad weather.  Maybe we'll just enjoy Sweet Sugarite for day trips and hikes.

On the Road...Again

We pulled out of Austin on Sunday, July 14, and by mid-afternoon we were camped in San Angelo State Park, Site #1.  Our handsome grandson, Gage Wann, and his four-legged sidekick, Zelda, joined us for dinner.  Gage is about to begin his senior year at Angelo State University, and is racking up good grades in addition to experience in the local workforce. 

We met for lunch and more visiting on Monday at What Da Pho, a very popular Asian restaurant in San Angelo.  My pho was outstanding, and enough for at least two meals.  We’ll be back the next time we’re in town.  We said a reluctant good-bye to Gage and prepared to move on to higher elevations and, hopefully, lower temperatures.

We had an uneventful trip from San Angelo to Amarillo, but were unsuccessful in finding cooler temperatures.  There is a heat wave over the entire eastern half of the country, and Amarillo wasn’t spared.  Temperatures were in the 100s, and the blast-furnace wind blew from the time we arrived until we were long gone on Friday.  

We had fun in Amarillo, though.  Besides some obligatory shopping, we drove out to the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument some 35 miles north and east of Amarillo.  The Paleo-Indians began quarrying Alibates flint from the area some 13,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age.  This flint is durable, colorful, and breaks in a predictable patten.  It can be honed to a fine, sharp edge or point, which made it especially valuable.  The quarries, which may number as many as 2,000, were mostly shallow pits some 10-20 feet wide.  They are mostly filled in now, but the edges are covered with shards of flint that were broken off when the pits were excavated, or discarded as being unusable.  

Between 1200 and 1450, members of the Antelope Creek culture built masonry structures near the flint outcroppings along the Canadian River.  The ruins of two structures were excavated in the 1930s.  They consist of square or rectangular rooms, as well as circular spaces.  Archeologists think they may have housed multiple family units, as well as storage and burial areas.  Artifacts of turquoise and obsidian, as well as shell jewelry, indicate that the Alibates flint was widely traded with peoples to the west and north.  

Alibates was proclaimed a national monument by Congress in 1965.  There is a lovely visitors’ center with native plantings at the foot of the mesa where the quarries are found.  Because of problems with the theft of artifacts, the quarries can be visited only on a ranger-led tour.  The tour is a 1 1/2 mile round trip with some steep steps to the top.  It’s worth the climb, though.  Call for tour times and make a reservation if you’re in the area.

One of the stops on our bucket list was the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum.  The Sisemores operate an RV sales and equipment facility, and theirs is the oldest Winnebago dealership in Texas.  You can tell that the museum is their real labor of love.  They began collecting and restoring unusual vintage RVs more than 25 years ago, and have quite a collection from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.  Among the units on display are several vintage Airstreams, the first Itasca motorhome ever built, a 1970 Avion pickup camper and a luxurious 1976 FMC motorhome that was owned by Max Factor, Jr., of cosmetics fame.  There are also numerous dirt and street bikes from years past.  The museum is free, and open Monday-Saturday, 9-5.  Don’t miss it if you like history. There is plenty here.

We also visited the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, which were beautiful as well as colorful.  I don’t know how they manage that with the heat and incessant wind.  I took lots of photos, not only of the outside plantings, but also of the plants and a family of ducks that live in the glass-enclosed conservatory.

I know by now you’re asking, “Where are your amazing photos of these interesting places?”  Well, I took them but unfortunately that was the end of it.  After two days of sightseeing in Amarillo, I plugged in my card reader, inserted the card and saw…NOTHING!  Just a black screen with the cryptic message, “No Photos.”  I have no idea what happened.  The camera, card reader and SD card have performed flawlessly before and since, but not this time.  I made several attempts to download the images, but they just weren’t there.  Even though I had previously reviewed some of them on the camera, when I put the card back in the camera, it was blank.  So……you’ll have to wait until we visit Amarillo again to see photos of these attractions.  Sorry.

I did get some photos from one Amarillo attraction…perhaps its most famous one…Cadillac Ranch.  

Created in 1974 and characterized as a “public art installation and sculpture,” it features 10 Cadillacs buried nose down in a field along I-40 (Exit 60).  Beginning at the entrance gate, the installation continues to give visitors an opportunity for artistic expression.  

You are encouraged to bring a can of spray paint and add your own touch to the installation like these folks are doing.

On Friday, we hooked up and let the 20+ mph wind push us north and west toward New Mexico.  We passed Capulin Volcano National Monument, and were so pleased to see all the green!  It has been a good year for New Mexico.

We are now happily hooked up in one of our favorite on-the-road “homes” at the NRA Whittington Center outside Raton.  

Here is a view from our patio.

And here is a photo of the cool front that rolled in at mid-afternoon on Sunday.

I had planned to take the Practical Pistol II class here Sunday and Monday, but unfortunately not enough folks signed up and the class was canceled.  I was fortunate that the excellent course instructor, Steve Overman, had some time available and I arranged for a private lesson.  No photos of that, but I’ll have shots in a couple of days of John and me on the firing range.  I’m shooting a new-to-me pistol, a Browning Hi-Power 9mm, and feeling much more confident after my lesson.  Thanks, Steve!

In the meantime, Kota is spending a lot of her time inside where she is “safe” from the sound of distant gunfire from the ranges.  Rue, on the other hand, is unconcerned so long as we can throw balls now and then.   

More to come; stay tuned.