Cimarron Canyon

9/30/14 (9:00 a.m.)
 Had another chilly night, low to mid fourties. A couple of quilts and a heavy woven cotton blanket served me. A morning walk drinking coffee along the river gets the blood moving. Seeing a few birds feeding in the bush helps get my spiritual act together. I see a variety of evergreens. Are they ponderosa pines? Some look like the Christmas trees we used to buy in Connecticut. There are a few different shapes and colors. There are trees that are turning golden higher up the canyon. Aspen? I know that if I can tough out the cold weather a little longer that I'll witness some great changes in color.
I left the campground this morning just before noon. I had some motorcycle difficulties that seem to be resolved for the most part. I set out heading West along Hwy 64. Investigating Eagle Nest a bit more, I came upon the Eagle Nest S.P. There was no one there, but a local hiker came by who I questioned about getting Wifi nearby. He suggest the Tourist Information Center. He also insisted I begin the tour of the Circle of Enchantment. Hwy 38 circles through the towns of Red River, Questa, and Taos. His suggestion was to take the side road to the left, Hwy 538 to the end. It was quite a ride, and the Wifi, shopping, and Post Office stops would have to wait. The elevation gain brought me from 8,000 feet in Eagle Nest, to 9,750 over Butler Pass before descending into Red River. Long sweeping turns allowed me the breathtaking view of the golden colored Aspens as they changed color in those upper elevations. The long winding descent into Red River offered many business geared for sightseers, hikers, and other wilderness adventurerers. The town of Red River itself struck me as a little touristy, but certainly a place for hanging out and enjoying the views. Of significance is the dusting of snow that came to the mountaintops last night. My advisor said that it would be gone in a day or so, but that it was the first snow of the season. I hope to post a picture of the Moto Guzzi in the foreground of a great panaramic view of the mountains. Elevations there reach 12,000 feet.
I'm back at home now. I got the cat fed and heated up the black beans with chicken and yellow rice for last night. I've made a little campfire and am enjoying the pre-sunset quiet. The soft wood for sale by the camphost burns so much more easily than the wood in the East. In Georgia, we sold a bundle of very dense oak for $4 that was difficult to get started. Kindling was a requirement and often the best way to get that was to cut bits from the oak. Here though, the abundance of pine needles on the ground make an excellent starter for the fire. A couple of chops at the pine logs and the mid-sized sticks build a nice bed of coals for the larger pine logs. Everything is pine, and it burns nicely throwing some heat that is warming my chilled mountain riding bones. At 10,000 feet, the temperature was 10 degrees cooler. Here in the canyon, it's a balmy 65.