Grand Junction CO to Clayton NM. 600 Miles
I chose a route through Lake City and Creede and Pagosa Springs that I had not traveled in many years. While it didn’t go through the highest mountains, it did have many pleasant canyons. One thing was interesting. Many of the aspen and other deciduous trees were turning colors early this year, probably from the heat and other stresses. I got several beautiful shots.
Going through Creede, the road went above an area where there were several mobile homes. One had a spraypainted sign on it ‘No Train’. And sure enough, off beside the road into Creede from the south, there was an old, unused narrow gauge railway. Some time in the past, it must have joined the railroad that currently ran from Chama. Someone wanted to bring tourists into Creede. Other’s didn’t want that. Politics are everywhere.
I stopped for lunch at an old time favorite spot, the Malt Shop in Pagosa Springs, and then it was time to say goodbye to Colorado.
New Mexico greeted me with a rainstorm, and strong winds carrying dust. Of course, I had been driving with the windows open and I got a little wet before I finally buttoned everything up. Then through Taos, and up to Eagle’s Nest and down through the Cimmaron valley by dark.
My car trouble that had been constant every day since Chicago (with the exception of the Yellowstone day), was gradually getting worse. From one-second power losses, it was now so bad I had to pull off on the shoulder and turn off the key before I could get power back. At least the power always came back when I followed the rules.