August 12 - Gila National Forest in New Mexico
My what a day! The plan was to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. I managed to work around a number of obstacles – cattle crossings, cattle in the road, flooded roads, gravel, rain, lightening, potholes, no GPS, a closed gas station, road construction, narrow roads, steep grades, and extremely tight hairpin turns. However, just 2 miles away from the monument when I hit a steep downhill grade on gravel and had no rear brakes I decided to turn around.
When I headed north from Presidio Texas this morning, I felt like I left a little of my heart behind. I was so besotted with the ride from Terlingua the previous night with its dips, curves, mesas, and buttes. I left feeling grateful for the experience and knowing I would make it a priority to return.
I gassed up in Hatch, New Mexico before heading west on highway 152 towards San Lorenzo and the Gila National Forest. The road hugged the mountains as it steadily increased in elevation, providing relief from the searing heat. The switchbacks were numerous as were the vistas of the forests and valleys below.
I had hoped to get gas in San Lorenzo, but I arrived around 4:30 to find that the only gas station closed at 4pm. I decided to head to the Gilla Monument anyway as I knew it was likely I had enough gas left to make it there and then to Silver City given the speeds I had been traveling at so far on that tank.
The road leaving San Lorenzo was very peaceful, winding gently through the bucolic countryside. However, it soon became much more primitive, with potholes, road construction, a narrow lane, no center line, and eventually loose gravel. I soldered on despite the gravel but when it became apparent my rear brakes were shot and the gravel road was dropping precipitously, I decided to turn around just two miles from the monument.
The road to Silver City from there, although quite beautiful, was even more primitive. It reminded me of the kind of road you find in a campground—more like a hiking path than a two-way road for motor vehicles. Given the steep grades, tight turns, narrow road, low gas tank, lack of GPS, and almost complete absence of other visitors, I was a little concerned for my safety. At one point several deer ran in front of me and I avoided hitting them.
I reminded myself that these obstacles were just part of a grand adventure and made it a point to appreciate the beauty around me. I pulled over at several vistas, breathed in the fresh mountain air, and marveled at the abundance of colors. The soil was red, orange, yellow, and white in various different places with rocks, boulders, and cliffs to match. I was relieved to make it safely to Silver City and am planning on having my brakes looked at tomorrow.
