You go first, it's dark in there!

So, our road-trip started off well, though we accidentally overslept and failed to hit the road until 2:45 AM..... Even still, we were well on our way to Carlsbad Caverns before daybreak, and we managed to get there (thanks to crossing into the Mountain time zone) by about 10AM or so. I had managed to tour the cave before, but this was Inga's first time, and she definitely got a kick out of the 2 km hike down through the cave mouth en route to the bottom floor of the "big room"...... She had ACL surgery quite a few years ago, and though this bothered her abit, the experience was more than worth a touch of discomfort. Although that is easy for me to say since it wasn't my knee that was throbbing in pain. Seriously though, the two to three hours we spent in the cave was well worth the visit, and soon after, we were back on the road to Hueco Tanks, near El Paso, Texas. Luckily for us, the road connecting the two parks took us right through the heart of Guadalupe National Park, and though we chose to just sightsee from the windows of our Civic, the mountains here were well worth more than just a passing glance or two.

For me, the first day of our road-trip was always going to be highlighted by setting up shop at Hueco Tanks, which I consider to be one of the better State Parks in Texas, despite it's close proximity to El Paso. I don't think the park gets too many visitors who aren't serious rock climbers, but for those who do choose to make their way out west, they are in for quite a treat. The park is small, but very nice and the facilities are top-notch. Plus, they have warm water showers!.... The real reason to venture so far west though is the cornucopia of boulders, with their water-catching huecos, which have housed and supported inhabitants for tens of thousands of years. Archaeologically, the spot is a real gem, and the archaic rock art is some of the best to be seen anywhere in North America. Though it is generally assumed that early Native American inhabitants were responsible for much of the painting found around the three mountains and adjoining spur, more recent works of art were surely put against stone by Kiowa and Apache Indians, as this was one of the last strongholds of the cultures that flourished near this desert oasis up until they were ultimately undone by greed and manifest destiny. Anyway, I think a hike up North Mountain is the best way to transport anyone back in time and truly connect with nature in a spirit-inspiring way. For me, these huge boulder clusters provide a natural battery recharge for anyone who has spent way too many hours trapped in a cubicle.

Did I mention the star-gazing at night? Yet another reason to make this trip. You will see more of the night sky without light pollution than you could possibly imagine. Inga and I will not make this trip again without a star-chart. Good times, good times....

In my next post, I'll do my best to go into detail about the world-class climbing scene here at the park, the rules and regulations regarding conservation efforts, and just more tidbits from along the way.

The smell of new gear....

So, the wife and I bought a new tent this week. Nothing too fancy, as we are somewhat broke at the moment, but a decent Kelty just the same.... Along with that, I finally got a North Face, twenty degree sleeping bag, as the one I have been using for the last few years often left me shivering through the wee hours of the night. Ahhhh....... I love the smell of new camping gear in the morning!

Seriously though, we can't wait to hit the road at 1am as we make our way to New Mexico. Early as hell to be on the road, but I get too excited to sleep well before road-trips anyway...... Besides, we want to hit Carlsbad Caverns in the morning before doing some rock climbing at Hueco Tanks in the afternoon. Should be fun.

And the tent was still standing....

Ha!
The wife and I went camping out at Mineral Wells State Park this last weekend and had a good time, despite the bad weather.... Yeah, yeah, yeah, conditions weren't exactly ideal, but we needed to air out our gear before the road-trip we are expecting to take in the middle of March. If all goes well, we have about 10 days off to do some camping throughout the region and we hope to spend a few nights in the Hill country, several days in Big Bend National Park, and then some time in the far west corner of the state at Hueco Tanks..... Should be a small adventure. To be honest, we just need a good, old-fashioned road-trip.

Below is an article about this last weekend's weather.... Thought it was funny. We have a tent that is on its last leg, but it DID survive the 50 mph gusts, though some houses didn't fare as well.


Windy Weather Makes For Wild Saturday

(CBS 11 News) A powerful wind storm darkened the sky and created problems across North Texas on Saturday. As an ominous orange tint filled the skyline, the winds were marked at more than 50 miles per hour, which resulted in downed power lines and trees throughout the region. The wind created major problems for crews battling an Irving apartment fire. As of 4 p.m., TXU officials report about 90,000 customers were without power. A company spokesperson said the winds hindered crews' work on restoring power. Both regional airports – DFW and Love Field – cancelled hundreds of flights as they operated under 'ground stop' conditions. Wind speeds continued to build throughout the afternoon and some areas registered winds as strong as 50 miles per hour. Debbie Hodges of Garland said she just bought a freezer full of food. “These I just have full of drinks and freezer stuff. I’m hoping just by keeping them shut (thye'll be OK). This is my other one that I stocked up," she said opening the double-door appliance. "I just did a lot of baking and everything. I hope that we don’t lose it all."As of 4 p.m., Hodges had a plan for the rest of the evening. “When I saw the power line down, I thought, 'we’re in for a long time,' it’ll be one of those deals that you just wait it out," she said. “We’re gonna get dressed and go to dinner. After dinner, we'll go to a late show and hopefully go home, be tired and go to bed."Gusty winds helped fuel dozens of grass fires across Texas, destroying three homes near Midland and forcing evacuations at Fort Hood, authorities said.Nancy Bourget, a Fort Hood spokeswoman, said the fire began behind an on-base store at about 1:30 p.m."Strong winds just caused it to spread," she said. "We had to evacuate the post exchange, the commissary and some of our military housing."No injuries were reported, said Bourget, who didn't know the cause of the fire or how many people were evacuated.Dozens of homes were threatened across Texas as high winds, dry weather and low humidity fueled wildfires, said Traci Weaver, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service.North Texas remained under a Red Flag Warning.