Day Trips -- Tent Rocks AKA Kasha Katuwe

I've been working on my house and not getting out much so I decided to take a few day trips before the weather got too risky.  I hope to take a day each week and just run off somewhere.  Yesterday I headed up to Tent Rocks.  It's about a 25 minute drive up the interstate toward Santa Fe with another 20 minutes or so going through the Cochiti Pueblo lands.  Kasha Katuwe is a Cochiti name for a white cliff and it is now designated as a national monument. It's a place close enough that I can go there from time to time just to get out and walk around but this was my first tip up to see it.

Of course, things never go as planned and I got stuck in a traffic jam in Bernalillo for forty minutes. That seems impossible but there is a minor traffic jam there all the time because of road construction. Then there was a serious car wreck on top of the construction confusion only complicated by cops trying to direct traffic and no one having any idea where to go. Then there were ambulances and fire trucks trying to get through. The cops directed traffic into a residential neighborhood and from there it was every man for himself. So, the trip took twice as long as it should have.

I've seen pictures of Tent Rocks so I had an idea of what was there but there was a lot more than I expected. Part of the monument is closed because recent monsoon rains have washed out a road. The main picnic and hiking area is open and I was surprised to see how busy it was on a Thursday afternoon. The parking lot was nearly full. There is a loop trail among the tent rocks and then a second trail that goes through a slot canyon and climbs up to the top of the cliff and offers a view of the area.

The geology of the area causes strange erosional features that appear to be Indian tepees from a distance.  Millions of years ago this was a very active volcanic zone and much of the area is covered with volcanic ash and ejected rocks. As water wore down through the layers of ash it left strange shaped remnants that ere usually capped by a hard and water resistant rock.

There were many periods of eruption and ash build up to the point that the ash layer is over 1000 feet thick. It has become consolidated into a concrete-like stone with hundreds of different bands representing the different eruption cycles.

The local Indians occasionally carved homes or shelters out of the solid layers of ash.  This one is close to the loop trail.

I wandered around taking pictures of the rocks and the loop trail and then decided to take the trail through the slot canyon to the top of the cliffs. They said it was a rugged trail with some climbing and rock scrambling along the way. It turned out to be a pretty good challenge and certainly worth the effort. I was surprised to see some of the people trying to make it up the canyon. There were a few old folks...older than me...and one woman with a rotator cuff injury that was being led back into the canyon by a friend. The friend was sure they would make it OK. I had my camera monopod that I was using as a hiking stick and a small backpack and I was having a hard time in some of the places.

There were a few places where the canyon walls were only about four or five feet apart. I'm kinda pear-shaped and was wondering just how narrow this was going to get. Footing is treacherous in many spots either because of loose stones or slick bedrock.  The trail is actually a creek bed that must become a raging torrent during heavy rains.   There are dry waterfalls that you have to climb over. What you climb over on the way up you have to climb down as you come back -- it isn't a loop. I kept thinking "How am I gonna get down from here??"

When you finally get through the narrowest part of the canyon you have to climb up through a jumbled boulder and cobble filled ravine to get to the top of the cliff. The trail is identified mostly by the tracks of hiking boots of people who went this way before. I was hoping that they knew where they were going. Folks coming back down were exhausted but said it was worth the effort. At one point I met Larry...who was lost or at least separated from his group. He was at the top of the cliff and somehow missed his friends and started back down. He asked if I had seen his party and then said that if I met them along the trail to tell them that "Larry is on his way back down".  Well, sure enough, about five minutes later here comes Larry's wife and two friends who are looking perplexed and wondering where somebody is. I asked if they were looking for Larry and, of course they were and I passed on his message.  Seems like Larry does this sort of thing fairly often. I also met a couple who were celebrating their eighth anniversary by hiking through the canyon.



View from the top

The final climb is a scramble up a nearly vertical slope over switchbacks and some three and four foot rock ledges. The top is impressive but the wind came up and it almost blew me off the cliff. There are a few trails around the top and a couple trees to get behind as shelter from the wind. I met a German couple hiding behind a tree who were thinking they could camp there but were going to have to find another place. The monument is day use only. I suggested they go up to the national forest up by Santa Fe but they were afraid it would be too cold in the mountains. (Joanne and I camped there in October one year and it was very pleasant.) It was especially windy the day I was there...next time I'll pick a calmer day.

The view is impressive and I took a bunch of pictures but I took so many on my way up that my camera battery was getting low. I ended up not taking as many on my way back down the canyon.  When I got back to the parking lot I read some of the information posted on the displays and the brochure -- the climb to the top is 630 feet up --- no wonder I was tired.

This was an interesting place and close enough that I can come back here and spend more time.

Watson's Big Adventure (Not!)...Going to New Mexico

Tuesday was our day to head west. I got to Columbia on Friday and Jill and I made a few trips to Jefferson City to finish up the house prep for sale. There already was a showing on Saturday morning and rumors of more showings by the agent for later in the weekend.

Watson had been spending his summer vacation...of sorts...with Jill and Beatrix. The cats got along pretty well and were friendly most of the time. He had settled in so the trip west to NM was going to be yet another disruption. Living in four places in only ten months is not his style.

Our trip was going to require some sort of calming or sedative support. Watson hates riding in the car and this is a 1,000 mile trip. His usual approach to travel is screaming at the top of his lungs.  I had some calming snacks made with tryptopan and chamomile with ginger to keep his stomach settled. This worked OK on the ride from Jefferson City to Columbia and I wanted to try it on the long road trip instead of the prescribed sedative I got from his Vet.

We started off at 9:30 and he was reasonably quiet as we headed south on US 54 toward Jefferson City. I thought the calming snack would work. It wore off at Eldon. He made it about 65 miles before his yelling started up. It was still tolerable so I let him go for a while. We went through the Lake and headed toward Lebanon on Highway 5. His yelling continued. He sounds like a baby crying and it is pretty pathetic. We got on I-44 and were encountering big trucks and his crying got more pronounced. Finally I pulled into the rest area near Conway and broke out the hard drugs. I got him out of his carrier and held him for a while hoping he would calm down. He was hyperventilating and trembling. I gave him a full pill and held him for a few more minutes and he began to calm down. The Vet's instructions were to give 1 1/2 pills every eight hours so I hoped one would be enough.  Watson was asleep in about ten minutes after we got back on the road.

I stopped briefly in Joplin and Watson stayed asleep...didn't move. We crossed into Oklahoma and got on the turnpike. At the toll both Watson was still asleep.  He woke up a little as we went through Tulsa and then was back asleep again as we headed to Oklahoma City.  I stopped at a rest area and got him out of his carrier and tried to get him to drink. He was too sedated and couldn't walk or hold his head up. Clearly one full pill was more than enough and 1 1/2 would have put him in a coma.


At Oklahoma City we got into our motel (Days Inn) and I set up his litter box and food/water dishes. He still couldn't walk steadily but he was doing a little better. It took about an hour for him to be close to normal. The night was uneventful but I think he was awake most of the time.  We were close to a stairway and he heard people moving around outside so he was keeping track of the outside noises.
The next morning I gave him a half of a pill and he stayed alert for about an hour and then fell asleep and slept most of the ride to Albuquerque. He would wake up and complain whenever I stopped the car and once it was moving again he fell asleep.

I tried to get him to drink some water and move around at a rest area in Texas  He woke up but wouldn't come out of his carrier and curled up and went back to sleep.  Apparently he was not impressed with the Texas panhandle.

We made good time and got to the house around 6 PM, I hadn't expected to make it that early and we hit rush hour traffic  Watson was not as groggy as he was the day before and was able to explore the house. By bedtime he was pretty well back to normal and seemed to be happy in his new home.

 The next morning he was back to normal and had possession of the house and was beginning to take a few steps outside when I was out. He was still shy of strangers but that's pretty normal for him.

Last of it -- Getting Watson

I have one last task I need to complete before my move is done. I need to pick up my other car and pick up Watson, my cat, and drive back to New Mexico with whatever other loose ends I might still have .

I boarded Amtrak's Southwest Chief in Albuquerque on September 12th on day three of a monsoonal rain storm. It had been raining off and on for three days and everything was pretty much drenched.

New Mexico has a monsoon season that runs from mid July to September...more or less. This year it has been pretty rainy and folks are happy to see it. We've been in a serious drought for several years. this can only help.

The problem is when it all comes at once.  My train pulled out of the station during one of the brief dry periods but it started raining again within a few minutes. I heard a report that a railroad bridge was closed due to flooding on the Pecos River...one of the rivers we have to cross.   As it turned out, we were OK and the Pecos was back in it's banks when we went over it...barely. There were a number of times when the train slowed to a creep as it went along some of the swollen streams.

There was serious flooding in Colorado with people and homes swept away. New Mexico is sparsely populated and less impacted by the flash flooding.  All of that rain falling in Colorado came up through New Mexico to get there. Cloud were thick and very low for most of the trip. We didn't see the sun until we got to Lawrence Kansas, the next morning.

Apart from the rain, the train trip was uneventful. As always I met some interesting people...a 911 operator from Glendale CA, a couple heading to the husband's 60th high school reunion in Webb City, MO, some folks going to visit their son in college in Iowa, a lady off on a multi-leg journey to visit cousins and grand kids scattered around the country, and a couple from Scremerston England on a long cross country trip...San Diego to Boston and points along the way.

We were running very late due to the weather but managed to make up the time and got into Kansas City about fourteen minute late...not bad.

I caught my connection train to Jefferson City and was back at my old house by noon and went on to Jill's by late afternoon.

I'll post more for the trip back home....should be interesting with Watson.  He hates to travel.

Epilogue

I guess this is the end of this trip since I'm home.  Still seems like a trip except for the unpacking. I'm finding stuff I didn't know I had. I have way too much furniture. Too many lamps. Too many bookcases.  It will all sort out over the next weeks.

Here are a few pictures of my moving crew -- they did a good job.

Enad, the driver, got the truck right
up close to the back of the house

Mike, Enad and Jude

Enad...cutting it tight

Enad is a super hero when it comes to driving this truck. When they finished picking me up in Jefferson City he drove to Austin Texas for an 8 AM delivery and then when he was done with that he drove to Houston for a pickup and then drove to Rio Rancho to deliver my stuff. I beat him to Rio Rancho by three hours.


My next trip is by train back to Jefferson City to pick up my Subaru and then pick up Watson and drive back to Rio Rancho.  Looks like that might be September 12th.

Moved In

I'm finally moved in. I beat the truck by about three hours. The driver and two helpers had it all unloaded in less than two hours.  I need to unpack boxes...for the next week.

The place is fine. Rod came over and helped me get the swamp cooler working. The jury is still out on how well it works,  I like having the windows open.

I'm tired and I hope I sleep for three days....or a substantial part of three days. My fish need me to feed them twice a day.

Sprinting Across America

I usually take my time going back and forth between Missouri and New Mexico. I like to take three days to cover the 1,000 miles and usually get off the interstate a few times just to see the side roads or to follow old Rt. 66. This trip is more of a sprint because I need to get to the house before the movers. I got a late start yesterday and got to Tulsa. I figured from Tulsa to Albuquerque in one day with only me driving would be too much so I decided to stop at Tucumcari for the night and then go the two hours into Albuquerque early in the morning.  Well, I got to Tucumcari before 4 PM (Mountain time) and could have staggered into Albuquerque before dark....but I already had motel reservations and would lose my money if I just kept going. Plus, I tend to get sleepy and that is a rugged descent into Albuquerque....I'd rather be wide awake.

My motel is the Best Value Inn in Tucumcari. Guess what....it is owned by the same (east)Indian family that used to own the Econolodge --  but it doesn't smell like curry so that's OK.  They try to keep a clean motel although some minor maintenance is needed.  The ice machine is broken so the wife will fetch you some ice in a small baggy if you need some. You can get two baggies if needed. They are nice and very friendly.

I ate at the Thunderbird Restaurant at the Pow-wow Motel, next to the Lizard Lounge. Had too much food.


I've been seeing these little travel/camping trailers on the road. I don't know if they are rented or if you buy them but they look pretty cool. I've been thinking about getting a camper shell for my pick-up truck but these look better.  They are very small. There is a bigger sized one with two windows.

Not much to say tonight. The weather has been great and traffic has been light.

Moving Day -- The arrival of Battlestar Gallactica

Today, Labor Day, was my moving day. Roadway trucking was my moving company and I got a call from Enad, the driver, telling me that the truck be there at 8 AM. I was up at 6 AM and got a few things organized and moved some of the cargo that I was going to haul in my truck out to the garage.

At 8 AM this thing arrived...much larger than what I expected. I have never seen a truck this big. It was like the Titanic or Battlestar Gallactica pulling up in front of the house. It covered the entire front of my house and part of the neighbors. The trailer was 73 feet long and had several households of stuff on it already. The driver had a helper on the truck and then four local guys showed up.

The move started a little after 8 AM and they were finished at the house in two hours and then we went to the storage unit a couple miles away.  Enad had to back the truck into the self storage place. I am amazed with his skill at driving the truck.

They were all finished before 11 AM. Enad gave me the bad news on the cost of the move. It was more than the estimate but less than the highest estimate that I got. It is pricey to hire movers and move 1,000 miles but I'm OK with it. It is better than back surgery...what I got from an earlier move. There were cheaper alternatives but most of them had me doing a lot more work.

Enad said he had to be in Austin Texas at 8 AM Tuesday and then go to Houston before going on to my house in Rio Rancho. He expects to be there Wednesday.  WHAT???  I figured he might get there on Thursday or Friday.  Now I have to sprint out to NM to meet the truck....no leisurely drive out -- this is a race.

I went back to the house and spent an hour cleaning up a little. It is a mess but I can only do so much. I loaded up the pick-up truck with stuff I was moving and secured everything with tarps and a cargo net. I was on my way by 1:30.

The trip to Tulsa, where I'm spending the night, was uneventful. I was sleepy at first but woke up with some coffee. In Joplin I bought a few more bungee straps to keep the tarp from flapping so much. I got to my motel about 8 PM and walked over to an IHOP restaurant.

The rest of the evening I spent in my room watching PBS. I have to get an early start tomorrow and get to Tucumcari.  That will leave just a two hour drive on Wednesday.