We followed 3 cars in as the gates opened and decided that they *must* have a better idea of where to go than we did -- and they lead us to the heart of the 275 square mile gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate, which Denise knew that off the top of her head). We started out the seven mile trail through the dunes, but quickly started scampering up the dunes (which is totally cool with the park service because the winds erase tracks every few days).
The spot above is Denise scampering up the steepest slope with the deepest sand she could find. The sand is truly snow white and within a few minutes, you could find dunes that were untouched by foot prints. Here are a couple of more pictures including a speck which is a very, very cold Catherine (25 degrees when we started walking, below the park thermometer scale).
The interdune region (ie the valley between each dune) was packed hard, had a few plants (very reminiscent of those that grow in the NC outerbanks) and alkali. Catherine reports they weren't kidding; the stuff tastes slippery and bitter. Even some of the road was just hard packed alkali gypsum. Here's Catherine waiting in the middle of the road (it's great when you have places to yourself, except for that whole below freezing part) as Denise is supposed to be taking scenic pictures.
We didn't spend much time in White Sands, but it is truly worth the long trip to see. Denise even notes it will clean your boots!
Leaving the monument, you drive beside White Sands Missile Range. We spotted a most odd looking cow. After making 2 U turns and stopping at the side of the 65 mph 4 lane road (which we think broke a couple of laws and maybe violated national security), Denise got out and snapped this picture.
NM needs to update their field guides! And no, we never saw a sign for a zoo or big game park.
We made a quick stop at the pistachio orchard and gift shop with really yummy free samples of pistachio toffee and popcorn. Then we looked at the orchard and picked up a few dried stems with pistachios still attached to use for red-neck Christmas ornaments. Finally, we headed east on 82. The road was heading up to 10,000 foot peaks and ski areas. While we did see a bit of snow and the characteristic fur trees, it seemed like an off year for the ski resorts.
However, we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves beside a prosperous canyon, full of fat and sassy cows, nice homes and a beautiful creek that became a river. Instead of tiny winding mountain roads, there was an easy beautiful drive starting in fur trees that became scrawnier and scragglier as we descended into a high desert and turned away from the canyon.
50 miles of desert. Nothing else. Just scrub. Maybe 2 cows. 2 decaying deer dead beside the road. Not even any buzzards or crows eating them. We turned onto 285S in Artesia (no road sign by the way). Artesia somehow got a ton of federal dollars to install statues through their downtown, but not for road signs. The town seemed like a western version of Mt. Olive.
After a few wind-swept miles in the desert and negotiating Carlsbad during road construction, we arrived at Carlsbad Caverns. We were too late to do the 1 mile, 750 vertical foot descent into the Big Room (which made Catherine rather annoyed), but we did take the 1 minute elevator ride down. The Big Room is a bit over 8 acres (the biggest limestone cave room in the world). We did the 1 mile, self guided loop through the dripping formations -- about 5% of them are still growing.
Denise liked it better than she thought she would, though "caves aren't her thing" and Catherine wonders why there are piles of bat guano around. Seriously. If she were a bat she'd find somewhere closer to the surface to roost.
Take home from Carlsbad. It's a big room. Stalactites grow down. Stalagmites grow up. If they come together, they are a column. There is a lot of calcium carbonate (white structures) and a lot of boulders strewn about from where the ceiling collapsed.
As we waited for the exit, a family came by and Dad first asked us if the elevator went up or down. Then he tried to use his cell phone (Catherine mentioned we are 75 stories under rock). Then he wanted to know how much of the 750 feet we climbed on the loop trail.
After the elevator ride and purchasing Larie a magnet, Denise took a picture over the Chihuahuan Desert and Catherine looked for license plates (New York and Kentucky).
We found the 10 mile drive through a canyon in the park that shows features of the desert. Including the sotol plants that can grow at a rate of 8 inches per day.
Denise claims she saw a pyrrhuloxia, but Catherine was keeping an eye on the Park Ranger who was following us out the dirt trail (praise Mr. Asphalt or whoever discovered paving) and missed it. Though we were looking for mammals, we saw nothing furry.
Catherine did find one appropriate license tag to share.
We're spending the night in the deserted hotel town of Whites City. Tomorrow we're off to Guadalupe.
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