We sat on the top of a dune for a bit, enjoying the scenery. Then we made our way back.
Watching more intrepid hikers pass me by
Hoary Rosemary Mint is one of the most successful plants in the dune field. Its rapid upward growth allows it to stay above the sand as a dune passes.
But what a tough existence!!
Darren takes the fast way down!
Our mark on the dunes
Soft sand
The posts guide us back.
Hey, these kids actually have sleds to slide down on! Unfair!
We poured the sand out of our shoes and shook as much as possible of it out of our clothes, then drove back to the Interdune Boardwalk.
It was a short, informative trail that passed through an interdune area where all plant life in the dune field starts.
Rubber Rabbitbrush
The reddish little tufts of grass are Little Bluestem. It gets its water from the water table which is typically 2 to 3 feet below the surface here.
Alkali Sacaton can thrive where few other grasses can. It can withstand flooding as well as partial burial by shifting sands.
Cyanobacteria is basically what prevents this place from being one giant dustbowl.... or sandbowl. In the intedunal areas, it's a woven mat of organism that adds nutrients to the sand, holds rainwater and slows erosion.
It's the same cryptobiotic soil crust that is often found in deserts environments, such as Kodachrome Basin State Park or Colorado National Monument. Only here, it's white!
Other things that are white here... the animals!!
The Apache Pocket Mouse is named for the fur-lined pockets in its cheeks. It prefers seeds but will eat insects if it has to. It can go for months without water.
Apparently there was one (or many) living underneath the boardwalk. These micro-prints were all over the place!
We made our way back to the highway, continuing west.
This seems like an understatement!
This was apparently for the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility.
Just past Las Cruces, all freeway traffic was diverted and stopped to a border patrol station. I thought it was a bit odd since we were still a good 45 to 50 miles north of the Mexican border. I pulled up to the checkpoint, expecting an interrogation, but the guard merely asked if we were US citizens. I said yes and he simply waved us through. Along the remainder of the drive, I noticed border control vehicles and stop points all over the place.
A short stop at the cute Akela Flats Trading Post on the way to Deming
Wow! They mean business!!
My goal was the City of Rocks State Park. It looked absolutely amazing from photos I'd seen online. But the wind was really picking up again, and the thought of camping directly in it again wasn't appealing much to either of us. But there weren't a whole lot of options this far in the middel of nowhere.
About two miles out, however, we passed a sign for the Faywood Hot Springs Resort. Oooohhh... warm water! We ended up getting a bit of a discount so it promptly became an offer we couldn't refuse. We got a spot in the 'clothing optional' section... although it was far too chilly to even think of going without a jacket much less anything else.
Our spot. It was still windy out here but the trees and fence at least offered some protection.
The facilities
This was the first time we got to inspect the tent. The damage was extensive (many tears, bent poles), but it was fortunately still usable. We set it up, inflated the air mattress, then did a short walk around the property to enjoy the lovely colors of sunset.
Some tent damage
To me this looks almost more like the skyscrapers of New York City (after an apocalypse) than an old wooden fence.
We then soaked in the set of hot pools nearest to us. Once it got dark, more people joined. It was absolutely lovely! With only minimal lighting around us, we were able to lean back and watch the night sky slowly roll past overhead.
Eventually it was time to get out, which was not as lovely of an experience (back into the cold air). But after drying and dressing quickly, Darren then made a campfire using some nearby fallen mesquite branches.
There's a lower and an upper pool.
Crackling warm!
The wind was still blustery, making the fire unruly at times, but for the most part, all went well... until we climbed into the tent to discover that the air mattress had deflated. It had been inside the tent yesterday when it was flung into the tree. Apparently it had been punctured as well.
We didn't care to sleep in the car again, so Darren simply got up every few hours to blow it it up. During the night, the temperature dropped to below freezing, so that was no enjoyable task!
