Blog Fodder - Sun., June 3, 2018

Plans, what plans? Plans written in Jell-o, of course. This morning the plan was to have everything packed and in Susan's van by 6:00 a.m. From Ruidoso, New Mexico, we would head out to the Volksmarch start point and be there by 7:00 a.m. My bags were packed and ready to go, standing there outside her (van) door. After everything was loaded into the van, and we were a mile down the road, the low-tire light on her dashboard came on. 

She had just had two low tires filled yesterday afternoon at Walmart in Ruidoso. Because of this new development with low tire pressure, the decision was made not to drive the van to the Ft. Stanton Volksmarch this morning. (It is in the middle of nowhere and we didn't want to have a flat tire there.) Instead, Susan would take her van to Walmart's tire department (on a Sunday morning) to have them figure out what was wrong with her tires. 

The van had everything in it for the checkpoint: Easy-up, tables, chairs, water, cooler, tablecloths, chips, energy bars, etc. Because we wanted to be out to the walk start point before people started arriving at 7:00 a.m., I was going to ride from the hotel with Derrill, the weekend event organizer, to the start point. 

We moved things that were essential from Susan's van to Derrill's much smaller car. Needless to say, the Easy-up, folding tables, chairs, etc. did not fit in his car. In fact, for me to fit in the front seat, items had to be re-arranged to the back seat and trunk. We also had to have the cash box, gift basket, walk instructions, event patches, and a few other items. In the flurry of activity, I didn't even think about the things I'd need. No plan had been formed before we left Ruidoso. 

Derrill and I headed out to Ft. Stanton. When we got to the turn-off at Hwy. 220, Derrill said, "I'm low on gas."

I replied, "How low?"

He said it only had about two gallons in it. "Better get gas," I insisted. "There is no gas on our way there."

Thankfully, we were only about 1/2 mile from the last gas station, so he fueled up there. On our way across Hwy. 220, we saw a herd of eight elk near the Ruidoso Event Center. A few feet farther on, there were five more elk. They are so majestic!

Our arrival at Robb Jaggers Campground was at 7:05 a.m. None of the walkers were there yet. I set up the start point on the picnic table. 

In contrast to yesterday's temperature of 74 and sunny when we marked the 6k, it was 57 degrees and windy! Brr. And today I wore shorts again along with a T-shirt. 

The new plan was that I would sit outside in the metal shelter with a metal picnic table and metal bench to check in the arriving walkers, stamp their books if needed, and give them the instructions for the trails. All walkers started on the Kit Carson Trail. The trails diverged at the checkpoint. 

Derrill would drive his car up to the checkpoint and wait in the car for walkers to arrive at the checkpoint. He had water and was able to point them in the right direction for the 6k, 10k, or 16k walk.

Walkers started arriving at 7:15 a.m. I was sitting at the picnic table shivering. I was so caught up in transferring items from Susan's van to Derrill's car, I hadn't even thought to grab my coat from the van. 

Because I'm allergic to cold (really!), I asked some of the people if they had a coat, blanket or anything warm I could borrow while they walked. Sarah loaned me a nice warm coat and a blanket. Sarah's coat had a hood so I could put it up to protect the wind from coming down my back. You see, when I am exposed to cold I get swelling and hives, and my whole body shivers. She saved my bacon (along with Eddie, more on that in a minute). 

Susan thought that Walmart's auto technicians would be in at 7:30 a.m. However, she later texted me and said they wouldn't be in until 9:00 a.m. Then they had to test her tires and figure out what to do about whatever they found.

Meanwhile, 21 walkers checked in with me at the picnic table, despite the fact they had previously been warned about possible severe thunderstorms, hail, and high winds. I gave all of them a verbal warning that if heavy rains started, they needed to get off the trails because the trails would get very muddy, and there could be flash-flooding in the low-lying areas.

Carol, who headed out on her own, asked if she could leave her car open for me in case the weather got worse. I could take shelter in it if I needed to. I told her that would be wonderful and that I would keep an eye on it for her. However, Carol's bad knee didn't do well on the trail, so she came back after 1k and headed home to Austin (a nine-hour drive) by herself. 

More people checked in. Eddie Zanner from New Braunfels, Texas, was nice enough to leave his car open for me. Later, I was extremely thankful.

Quite a few walkers returned after doing the 6k or 10k. When Sarah returned, I gave her back her coat and blanket and thanked her profusely for loaning them to me. 

That's when I really started shivering. It hadn't warmed up and the wind was coming in strong at my back. 

Randy and Margie finished walking just a few minutes after that and Margie loaned me her fleece sweater. That helped, but it wasn't nearly as warm as coat and blanket combination. 

Our last walker, Elaine, started out at 9:40 a.m. Just before she arrived lightning started, along with thunder. I warned her as well about getting off the trail if it started raining hard. 

It was just after Elaine headed out that there was a huge crack of thunder directly overhead and lightning flashing all around. I was very concerned about the walkers on the trail because there was no shelter. After a few more cracks of thunder with lightning at the same time, showers started. With the wind blowing at my back, the rains slanted into the picnic shelter I was in and I was getting wet.

Then I started moving things from the picnic table to Eddie's car. The fleece sweater got damp in the process. With the wind blowing the rain, and thunder and lightning, I couldn't wait to sit in the car. Just getting out of the wind really helped. My legs were red, swollen, and itchy by that point. It took about 1/2 hour in the car for the swelling to go down.

Fred and Carolyn made it back shortly after that. I was happy to see them. 

Fred and Carolyn

It stopped raining, so I made a foray outside to take some photos. There was an informational board at Robb Jaggers Campground (just outside Capitan, New Mexico). There's interesting info on it about the area. 

Stormy day at Robb Jaggers Campground

Wildflowers

White wildflowers

Cave is not open to the public. 

The Ft. Stanton Visitor Center has an awesome slideshow of formations in Ft. Stanton Cave. Here are a few I took from the screen.

Red Velvet Passage

Red Velvet Passage

Large room

View of hills from Robb Jaggers Campground

Susan finally called to tell me her car was ready. They didn't have the tires she needed, but apparently they repaired the two tires that were low and told her they should get us back to San Antonio. If the low sensor light came on before Roswell, the Roswell Walmart had two of the correct tires in stock. She would be at the start point to pick me up in about 40 minutes. 

Eddie finished the walk a few minutes after that. I told him of my predicament that Susan wouldn't be back for 40 minutes and asked if he would mind hanging out until then so I could stay warm in the car. He was hungry and ready to go to lunch, but he was a gentleman and stayed until Susan arrived. He even gave me half his trail mix bar. Thank you so much, Eddie! I really appreciate it.

When Susan arrived, we moved all the Volksmarch info from Eddie's car to Susan's van. I collected my book, backpack, and water bottles. Eddie then went to lunch in Capitan.

Derrill came down from the checkpoint and we gave his Volksmarch information back to him. He headed out as well. 

Meanwhile, our last walker, Elaine, came back in. All the walkers were safe and accounted for. Susan and I headed for San Antonio.

The low tire light did not come on by the time we got to Roswell, New Mexico, so off we went. We had lunch at Dairy Queen in Roswell.

Everything went well until we passed Junction, Texas. Then the low tire light came on in the middle of nowhere. 

I was driving. At first, I thought it would be okay because it had been a hot day, and we had come down from a high elevation so some variation in tire pressure could be expected. Then I got to thinking about it. We should check the tires in case there was a bubble or something seriously wrong. We pulled into a Philips 66 Truck Stop in Segovia, Texas. 

Susan called Darren to ask him how to use the compressor they had in the van to fill the low tire. She accidentally let air out instead of putting air in. The truck stop had air for the tires, so we drove the few feet to their air hose. Susan took the air hose to the back tire. As she sat on the ground, she could hear the air hissing out of the tire. 

Plan B: Call AAA. We parked the van in front of the truck stop restaurant while she called. They had a truck out to help us within 40 minutes. He put on the spare tire, filled all the other tires which were all low, and explained with the spare tire's rating, we could drive at 50 mph on the freeway (that has an 80 mph speed limit) with our flashers going. At 10:30 p.m., the freeway would not be that crowded. 

Bob, meanwhile, offered to drive out to pick us up. Darren also offered to come and get us, but Bob was already on his way. We were 1 hour and 45 minutes from our place in San Antonio. Susan suggested we drive to Kerrville and have Bob meet us there as it was closer for him. Bob said we should meet at Walmart because that's where they were going to get the tires replaced on Monday. We would give Susan a ride home from there.

Plan C: As Susan mulled it over, she said would drive her van all the way home on the spare. She didn't want to leave all her belongings in the van overnight in a Walmart parking lot far away from home. So that's how this story ended. 

Bob and I got home about midnight. And Susan drove her van home at 50 mph. She made it on the spare tire. 

This was a day with all kinds of obstacles, but we got by with a little help from our friends (and AAA). Thank goodness we didn't have a blowout or have to stop on the side of the freeway in the pitch blackness. 

When we got home, Bob put a cute little princess crown on me. The house was decorated with red and blue streamers. There were streamers on our paintings, on the doorways, on my desk chair, all over. Bob sure has a nice way of welcoming me home. He's very creative. 

I was so tired, I didn't even notice the streamers until I walked into the laundry room and noticed something different out of the corner of my eye. That woke me up! LOL.

And so ends our Ruidoso walking weekend. Travel Bug out.

Fort Stanton State Monument - Sat., June 2, 2018

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE FORT STANTON VOLKSMARCH ON JUNE 3: Sunday afternoon's forecast calls for a 60% chance of severe thunderstorms starting at 2:00 p.m. which can bring flash flooding, large hail, and damaging winds. Please start your walk early (can start as early as 7:00 a.m.), check the weather forecast, and be aware that conditions can change rapidly. We would like everyone to be off the trail by noon so we can take down the checkpoint. Please plan your walk length with this in mind. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, chapstick, a hat, and a walking stick. High-topped hiking boots are strongly recommended. If it does start raining, you will need to get off the trails ASAP. They will turn to mud and there is a distinct danger of flash flooding in the low-lying areas.

* * * * * * * * * * 

While everyone else was walking the Mescalero Fitness Path today, Susan Medlin and I drove to Robb Jaggers Campground to mark the Ft. Stanton walk. The start point is a 30-mile drive from La Quinta in Ruidoso, New Mexico. 

Walkers can choose from a 6k, 10k, or 16k trail in a high desert environment of juniper trees and scrub brush. The walk is rated 3C due to incline/elevation and the type of terrain. For this walk, the 3 means some significant hill climbing and the C means "A significant part of the route is on somewhat difficult terrain (rocky/rooted paths or soft sand)." [NOTE: For a complete list of the AVA Trail/ Route Rating System click this link.] Altitude is 6,500'.

A guided tour of Ft. Stanton (just down the road, but not included in the walking route) is available at 11:00 a.m. The Fort is one of the most intact historic posts in New Mexico, and served for over 150 years, including being a POW camp during World War II. 

The walk route departs from the left exit of the Robb Jaggers Campground parking lot. (The only restroom available is at the start/finish.) Walk along a dirt road (alongside the paved road) facing traffic. You will see a gate on the opposite side of the road. Carefully cross the road and go through the gate. 

Start point for the Ft. Stanton walk.

I love the quote from Socrates!

Once you walk through the gate there are three paths to choose from. All walkers will start on the middle path, the Kit Carson Trail, and will stay together until the checkpoint when you can choose how far you'd like to walk. 

The walk is on an equestrian trail, so there are deep ruts along much of the 6k route. I don't know about ruts on the 10k and 16k walks because we did not need to mark those. 

The walk features expansive views of the surrounding hills and mountains. But be sure to watch your footing at all times.

Looking back toward the campground

Susan Medlin on the trail

Checkpoint location is at a gravel road atop a hill.

Don't you be falling into any of these!

Lots of big views.

Heading back

You can see the return point before you get to it.

When we finished the walk, we headed south on Hwy. 220 toward Ruidoso. Just a few miles down the road, we came to Ft. Stanton. We checked out the Visitor Center. 

There is a 12-minute video explaining all the uses of the fort over its 153-year history. We explored all the rooms in the Visitor Center and then did a driving tour of the fort. The tent cottages were used in the treatment of tuberculosis patients. It was believed the fresh air was good for them.

Tent cottage for tuberculosis patients.

It would have been fun to walk the grounds to look inside the buildings they have open. We opted to head for Ruidoso on Route 220. 

Once we turned left onto Hwy. 48, we started looking for the Alto Cafe where we decided to have lunch. The Alto Cafe is on Hwy. 48 on about the second hilltop after you turn off of Hwy 220. Every time we have driven by, the parking lot is full. We enjoyed our lunches. And they do serve breakfast all day, if you'd like that.

On the way back to the motel we were going to pull the markings on the Cedar Creek Trail, but people were out walking it. In fact, they can walk it through tomorrow. We ended up not pulling the markings. We may have to pull them on the way home.

It was time for us to get back to the motel. I wanted to do laundry because my clothes were all so dusty. Susan and I combined our wash and we did two loads. 

Later, we dressed up and went to a group dinner at Cattle Baron Restaurant. Oh my goodness, the food was great. I had rib eye steak, salad bar, baked sweet potato, bread, and banana pudding from the salad bar for dessert. I was so full!

It's getting late, so I'll wrap up this blog. Then I have to pack so it is ready to load in the car by 6:00 a.m. We will miss breakfast at the motel because on the weekends they don't serve breakfast until 7:00 a.m. I will eat a power bar instead.

In the morning, we will work the Ft. Stanton walks checkpoint and want to get it taken down by noon. We have decided to head home tomorrow instead of Monday because of impending thunderstorms in the afternoon.