Gila 2

Fording the Straight and Narrow

Canyon Walk to Hot Springs

Feather Hot Springs

Feather Hot Springs

     We came here to see the ruins that a very special people left. But when we looked up at the sky late one night, we realized more of where we were. The ride to Gila is amazingly long and from the top of a head dizzying overlook on the road it is evident that we are so many, many miles from civilization. The stars, without the suns rays or the moons reflection or mans interfering civilization, are so bright, it seems like another universe. Its like someone has painted in another skies worth of stars into the ones we know.

            One afternoon we biked to the trailhead and walked a river through a gentle canyon to a secluded hot springs. The trail fords the river in 2 places and those of you who know Dusty will be surprised to know that she jumped and swam in the water to follow us. The temp of the spring was way too hot by itself, so rocks have been piled in the Gila River so the water mixes in pools.

            We stayed one more day than we expected. We just could not see ourselves leaving. Our last day, we took a trail a few miles from the ruins and climbed up overlooking a canyon for a few miles and then continued to rise through one of the most satisfying forests I’ve seen. Winding around the cliffs of the canyon it headed for fields spotted with pinion pine and juniper. It crossed to other overlooks of other canyons, with sharp tall cliffs similar to the ruins.

            Elephant Butte State Park in New Mexico is a wonderful expansive park. I sit now and look across miles and miles of desert, light blue water and far off mountains. It sits in the shadow of Truth or Consequences, a town that back in the 50’s responded to the shows search for a town that would be willing to rename their town to the name of the show. They did and that’s probably why I sit here now. The park is a wonderful recreation area, but I write now, not to tell you of the park, but of our neighbors. Well, the meal has been going on for going on 3 hours. They started cooking breakfast about 8am. The wood fire cooked the bacon first, then a huge pot of beans went on and a pan of chilies. Aluminum foil over the grate cooked the tortillas. Many, many tortillas. The eggs went on then along with a corn dish in a big skillet. There were a few more dishes I could not name. The thing is there are only 4 people. There was Hawaiian Punch for drinks and I see now a box of Cheerios. Yes, I had breakfast two hours ago and yes, I am hungry again.