I really don’t know how New Mexico
was different from Arizona, but we were hooked!
We headed for Las Cruces and free camping on Bureau of Land Management
property. Happily, our first choice for
camping ended with a flat tire. A bit
discouraged, we headed to Aguirre Springs Campground, another BLM site, not
free, but only $12 ($6 for us since we have a senior pass). To get there, we drove up a very curvy road
peppered with switchbacks.
 |
| The Pod is up there somewhere |
As we climbed
higher and higher, a bare rock formation came to dominate the view. It stood
out against the rock covered peaks that surrounded it. I thought it resembled a bas relief of an
elephant’s head, Kathleen thought it looked like a whale.
What a lucky turn of events. Our campsite offered no amenities like water
or electricity but it more than made up for that with a view worth a million
dollars. We were perched hundreds of
feet above the plain. Sunsets and
sunrises were spectacular. We could see
White Sands 30 miles away. Only the full
moon and the stars provided light at night.
This was perhaps the best campsite ever!
We drove to White Sands National
Monument where gypsum has washed down from the San Andre Mountains for
eons.
The wind has blown the deposits
into snow white dunes that stretch for miles. The area is prone to high winds that
continually reshape the unreal landscape.
When it blows, the gypsum is whipped into plumes hundreds of feet in the
air. The resulting dunes provide great
slopes for sledding.
A few miles south of White Sands is
the picturesque community of Mesilla.
The plaza there is a classic Mexican/New Mexico plaza.
With a church on one end and surrounded by
historic buildings, the plaza provides a peaceful park for sitting with friends
or for strolling. It is very much like
the small town plazas we saw throughout Mexico.
The town is an interesting collection of old buildings rooted in the 19th
century. It is a laid back place,
comfortable with yesterday and in no hurry for today.
Our last stop in New Mexico was
Carlsbad Caverns. The entrance to the
cave is found high in the Guadalupe Mountains.
The Guadalupe Mountains were formed millions of years ago when the area
was covered by a sea. A great reef
developed at the edges of this sea.
Tectonic action uplifted the region and the sea disappeared. The reef remained, towering 3000 feet above
plain. Over time, acidic water draining
through the fissures in the rocky structure of the ancient reef dissolved much
of the rock. The fissures grew until the
structure could no longer support itself and it caved in. Then, cave-in after cave-in constantly
enlarged the cave.
We live near
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and have visited there many times. Water plays a role in the development of all
caves. In the case of Mammoth cave, it
is moving water that scoured out the passages.
However, in Carlsbad dripping water caused breakdowns. This dripping water is also responsible for
the fantastic formations that fill the cave.
The sheer size of Carlsbad is mind-boggling. Rooms easily stretch over a hundred feet and
tower 30,40,50 feet overhead. The
formations give a completely eerie ambiance to the whole thing. Phantasmagorical is the only word that
describes the feeling.
I have been in
many caves but Carlsbad is perhaps the most beautiful and awesome cave I have
ever toured.
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