Ramblin Ruis update January 2019
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| Our view of Las Cruses and the snow covered Organ Mountains |
Paula and I are doing well, we have gotten comfortable with our
job as we check in 10 to 20 campers a night, sell a few goods from the store,
and I have been licensed to pump propane for the campers. Most of the folks
staying here are only one or two nighters from all over the country.
December also brought us visitors from Alaska as Ashley and
Tristan flew in to visit and celebrate Christmas together. Ashley has developed a real love of the outdoors
and the wildlife in it, something that she started as a youngster and furthered
in her adulthood. That being said we spent a few days checking out several bird
and wildlife refuge areas around Las Cruces.
The next day we took a hike through the Bosque state park in Mesilla.
After talking to the host, I was glad we were here during the winter as the
host advised he saw an average of 8 rattlesnakes a day in and around the trails
in the park last summer, this park is only about 5 miles away as the crow flies
from our campground, spring time should be interesting around here. We saw lots
of birds and Paula finally saw her first roadrunner (beep beep) crossing the
road.
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| Sunbathing Road Runner |
One of the areas we visited was the Bosque del Apache National
Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge was established in 1939 as a bird refuge for
migrating birds that traveled along the Rio Grande River as they migrate from
up north to winter in the refuge. Some
of the birds that migrate to the area each year are sandhill cranes, snow
geese, various types of ducks. There are also mountain lions, bobcats, wild
turkey, mule deer, and javelina (pronounced havalina) along with a multitude of
lizards and other crawly things. This refuge is located about 2 ½ hours north
of Las Cruces off of Interstate 25. So, Ashley found that they gave free guided
tours of the refuge by experienced bird lovers and she booked us a tour. The
catch was that the tour was at 8am so we had to leave Las Cruces at 5am to
insure we arrived on time. Just so happens this was the coldest snap of weather
we have had, and it was 29 when we left Las Cruses but the further north, we
traveled it got colder as we rose in altitude. Thankfully it was a sunny day
and we were in the truck and then a 15-passenger van for the tour. After arriving at the refuge, we met our guide
and driver and we found out we were the only ones signed up for the tour, so we
basically had our own private tour. Now I can’t say that Paula and I are avid bird
watchers, but Ashley and Tristan are very knowledgeable, and it was a real
treat listening to them interact with the guide about the various bird and duck
species that they saw.
The main attraction of the refuge this time of year are the
sandhill cranes that are estimated to be 20,000 birds strong. Now according to
the guide these birds flew in from as far north as Alaska at an altitude of
around 9000 feet and when they descend, they do so in a circular manner, so
their lungs can decompress from the high altitude decent. We saw these guys all
over the refuge as they feed on the grasses and seeds and majestically flew
around with their huge 5-foot 4-inch long wingspan. There were also thousands
of snow geese flying around and when they landed in flocks, they were so close
together it truly looked like the ground was covered with snow. We went around
one turn on the dirt road in the refuge and there it was the elusive “ROAD
RUNNER”. Road Runners are a black and
gray colored skinny bird they can fly but are more comfortable on the ground
and can run up to 15mph. Paula’s new favorite bird. Because of the cold
temperatures this Road Runner was moving slow, they actually spread open their
wings and expose their black skinned backs to the sun which helps warm them up,
almost like a solar panel.
The tour lasted about 3 hours and we learned how the water of
the Rio Grande was diverted into the refuge to flood and manage the refuge and
then with the help of gravity after passing through the refuge it reenters the
Rio Grande on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way we say a large
flock of wild turkeys, mule deer, blue herons, red hawks and many more. We also
saw a brood of javelina which are wild pigs that are common in the southwestern
desert and central America. Once we finished our tour, we headed back toward
Las Cruces and had a picnic lunch at the Elephant Butte state park overlooking
the reservoir along the way.
After working our two days and having our Christmas gift
exchange we packed up for another adventure. We had planned a trip to the Grand
Canyon as Tristan had never been before and it had been a number of years since
Ashley, Paula and I had been.
On the way to the Grand Canyon we stopped in Tucson, Arizona for
one night. The purpose of stopping in Tucson was so we could visit the Saguaro
National Park which is the home of the “Giant Cactus” which is the symbol of
the old southwest.
The Saguaro Cactus is located only in a small portion of the
southwestern United States and the national park was created to protect these
majestic plants. We stopped by the visitor’s center and got a map of the park
and then decided to drive the loop road through the park and take a few hiking
trails from there as it was late in the afternoon. The loop road is a dirt road
that dissects the western part of the park that is divided by the city of
Tucson.
As we entered the dirt road and began to drive between these huge
plants it was almost as if we had entered another planet. Everywhere we looked
the cactus covered the landscape in various shapes and sizes. A closer look
reveals an exterior covered in needle sharp thorns. It is even more amazing
that these monsters grow and thrive in this dry climate, only receiving
measurable amounts of water during the summer monsoons. The giant cactus grows on
an average of 43 feet tall and grow an average of five arms. Interesting enough
the Saguaro don’t even grow arms until they are at least 70 years old and they
live to be around 200 years old. We got out and hiked one of the trails that
lead us into the heart of the Saguaro cactus forest. As we walked and looked it
was amazing to see the holes in the cactus that were made by bird for there
homes. We noticed that the birds flited from cactus to cactus landing without a
care in the world.
Another trail took us to a rock mound known as Signal Hill which
was covered with Petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are writings and drawings which
predate modern writing. The Petroglyphs are thought to be hundred if not
thousands of years old. It was amazing how well these designs and writings have
held up to the harsh desert elements for all these years.
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| Sunset over Saguaro National Park |
After a good night’s sleep in Tucson we headed north for 3
nights in the Grand Canyon, weather forecast highs in the 20’s lows in the
teens. We weren’t sure about our accommodations for this weather because we got
a good deal on our rooms that Xanterra was running. The only catch was the
rooms we were in were scheduled for demolition at the beginning of 2019 to be
replaced by some new lodges. We checked into the lodge which was located inside
the Grand Canyon National Park about ¼ mile walk to the south rim of the
canyon. We checked in and found our rooms to be nice and maybe directly out of
the 1960’s complete with electric baseboard heat. It did have a TV with cable
although not a flat screen. After getting settled in we went and had dinner at
the lodge café pizza pub. It was surprisingly good pizza. We decided to get up
the next morning and watch the sunrise over the canyon.
SOO…… on Day 2 thankfully the sunrise wasn’t until 7am
so we got up around 6 and drove to one of the overlooks known for good sunrises
over the canyon. Keep in mind it was about 18 degrees and the frost was so
thick on the windshield and ground it looked like snow. The canyon was very peaceful and beautiful at
this time of morning despite the temperatures. There had been a snowfall a few
days before we arrived, and the rim of the canyon had a dusting of snow on it
which added to the dramatic colors of the canyon walls.
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| Snowfall on the south rim of the Grand Canyon |
After enjoying the sunrise, we went back to the room and had
breakfast. Ashley and Tristan decided to take the shuttle bus and hike along
the rim while Paula and I went to the visitor center and saw a movie on the
canyon and learned other interesting facts about the area. After the sun came
up it warmed up enough that we had a picnic lunch outside the lodge and then
that afternoon we drove along the western end of the south rim all the way to
Hermit’s Rest. Hermit’s Rest is a small
rock structure built in 1914 as a shelter for tourist visiting the canyon.
Today it serves as a souvenir shop and starting point for the Hermit’s trail
which leads to the canyon floor.
On the way back, we stopped at a number of overlooks
and also saw a small heard of Roosevelt elk which are resident to the park they
are much smaller than the Yellowstone elk.
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| Paula the explorer |
On day 3 we decided to drive up to Horseshoe bend overlook near
Page Arizona. The drive up to Horseshoe lead us north through Navajo
Reservation land and the land scape changed from the bright red of the canyon
to a gray colored sand. As we traveled north, we made a detour through the
marble canyon which has a bridge that crosses the Colorado river at the far
northeast end of the Grand Canyon. We then stumbled upon Lee’s ferry which is
part of the Glen Canyon recreation area.
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| I made it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon |
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| Ashley and Tristan at Lee's Ferry with Colorado River in the background |
The location is named for a ferry that
was established by Mormon pioneers for early travelers to safely cross the
Colorado River. We spent some time
exploring the riverbank and original structures left from the ferry operators.
After a short hike we had a picnic lunch along the banks of the Colorado River.
The last time we visited the Grand Canyon Paula spent some substantial time
watching a California Condor while Ashley and I were hiking but this trip she
was told that it was to cold to see them in the canyon. But as we started to
leave the Lee’s Ferry area, we spotted a larger bird flying above the canyon.
We stopped and upon further investigation viewed through our binoculars and a
few minutes of debate we thought it was a California Condor, but he landed high
up on the canyon and we couldn’t tell for sure.
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| California Condor # 54 |
Then he soared off the canyon
rim and flew right over us and across the river. It was no doubt at this time
it was a California Condor and he even flew close enough with his 9-foot
wingspan that we could make out a numbered wing tag with the number 54 on it.
Now these birds are very ugly up close but are an awesome sight inflight.
California Condor number 54 landed on the canyon wall right across the river
where we were able to get a really close up view of the bird. While watching
number 54 I noticed another bird higher up on the canyon above 54. After a view
through the binoculars, we were able to see the second California Condor had
wing tag number 55.
Now considering that the Grand Canyon area only has 75 California Condors which were released here to help the endangered species survive it was pretty awesome to see two so close together at one time. Now being technology savvy Ashley and Tristan quickly found a website that tracked the Grand Canyon Condors. It was determined that number 54 was a male and 55 was a female both released around 2005. So, it’s a good possibility this was a mating pair of condors which are helping increase the canyon condor population.
We finally arrived at the Horseshoe bend overlook of the
Colorado River which is located northeast of the beginning of the Grand Canyon
National Park in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. This location is where the
Colorado River has carved a 270 degree turn in the rock walls of the canyon. We
parked in the parking lot and had to take a hike to the overlook. We climbed
the ¼ mile up from the parking lot and we got to the top and thought we were
there but to our surprise it was another steep downhill 3/4 mile hike down to
the overlook.
The hike was strenuous but well worth it for the wonderful views
overlooking the river. After returning to the lodge we grabbed a quick dinner
in the café and turned in for a good night’s sleep. The next morning Paula and
I headed back to Las Cruses while Ashley and Tristan headed to Las Vegas after
one more night in the canyon area before returning to Alaska.
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| Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River |
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| Another Adventure |
The week of Christmas we attended a Christmas concert with one
of the families we work with at the First Baptist Church we’ve been attending. And
then the Christmas Eve service which was very nice although no candles which we
missed. Then the Sunday before Christmas Paula and I volunteered to work for
some of our co workers who were going to visit family for Christmas, so they
could get an early start. For New Years
we were asleep by 10 but being 2 hours behind the east coast we got to watch
some of the New Years TV celebrations without having to stay up all night.
As 2019 begins it marks the beginning of our 3rd year
of retirement and Ramblin. We have been blessed with the chance to meet new
people and make some new friends, work in some beautiful locations and enjoy a
lot of Gods wonderful creations. We are excited to see where 2019 leads us and
what doors will be opened.
As we leave you remember that
“All that wander are not lost”
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| Still Ramblin |
Allen and Paula
Ramblin Ruis
