Bob’s RV Adventure and Thoughts from the Road (6.)

Bobs RV Adventure (6)

I ended up altering my original plan up to the cliff dwellings; I thought it would be wise to top off my gas tank, my range indicator seemed to have plenty of miles in most cases, but even 100 miles can be worrisome in unfamiliar territory. My friend Janet and I found that on a recent trip to the outback of Michigan’s U.P. Had we not doubled back to get gas we would have surely run out, in addition to getting the hell shook out of us on the unrelenting washboard surfaced roads.

A few miles from my campsite at Railroad Canyon I had to accelerate for the first time since I started my descent from Emory Point, but only a short distance and I was coasting again.

A few miles farther I experienced my first rain on the road since I left home and it turned into one of those carwash force rains, with a little thunder and lightning thrown in. It continued about half the way to gas station in Bayard. A much lighter sprinkle would occur, on and off, all day.

It was funny, when I debugged my windshield that morning, I was thinking what a job it was going to be removing the eight-state bug collection I was seeing on the rest of the vehicle. I was really surprised that there was not a bug to seen when I got to the gas station, carwash force was indeed an accurate description of the morning’s rain.

I was happy to have made a detour in my plans, and to fuel up, not only because I found the climb to be much more than I imagined, but it offered me a chance to talk to a local who gave me a more direct route, up Hwy 15, to the Cliffs.

Hwy 15, I kind of chuckle calling it a highway as it more resembled a county road. For a short distance it was like 152 but soon got much narrower, still paved but no painted lines on the road. It had all the curves that 152 had, adding quite a few hairpins. Unlike 152 it had a lot of pine trees more like driving through a forest.

For quite a few miles both sides of the road were scorched, in the forest portion, and the smell of a recent fire was in the air. I’m certain it was a prescribed burn as only the underbrush had been eliminated.

At 7440 feet and still climbing. That’s not steam but a cloud behind my rig.

View from 7440 feet.

I don’t know if having climbed one side of the mountain had given me more confidence, but I was enjoying the scenery much more climbing 15. It was also more in your face.

Beautiful.

Almost above the clouds.

I had also learned there were plenty of campsites, so I didn’t have that worry.

In addition to the scenery, I saw both a buck and a doe on my way up. I would see a small herd on my way down, but unlike those two, far off the road. The deer seem to have much larger ears than our Michigan deer, is that so they can hear what’s coming around the curve?

I reached the cliffs, at 2 pm, and was met by a staff person. She told me it was about a mile climb to the dwellings, and it would take about 2 hours if I did the whole trail that circled around the far side of the cliffs and back to the starting point. Noticing how much cooler it was at the increased altitude I went back to my RV and changed into some warmer clothing before I began my trek up to the dwellings.

Looking up at the Dwellings

You cross a small wooden bridge which starts your upward climb, looking up to the face of dwelling the climb seems quite daunting, but they have steps cut into the rock in a switchback to make it somewhat easier. Though I thought the distance between some of the steps would be difficult for people with shorter legs. There is also some ladder climbing if you want to see everything.

Getting closer

At the face.

Amazing !

It is fascinating thinking how the Mogollon culture, who were hunter and gathers as well as farmers lived in these dwellings and even more so is the thought that what I was standing in was inhabited by that culture between the late 1270s and 1300.

Inside

The tallest ladder.

Looking back across the face

I did end up doing the whole trail. a very short hike compared to a number of guys I saw who were backpacking up and over the mountains.

The hike back down.

There is also a bookstore at the beginning of the trail, which was not open, and a small museum up the road, sporting artifacts and tools found in and around the dwellings. I toured that as well.

I had seen a number of campsites on my way up to the cliffs so I knew I had a choice as to where I’d could camp for the night.

Coasting down the mountain I was amazed that I hadn’t notice just how much of a climb It was making, perhaps because I was paying more attention to the scenery. I think I only hit the gas pedal once or twice until Silver City came into view.

I do recommend experiencing this area. What I saw on the drive up 15 was awesome and as worthy to see as the Grand Canyon.

I ended staying at the Cherry Creek Campground not too far before you come out of the forest. It was larger than the Railroad Campground, having about six sites. There was another RV similar to mine camped at the far end. They were still there when I left in the morning.

Silver City wasn’t too far away so I decided I’d let someone else prepare my breakfast for me and ended up at a Denny’s.

Denny’s had a good internet signal, not having any kind of signal for my two days in the mountains I spent quite a while in their parking lot catching up, uploading pictures and sending out some of the things I had written. I also reviewed my map and decided my next camp would be at White Sands.