West River Road & Day of Rest

Last Wednesday (January 13, 2016) the campground was relatively quiet and my friend Terry Brackeen and I did a all-day patrol of the West River Road. It was so much fun to see this part of the park after being gone for the last year and a half. Some campsites have been closed, Sierra Chino, Woodsons & Jewel Camp and this part of the park is usually lightly used. There has been some larceny at Talley and Dominguez due to the bad guys from the other side of the river, but unless one has valuable equipment at their campsite visitors are safe. (As are us volunteers!)

Today, co-camphosts Susan and Lew, are going back out to the Black Dike area to check on a couple who insisted on driving their Prius on the West River Road that requires high-clearance vehicles. If they don't make it they would be the 4th car this month to crack their oil pan and have to be towed out. Minimum tow charges run about $700 & most insurance does not cover rugged roads like this one.

Threshing Circle - where Mexican women would gather and prepare grains. (There are horse tracks across the circle.)

Remains of houses at Sierra Chino

Terry spotted this cairn as we passed by - amazing how easy it is to recognize things that "don't fit" the landscape!

Here is the "artwork" that the cairn marked. We dismantled it. Not sorry, kids!

Terry climbing up to the cairn.

Rock nettle - always amazing to me to see the first ones of the season blooming way up high.

Looking upriver from the Gauging Station on West River Road.

The view of the Rio Grande and Chisos from Jewel Camp.

Suspected drug houses on the Mexican side. 

Good hunting day!

A dead tree at Jewel Camp 2 which was closed after floods of 2008

A visitor-made compass which will be dismantled later this week. 

This is our supervisor, Blake, with his wife Yvette in 2013. They were with a paleontologist as the 70 million year old Alamosaurus' thigh bone fossil was being excavated and protected. Really cool, huh!

A photo by Ted and Heather, Thursday, January 14, Burro Mesa. Heather is driving the car that left the pretty trail.

Another awesome photo by Ted and Heather the same night. This is Goat Mountain which is one of my favorite places, especially when the setting sun illuminates the greens, reds, & oranges of the scene. 

Tighe snoozing today. 

Zuni dreaming of our travel adventures with my National Park Passport book (from Gwen!!) under her.