After multiple awakenings to let Zoloft out to go potty, one sleepless period where I listened to my book on tape till I was tired again, I awoke around nine a.m. and arose. I fed Rio and Zoloft then headed a mile back the road we’d come in last night to Doc Hollidays Post, which Barbara Nash, the Continental Divide hiker had told me about. Bought coffee and a book about hot springs in the Southwest and got some scoop on Gila Hot Springs – there is a road to it but trailers can’t go down it, only cars so I’ll either have to disconnect the trailer or walk the quarter whole mile to it. I’ll do the latter because I’ll leave Zoloft in the trailer anyway. Costs $4 and I can’t wait! I also found out if you’re traveling that you can have packages sent to Doc Hollidays – there re about their of then sitting there, waiting for recipients to claim them. I guess being on the Continental Divide Trail, this is how it works.
Then I drove to the National Monument information center and got scoop on horseback rides from a very knowledgeable Ranger who, with his wife, owns a Tennessee Walker and a Missouri Fox-trotter and rides weekly, at least, in The Gila. He gave me a xeroxed copy of the same map I have and highlighted trails and told me about sites, lookouts, hot springs, etc. gave me rough ideas of mileage and also some suggestions for 20-30 mile rides that would require an overnight camp out in the wilderness. I’ll bring Bill back for those. I also bought a National Park Pass for $80 which often lets up to four people in to National parks and will pay for itself easily if you go to someplace like The Grand Canyon with a $25 entrance fee. Even if I don’t make it pay, it supports the system. No personal info required, like with the Texas State Park passes, so it’s transferable, I guess. I also found out that Doc Hollidays has laundry facilities and that Gila Hot Springs are open 24/7 and after ten, most people don’t wear swimsuits. I watched the fifteen minute video on the Mogollon Indians who lived for only one generation in the Cliff Dwellings in the 1200’s.
Came back to the campsite, moved the truck to a better location, and have been writing this till around 2pm when I’ll put Zoloft in the trailer and walk to the Gila Cliff Dwellings so I can spend a couple of hours there when the light is better for photography than it is now, in the middle of the day. While writing, I’m being bombarded by hummingbirds, so I’ll get out the feeder I brought along and see if I have any luck with them coming to it. They really hum! It’s like some sacred divining fork is vibrating over my head. One has the most brilliant red chest, so they must be Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. It’s partly cloudy and a bit cool, perfect for my afternoon hike to the Cliff Dwellings. The rest of the week it’s forecasted to be sunny, so no more sleeping in the truck, I hope.
It was a delightful one mile trek to the Cliff Dwellings which were staffed by retired Volunteers who were super pleasant, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and helpful. Go to volunteers.US.gov and apply for opportunities all over the country. Apparently, the Federal Government pays the rent on wherever you park your R.V. One woman volunteer said she spends winters on Florida and summers at different park sites every year, working four eight hour days per week.
The setting of the cliff dwellings was stunning. The cliffs were colored in layers of sand, tan and rust and a permanent spring ran in front of it then dipped underground before running into the Gila River. The tour consisted of a one mile walk up 180′ or so, through five of the seven rooms of the cliff dwellings, and back down again. The Mogollon Indians (40-60 of them) only lived there about thirty years and no one knows why they left. The caves were cool and deep and talk about a beautiful view!
I walked by to Woody’s Corral, rescued Zoloft whom I’d locked in the horse trailer (with water, of course), fed Rio and Zoloft then changed clothes (into a colored bra and panties since I left my swimsuit in Austin, by accident) then headed in the rig, with Zoloft, to Gila Hot Springs, stopping at Doc Hollidays to see if I could do some laundry, but they closed at 4pm. Gila Hot Springs is both a town (whose buildings are heated by hot water from the springs) and a series of campsites and cabins with hot spring baths. I parked in the Highway 15 turnout next to the Forest Service informational marker for the hot springs, put Zoloft in the horse trailer (not knowing the pet policy), then walked down to the hotsprings campground, paid my $4 day pass fee and sunk into the 106 degree middle pool. there were two other pools, a 102 one occupied by two men and a 109 degree empty one. about three campsites were taken and Kevin, who co-manages the place with his brother, gave me the scoop (and took a couple of photos of me, per my request). The whole neighborhood and town are watered by the hot springs, which are located on some private property across the Gila River, even the goats at the neighboring farm get hot water to drink! businesses pay the owners of the land on which the spring is located a percentage of revenue…. the photos I’ll upload, hopefully, will show the decorative idiosyncrasies of the place (I think most of the decor is stuff that’s been found nearby that washed down the river during thunderstorms! I asked Kevin about the construction of the pools and he told me his brother had built these but next round, he’d learn how. the river floods about every three years and they have to rebuild and it’s been four years since the last flood/rebuild. So, when Courtney and Ryan or Andrew and Sophie and Nikki or Bill and Austen and I ( or variations thereof) ever go there, it may look like a totally different place. I’d brought shampoo, etc., but none was allowed. When I was warmed- out, I put my terry cloth coverup back on and hiked the quarter mile back up to the highway. next time, probably tomorrow after my horseback ride, I’ll drive down and bring Zoloft. Kevin said there’s room to turn around and he only kicks put obnoxious dogs. We’re good to go.
It’s 8pm, getting dark, and I’ve got to get set up for the nights. The sky has still gots some serious-looking clouds but the chance of rain is low, so I’ll set Zoloft and me up in the horse trailer, comme d’habitude. Bon nuit!
good to go!
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