Up and out of the trailer a little after 8 a.m….and it appears that this is a slower moving campground than Picacho. No activity around yet. Maybe it’s being out in the mountain air during the day that makes for a good long sleep.
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I just found out that Silver City doesn’t allow plastic grocery bags. For the grocery stores and Wal-Mart, only paper bags are used. City ordinance…but the lady working at the KOA doesn’t know if it extends to other stores. She also claims that the aforementioned stores aren’t exactly fans of the ordinance. The KOA is just outside the city limits, so they are able to use plastic bags for guest purchases.
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We took off about 11:30 a.m. for the Whitewater Canyon Catwalk National Recreation Trail…a.k.a. ‘The Catwalk’. Not only does it have lots of hiking trails but there are also metal walkways along the canyon which includes a suspension bridge. The metal walkways are actually former ‘catwalks’ from the days of mining gold and silver in and around the canyon area. Suspension bridges over canyons aren’t exactly my cup of tea but it was highly recommended by the staff. And besides being an explorer sometimes means getting out of your comfort zone…so off we went.
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We would be heading north on Hwy 180 all the way from the campground up to Glenwood, where we’d turn to head to the canyon, maybe about 75 miles from here to there. And we figured that by riding northwest in the morning and riding southeast in the evening, we wouldn’t have to deal with the setting like last night. By looking at the map, I figured it wouldn’t be a twisty ride, and I was correct about that, but it did have some variety. The road was mostly straight with gentle winding curves when necessary and because we were in the foothills of the Mogollan Mountains, there was some low key uphill and downhill, too. For a long stretch we were riding through pasture areas with mountains on either side of us. I could tell we were climbing but it sure wasn’t anything extreme. It was a great ride….not a switchback or tight hairpin turn in sight!!!
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| Al and Kim after lunch |
We rode into Glenwood about 1 p.m. or so and decided to see about something to eat before heading into the canyon area. The Golden Girls Café was closed, as was Mario’s Pizzeria. The bar/diner down the block was also closed. Then we were on the other side of town. Figured we’d have to settle for Cheetos and Ritz crackers like we did yesterday at Doc Campbell’s up on Hwy 15. When we were turning around to head back to the Trading Post, we encountered a game warden who suggested a little café up the road about two miles. I think his idea of two miles is different than mine, but we eventually found the Alma Grill. Yay! A bathroom and some food! Got off the bikes and wandered in to find every single table full…even in the back room. Not one empty table! But that was not going to deter me from using the bathroom. As I headed for it, I suggested that we get something to go and eat it outside. I came out to find out that instead of turning us away because they were full or having us do the take out option, the waitress suggested we "sit with Al…he’s friendly”. I wasn’t there to know if she asked Al, but he was sitting by himself at a table for four and seemed okay with two strangers sitting down with him. I think he’s a regular because he didn’t have to look at the menu to know what he was having. So we talked and ate lunch together. We bought his lunch since he was kind enough to share his table. I asked if I could get a picture of him and Kim when we got outside. They posed for the picture and when we were saying our goodbyes, he left us with, “I look forward to talking with you again.” This is just one of the many happenings that make our adventures great.
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| Should I or shouldn't I? 😕 |
In our travels in Arizona and New Mexico, we’ve encountered numerous road signs that say “Dip”…”Running Water”…Flash flood area” or “Water possible on road”. I realize the warning is necessary but right now the signs are just part of the landscape as there’s been no running water on any of the roads we’ve been on. So after lunch we go back to the road that leads to the canyon…sign says we’ve got 5 more miles until we’re there. There weren’t any of the water warning signs, so it was quite the surprise to find a river crossing the road just as we rounded a curve. And this wasn’t just a slow lazy river…there was rushing water noise as it crossed the road….and it was evident that the road was constructed for this eventuality…so a warning sign would have been nice. Kim stopped much closer to the water than I did and I could tell he was weighing the pros and cons of crossing. I quickly turned the headset on and said “Not on your life am I crossing that water!” Several vehicles crossed and if I wasn’t sure before, I was totally convinced by watching them that the water was too deep for a bike crossing. Kim continued to sit there and eventually said, “I think this is doable…not saying I’m going to do it, but it is doable.” Uh uh, no way, no how!! There was a family on our side getting back into their truck…I asked the man if they’d gone across it. “Yeah”, he said, “and this is tame…there’s worse on the other side, beyond here.” Then he sized my bike up and said, “It’s running fast. I think your bike has the clearance but I’d be afraid of the undercurrent catching you.” So ended our attempt to go out to Whitewater Canyon.
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Since we had some extra time on our hands after Mother Nature denied us entrance to Whitewater Canyon, we decided to take a route that Al had recommended….Hwy 78, heading west into Arizona. He said it was a great road, had beautiful scenery, etc., and he was not mistaken. However, by heading west at that time of day, we were catching the sun on its downward slide. So we turned around at the Arizona line before it got too obnoxious. Stopped in a couple of places for pictures, then headed back down 180 to Silver City.
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Crossed the Continental Divide again today…this time at 6,230 ft. on Hwy 180.
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Last night when Kim was out with his telescope, he had some issues with lights from other camp sites…that messes with the imaging process. So today I suggested he go to the tent site across the road. It doesn’t have an electrical hookup but a quick trip to the store for a long extension cord fixed that problem. Then he talked to the camp owner to see if it was okay. He got the go ahead and we got back to camp early enough so he could set up over there in the daylight. He’s pleased with his location and is trying to image the Horsehead Nebula again.
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Rode 180 miles today
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