Chasing the Sun

I arrived in Fairbanks at 0030 last night. While the sun had already set it wasn’t quite dark. The sky was an eerie grey. And low clouds blanketed the city as I road in the taxi in a dream-like state to the bunkhouse I would be staying in. Of course by the time I actually got to a bed I felt wide awake…

I worked my first day. We did mostly orientation stuff and paperwork, but it was nice to meet new people and learn about our mission. Successfully completed day one!

Now where was I…

Ahh yes. After another good sleep in the back of trusty Tilly (my SUV) I headed off before the sunrise for my drive to White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. I watched the sun rise over the mountains that I had watched the alpenglow the night before. Gorgeous bursts of color began to light up the valley as I drove straight south.

After what seemed like an eternity I arrived at White Sands. I stopped in the Visitor Center to claim a spot in the backcountry. I picked my spot on the loop and headed out to explore Dunes Drive. The short loop was uniquely twisted in the dunes. As I looked around speckles of what could only be deep fried humans in the midday sun were everywhere. Children laughing and speeding down short, steep embankments and parents lounging under giant umbrellas. It was like summer time on the beach without that pesky ocean.

I hang around my car in hopes that the sun would realize it shouldn’t be so damn hot in March. After a while I packed my bag and headed out sans shoes. I started to feel some rubbing under my toes only to discover a torn blister. An unusual place for me, but it wouldn’t be backpacking without blisters.. I pushed on and made it to my spot less than a mile out on the trail. I carefully selected my spot next to the campsite marker. Carefully because there was evidence of pee and possibly a poo hole where I was supposed to place my tent. Really people…?? But I found a relatively flat and possibly safe spot then hiked onto one of the dunes to watch the sunset. It’s hard to describe the magical feeling of watching a sunset at White Sands so perhaps a picture will sum it up.

 

As the sun set the gypsum crystals (that make up the sand) began to sparkle and dance. And at the right camera angle (since I’m such a pro…) I caught some of them. I then slept wonderfully on my sand pillow bed under the stars.

 

I awoke early the next morning as it has started to get chilly. I packed up my things and walked out to my car before the sun had risen over the far eastern mountains. I was back on the road south. I made my way to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and my first day in Texas! I selected a camp spot from the nice walk in sites offered, claimed my spot and headed out for a hike in the midday sun.

The hike was steep, hot, and long. I eventually made it to the top. I was standing on top of Texas. I had summited Guadalupe Mountain, the tallest mountain in all of Texas. I savored my victory at the top, all by my lonesome, and soaked up the 360 degree views. I was told later you can see all the way to Big Bend from there on a perfect day (don’t quote me on that).

 

I made my way down and ate my victory dinner then settled into bed after reading about my cave tour for the next day.

 

I woke up early the next morning, packed up my tent and drove northwest to Carlsbad Canverns National Park. I had a cave tour scheduled for Slaughter Canyon Cave. Our group gathered with two Park Rangers and were given a safety briefing, and PPE before carpooling to the trailhead. After a 30 minute drive, we arrived in a valley as the sun was starting to heat up we headed uphill. The half a mile hike felt much further as most of it was steep. We gathered at the mouth of the cave and dawned our PPE before heading into the Luke-warm humid abyss. The cave had some stunning features we lit up with our headlamps. We saw human artifacts from an old guano expedition and cave drawings from a people before the mining. As we headed further into the cave the ceiling rose higher and the large columns stretched to bridge the empty space. We used a rope to climb a slippery slope to view speleothems called the Christmas Tree and the Klansman.

 

We sat in total darkness and were told the importance of caves and their importance for us. I thought about the people who had ventured into caves by torches, candles, or nothing at all to light the way. Not sure that’s something I’d ever do, I felt a little nervous even with an LED headlamp. After we single filed out of the cave and headed to the parking lot we dispersed. I was heading south again. This time to my final destination.

 

I drove through cities troubled with expanding fast enough to accommodate the workers for the oil fields and pipelines. My jaw dropped at the sheer number of brand new white trucks and oil tankers driving down what I thought would be a quiet country road. Such a different site in comparison to my home state. Eventually I made it out of that chaos into wide open country and made it to Lajitas (just outside Big Bend) where I would stay with one of my friends I made while working at Mount Rainier National Park.

We spent a quick night catching up and loving her dogs before sleeping and waking up early to meet my friend in the park. When I saw the welcome sign I was so excited! I had made it! My friend met me at Panther Junction. We tried to embrace the “coolness” (I think it was already 70) of the morning by going to a place a coworker of hers had shown her. We headed off the unbeaten path down to an interesting landscape (see below).

 

It looked like a mixture of volcanic rock and ash. A very interesting place. We then followed a washout to some pillow lava were it seemed a group of javelinas thought was a good place to hang out too. We watched the pig like animals scatter into the brush then started making out way back to the car. We then drove down the gravel road to Santa Elena Canyon in hopes of finding some shade. We found it, but had to work for it. We made our way to the end of the trail and enjoyed the shady bliss and the quiet canyon.

 

Later that night we wanted to do a sunset hike to The Window in the Chisos Mountains. We missed the sunset but witnessed some lovely glow and a nice (breezy!) view from the window before hiking back up into the valley.

We tested our night vision on the way back to my car and drove to her place to settle in for the night.

Okay that got way wordy too.. one more segment to finish up my adventures in Big Bend and the drive back. For now I have some sleep to catch up on.