The daily high temperature at home climbed this week from 100ºF up to 105ºF. Fortunately, we had planned a trip to the mountains, so off we go to cooler air. Here's our rough trip plan, departing on Sat, Jun 25th:
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Summer 2022 Trip Plan
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After we got up to around Wichita Falls the temperature stayed between 106ºF and 108ºF for a long time. Then some large thunderstorms (with hail) appeared, and we stopped and let them clear out from the road ahead. We spent the night boondocking in the parking lot of the Amarillo Travel Center. Bebop was not fooled by the fake metal cows.
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Not fooled by fake metal cows
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We drove through a cool front, so it was in the 80's with scattered storms nearby. There was light rain falling the next morning. We had a reservation at Cimarron Canyon State Park in New Mexico, but the forests and parks are all closed due to the fires and continued fire danger - though I just heard they were opening again this week due to increasing rainfall in the state - the same rain we are experiencing right now as we drive through NM. We diverted up toward Sugarite Canyon State Park for our 2nd night. On our way, we stopped at the Capulin Volcano National Monument. It was 48ºF with low clouds hanging over the peak. It is a young volcano, having erupted only 60,000 years ago. We hiked into the volcanic vent anyway and Elena got to pet a volcanic rock.
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Elena pets a volcanic rock inside the vent of Capulin
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Sugarite (pronounced Sugar Eat) Canyon was our camp for the night. The mouth is an old coal mining camp. It was a boom town for 30 years - about 100 years ago. The town is gone, except for a few old foundations, and the full canyon is now a state park. We managed to get a hike around Lake Maloya between the raindrops.
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Elena and Bebop spot a bird
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Lovely wild roses and lovely Elena
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On our third morning, we awoke to a steady rain, so we decided to head north and drive out of it. We took CO hwy 12, which was recently designated a National Scenic Byway. The rain stopped about the time we go there. We saw some interesting rock features and lovely mountains and streams. We went on a muddy forest road up to a scenic overlook too. The temperature even climbed to near 70ºF as the sun appeared.
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Elena at Cuchuras Pass at 10,000 feet
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Next up is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Zapata Falls. - Paul
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