A Retreat, a New Resolve and a Rendezvous

Settling in for the evening at our camp in the forest, we heard an alert  about a coming cold front, expected to bring heavy rains and high winds.  Not wanting to be caught attempting a descent from the mountains with our high-profile rig in such a storm, we pulled up stakes and retreated to an inn in Alamogordo.

Parenthetically, this area is a pistachio-growing region.  The delicious and nutritious nut was first planted here with sources brought from Lebanon in the 1970s.  So glad they tried it!  And what beautiful colors…..

This diversion allowed for a bit of reflection.  A fellow named Roy and his partner provided us with some kind suggestions about our stay in Lincoln Forest.  Learning that our current trip would take us into Canada, they revealed that their own bucket list included an adventure beyond the Arctic Circle along the relatively new Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean…….

Whaaaaat?  A drive through British Colombia, the Yukon and the Northern Territories all the way to the northern coast of this continent?  Hmm….. we are already outfitted for a long journey…… heading in that general direction…… cool climate is always an attraction.  

The idea had an air of inevitability about it.

So here we go.  Will attempt this run over the weeks to come…. almost 4,000 miles one way.  Should be able to dally a bit, reach this goal and still be in Winnipeg by July 31!

The blog name is changing to “Along the Great Divide”, as our route will roughly track and take us over the Continental Divide a number of times.  (If you’ve never noticed, the Continental Divide cuts across North America and is plotted on most maps….. and if you’ve never asked or wondered, it is a topographic feature whereby virtually all of the surface and rain water to the west of the line ultimately drains into the Pacific Ocean; water to the east of the line drains into the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.  Don’t ask me what you are supposed to do with this information……)

Stay tuned for more on our new adventure.

We found that Henry’s daughter Ivy had business in Farmington, NM as we made this decision to turn decisively north.  (She is the audit chief for a coal company; they were kicking off an audit at a nearby mining facility.)  So lucky timing and routing enabled us to meet up with her there for dinner and a visit.

Hoping to find a good spot to fly the powered parachute at one of our next stops in Colorado……