Three Days

February 3, 2006
About an hour east of Dallas, TX

Sadly, we say goodbye to the West. I’ve felt smothered and edgy since we entered the cotton country in west Texas. There, were stretches miles-long where no land was left untilled, ungraded, unpaved or unpunctured by rusting, black oil well pumps. The horizon was broken only by the pumps and telephone and power poles. From that area on, camping is a more furtive adventure. Looking over our shoulders drains much of the fun. It’s difficult to find spaces large enough that you’re out of site of houses or passing cars. Any land that looks open is invariably surrounded by fence. Camping on the side of a public road, no matter how isolated, feels too exposed. We don’t stay up late and you never know when some potential troublemaker might drive by. All apprehensions resonate a bit stronger when you’re with someone you need to protect.

What contrast to the experiences and terrain of a few days ago. After leaving El Paso, we drove east toward Guadelupe Mountains National Park. We only made it 60 miles out of town because we spent five hours sitting in the parking lot of a motel w/ wi-fi internet. Staying connected takes time.

We camped in a shallow, cholla-filled hollow of the high plains. Except for three distant mountains, it was the first horizon-less sky we’d seen; certainly the first we’d seen of that gaping openness. It almost felt threatening as if we were on the edge of trying to get away with something in the full sight of some authority figure that could hinder us on our way. Before that, the land was on our side. Now, the land challenges us.

That first night east of El Paso we were treated to a beautiful twilight and, for the first time since Phoenix, to comfortably warm air. We kept looking up from cooking to admire the fading light. The silvery blue to the west lingered long enough that I wondered hopefully if it was a harbinger of continued warm, spring temps. Then, I realized the persistent glow was from the millions of lights in El Paso and Juarez.

Guadelupe Mtns. NP stopped us in our tracks as we approached its signature (and underestimated by me) massifs. In scope and scale it might not be a sole vacation destination but the views would stir anyone who appreciates nature. We summited Guadelupe Mountain, the ‘Top-a-Texas’, on January 26th. Even with gray skies and chilly temps up top, we got the thrill of a hike that tested us and panoramic views.

The next day we rose early and drove the 50 or so miles to Carlsbad Caverns NP. We arrived just after they opened. Wow. We started with a guided tour which was ok but we only got a hint of the scale of the caverns. It wasn’t until we did the walk descending through the natural entrance (as opposed to the elevator that takes you down the 800+ feet, that I began to get a sense of how large the caves are. There are rooms that I think could house an aircraft carrier. The thing about the size that most makes you stare in wonder is there are no supports for the ceilings. These huge planes of limestone angle overhead with no poles or columns to break the line of sight. It instills, at the same time, feelings of vertigo and deep safety. I suppose the most hardened, bomb-proof bunkers of our government instill the same feeling of invulnerability. As we descended, I thought how the bigger rooms reminded me of the under world in the Matrix movies. I couldn’t escape musing about Moria from the Lord of the Rings.

The deeper caves were not quite of the scale as those above but they had the otherworldly mineral formations: stalactites and stalagmites, huge, popcorn formations, pools, etc. The park people did a fun but discrete job of lighting the spaces. The caves unfolded almost narratively as we walked. By the end of the day, we both were wowed. I look at the photos and still feel a thrill that I was in such a strange environment. Next time, more time and more guided tours.

The next day, Janary 28th,we returned to White Sands, this time, to camp. We arrived in the early afternoon, unloaded our gear and trundled it into the dunes to set up camp. Sunset was a couple hours away so we set off on a hike into the dunes. We could have walked for miles but, without trail markers, we stayed close to camp. The light faded and twilight exploded across the sky, psychedelic clouds and sky above and white dunes below.

Look at the pictures we posted. Or, for god’s sake, get yourself out there at some point. My silly efforts to describe them fall pitifully short. Just go…

As we were driving east toward Roswell, land of aliens, on the 29th, I reflected on what we’d experienced in the three prior days: Guadelupe Peak, Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands. Any one of the three would have been memorable. Together they were enough to make us both laugh at our excellent fortune.