Magdalena Ridge again - Sierra de las Uvas, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument

 

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Another late morning, early afternoon of exploring Magdalena Ridge, the long, deeply eroded mesa that curves out to the southwest from Magdalena Peak for more than a dozen miles separating the Apache Flat and Mason Draw valleys. I stumbled around on the brown, black and gray rocks of the mesa tops and rims and stepped lightly through the bunch grass in the mini-canyons that branch off like dendrites from the larger basin. I found a wall, a shell casing, a very faint road, a snake's shed skin, a photo-shy horny toad, and an egg peaking out of the gray dirt for my three or so hours of exploring. 

The red and tan cattle, some with tiny calves, didn't like me being there, but they were peaceful enough. On the way out I stopped by the Apache Flats rock art site, and then drove a full circle around Massacre Peak. It got hot enough, to make me keep the duration of the hike short, but it was nothing like the days we had for almost 2 solid months this summer, which kept me from visiting the desert at all. A few drops of rain fell as I drove back. I stopped at the flattened ruins of building right at the NM 549 exit where an old sign that still stands says " Bar, Cold Drinks, 544 72??." I wondered if this was the old Crater, New Mexico gas station and store. If anybody knows more about it, please let me know.  A couple of days later I killed a bit of time wondering around the sandy hills near Picacho Mountain. Nothing in the way of great finds, but it did occur me that every kind of rock in New Mexico has ended up in the gravels deposited by the Rio Grande. Met a reptile friend too.