Cloudcroft & Alamogordo, NM....3rd November 2017

Thursday 2nd November and our third visit to White Sands...sorry for more pics but can't get enough of this amazing place...

Looks like the "snow" plough will need to come through !!
Build up due to the strong winds over the past couple of days........

We did have another sled down our hill from Monday's visit but because of the wind the slope has a lot of "powder" on it and was rather slow, we'll try another slope later but first we are going to walk some of the strenuous Alkali Flats 5 mile hike...we know it is not flat but a loop hike up and down very steep parts of the dunes....

Note the second line !!!
We are of course near the White Sands Missile Ranges !!!

The posts are the trail markers but it would be very easy to get lost out here...
We did hike a fair distance of the trail but the strong wind made it a bit too much of a challenge to complete the course....

Yay back having fun on the slopes....

I think it goes without saying that we have really loved our time at amazing White Sands National Monument....

Friday 3rd November...
As we drove downtown for some supplies before moving on tomorrow we make a spur of the moment decision to drive up to Cloudcroft in the Sacramento Mountain Range....
Just 19 miles but an elevation change from 4753ft to 8650ft.....
This wooden trestle bridge spanning the Mexican Canyon was built in 1899...
The narrow gauge railroad was built to haul timber but also became a popular tourist route...
the railroad climbed the 4747ft in 32.5 miles and was described by passengers as "exhilarating and somewhat scary" !!!

The view from the trestle overlook back down to the valley, White Sands NM and the San Andres Mountain Range...
We didn't spend too long at the overlook as there is a 20 degree drop in temperature from the valley...we started out mid 70's and we are wearing shorts and tees !!!

And back down to Alamogordo via the short road tunnel....

View from the tunnel overlook of Fresnal Canyon down to the Tularosa Basin...

Another view of the Tularosa Basin with White Sands NM in background...

Back down in Alamogordo and a walk around the older part of town which is quite young compared to many American towns early 1900's rather than mid 1800's....
This park is dedicated to the founders and early settlers of Alamogordo...

Oliver Milton Lee, a founder who "lived life the old west way" !!

Oh opps a water-tower....but it is unusual as in town and in the middle of the road !!!
Time to do a top up grocery shop and fuel up the truck ready for the off tomorrow to Deming, New Mexico to overnight pre moving onto Tucson, Arizona...
We have so enjoyed this remarkable area and had a wonderful stay at Boot Hill RV Park...
We feel sad to be leaving but another day another dollar as they say...
Until the next post...
The Very Happy Campers....

Space Museum & Sunset Walk at White Sands....1st November..

First stop today is at the New Mexico Museum of Space History situated close to the Sacramento Mountain Range, Alamogordo....
We had a pleasant walk around the many large exhibits of space history outside of the main building before heading inside and the 4 floors of space memorabilia and information....

The hazy view from the exhibit area across the valley to White Sands....
Alamogordo is at an elevation of 4,500 ft...

This is fascinating...there are two dishes aprox 20 yards apart...
We each stood by a dish then Yorkieman spoke quietly into the circle at the top of the pole and I heard him so clearly it was like he was standing next to me !!!

As well as loads of interesting space history there is also a nice quirky area given over to Gene Roddenbury and Star Trek...of course he had to say "beam me up Scotty" !!

Original and best !!!
Our ticket also included a visit to the planetarium for a space history film which was a big disappointment as it was basically an advert for Google and a proposed race to get back to the moon, we thought it would be a film about historic space travel or the space station but hey ho can't win them all...

Time for our lunch sandwich before once more heading back into the White Sands National Park....This is a lake (yes in the middle of this desert area) at a public area of Holloman Air Force Base....

This photo taken from the same spot as above but facing east of the lake...

And back into the park and first stop is to do the fairly easy 1 mile nature hike with plant and animal information boards on route...

Autumnal colours of a cottonwood tree...

The autumnal leaves are quite crispy and the wind blowing through them produced a lovely sound....
I have a video !!

Yorkieman doing his Lawrence of Arabia thing !!

We moved deeper into the dunes after the nature walk for an amble across this incredible area....

This and next few pics...
Although only 4.30 the shadows from the dying sun are more pronounced...

Interesting cloud formation....

The final hike today is a very informative and entertaining Ranger led sunset walk....
Ranger Ted explaining about the yucca plant and how it survives... 
During the walk we saw a Jack Rabbit...boy are they fast.....

The moon rising as the sun sets over the dunes...

The setting sun glows on the Sacramento Mountains....
We met a couple on the walk from Glasgow, one of the many great things about travelling...
We have had another great day in this incredible area...some fun and education....
Until the next post....
The Spaced Out Campers.....

Incredible White Sands National Monument....30th October 2017

We went to sleep in Alamogordo, New Mexico but seem to have woken in the Artic !!!!

The photos of this amazing area cannot at all do it justice but I have tried !!!
This is our first visit to White Sands National Monument which has been an area we have been meaning to visit  for some years and oh boy we are so glad that we eventually got here.....
The sand is so white it looks like snow and the road is cleared with  ploughs the same as snow....although we know it is not snow you have a feeing that it will be slippery...

We are at 4,300 ft elevation but temps are in the high 70's which pleases our truck, he does not like cold !!!! Much like Yorkieman !!!

Covering 275 square miles in the Tularosa Basin and surrounded by The San Andres and Sacramento Mountain Ranges it's the largest gypsum dune field in the world...

Formed from gypsum particles....the wind is constantly shifting and settling the dunes....

The are no restrictions on walking on the dunes and in fact much of it is very firm but very fine and doesn't stick to you as does sand at the beach...

This is one of the picnic areas....
The space and picnic shelters gave it an off world look and feel...incredible...

In the background is The San Andres Mountain range....no connection at all to the fault in California....

Above us a skein of American White Pelicans.....

An attempt at an "arty"photo...

There's life in the old dogs yet !!!!
Time for some great fun....

Sledding is allowed on any of the dunes, just turn up with a sled "disc" and have a fun time....

It's quite a quiet time of year but the area is so huge that even during busy times it would be easy to find your "own hill" 

We had such a blast, great fun and great exercise walking back to the top !!!
I have posted videos on my Facebook page still can't get them to load to the blog...

As well as playing we did also do a couple of informative nature walks...
This yucca plant survives the shifting sands by throwing out tall seed pods...quite often the roots and base of the plant are many feet under the sand...

An amazing amount of plants survive the shifting sands and extreme summer heat....
Compared to other dune types, Gypsum dunes remain moist during periods of drought, the moisture preventing the sand from just blowing away....
There is in fact water a couple of feet below the surface...
We have had a fabulous day, this area is on our top ten places to visit list....
We plan to return as we are staying for a week in Alamogordo....
But for now it's back home for Yorkieman's Greek style BBQ pork chops...
Until the next post..
Cheers from The Sandy Campers....

New Mexico......27th/28th October

We gain an hour as we cross into New Mexico on the I-40 and a route we have travelled before but still amazes us at how flat and open it is and difficult to photograph....prairie and grasslands, milo/field corn and cotton and in this modern age wind turbines....

We overnighted in Santa Rosa and frosty start to the day but warms up as we head south on US54....the first 60 miles were flat cattle grazing areas (we don't get bored of seeing nothing as far as they eye can see we find it fascinating!! ) then the terrain gets a little more hilly...

Todays journey takes us through just a few small communities....this is Corona, population 210...and the library...

Sadly closed business are a familiar sight in the small towns especially in New Mexico....
An information board tells us the sad tale that the stage lines have gone, the mines have closed, farming is minimal, the rail depot has been moved so trains no longer stop here and the natural gas is automated....BUT
The school and the library are the heart of the community....

Quite a hazy day today....

Rest area just outside the town of Carrizozo.....outlaws and Billy The Kid all formed part of the history of this area.... 

View from the rest area and trying to convey the "far as the eye can see" vastness...also that we are at over 4000ft elevation...
From here it's just 60 miles to our home for the next week at Boot Hill RV Resort in Alamogordo 
A really nice RV Park, checked in and shown to site by Chris from Derby !!!!
 We are just half an hour from the incredible White Sands National Monument and on our list of to do places.....
Just a short post today but more soon from...
The Happy campers.....