City of Rocks State Park, and a respite

 After a very cold night in the Van Horn, TX RV park (24°), we drove about 3 hours to City of Rocks State Park near Deming, NM. Super cool state park. We met our artist friends Nard Claar and Sheary Clough Suitor there. These are the friends we purchased Bubbles from. They live in Colorado Springs, and now have a Dodge camper van that they travel around in. It was SOOOO good to see them and hang out with them even if it was only for a short day and a half. Thanks Nard and Sheary!

 

Our campsite up against the big rocks.

View out over the prairie, gold grasses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These amazing Live Oaks live in the rock

Steve, Nard and Sheary in the rocks

Mini slot canyon

How many pictures of rocks can you take?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super cool bright green lichen on the shady sides

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is such an interesting environment. Geologic explanation:

The rocks forming City of Rocks are predominantly ash-flow tuffs or ignimbrites that formed by a violent volcanic eruption of pumice, volcanic ash, gas, and coarser material. The ash-flow tuff at City of Rocks is part of the Kneeling Nun Tuff, which erupted 34.9 million years ago from the Emory caldera (McIntosh et al., 1991). The Emory caldera forms much of the southern Black Range east of the park. The volcanic ash was still hot and nearly molten when it was compacted and consolidated, forming a horizontal continuous layer of hot pumice and ash. In many areas, the ash fragments in the layer were hot enough to compact and weld together, forming the solid lava-like rock exposed at the park. Cooling and contraction of the tuff formed a pattern of vertical cracks called columnar jointing.

Kokopelli

Kokopelli hidden behind a shield

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big head monster

 The campsites are spread in and around these giant rocks, and you can hike all around in them. Super fun, and the four of us went tromping around in them for half a day. There are also 5 petroglyphs in the park that are sort of hidden, its like a treasure hunt finding them.

 Now we are in Sierra Vista at Steve's daughter and son in law's house. We are doing the repairs we needed and recouping some energy. We were able to get a new propane/CO2 detector and replace the non functioning one. And Steve and Aaron, his son in law, are wresting with the solar panel issue. 

Later in the week we will head to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, another location where we will most likely be off grid for a few days.

It's been very sunny since we left the gulf coast, no rain of course. Temps have been decent, high 40's to 60's, and some days very windy. Nights have been in the high 20's to mid 30's for the most part. But, we are at elevation, as much as 5,000 feet and currently at about 4,500 in the high desert of Sierra Vista. The temp drops a bit at night, but recovers nicely in the sun.

 

Sierra Vista, 80 miles SE of Tucson

Stats: At City of Rocks we had one cell service bar but were able to use the internet. There is only one potable water source in the park, so you need to be prepared to haul water. Toilets are composting with no running water. There are showers at the visitor center and 10 sites with electricity only. I think it was around $25/night for our no hook ups site. NM also has an annual park pass but we did not get it as that was our only stay in the state. We have driven a total of just over 4,000 miles so far, that includes side trip ans such without the trailer.

 

 

 

 

It's all GOOD

Reclining in rock