Traveling US-60 from Socorro through Datil and Pie Town was a very scenic drive through open meadows and rolling hills of Juniper. We stopped near the Very Large Array (VLA) at the rest area to get a glimpse of the radars.
It is hard to get a complete photo, even looking sideways, of the twenty-eight radio telescopes. They are 975 feet large and arranged in a Y-shap; built to study astronomical events such as black holes and such.
We are staying cool at over 8,000 ft in the Apache National Forest. We are surrounded by tall ponderosa pines with little understory – very clean woods. The weather has been superb, and no bugs.
Given the time change, I am now awakened shortly after 5AM each day to trek a couple of miles each morning before coffee. Having a energetic dog really keeps me active.
Fortunately, across the highway is a day-use area spanning a few miles with three reservoirs. The water is quite low in each lake, but people are out fishing or enjoying kayaks on the water, even in early daylight hours.
A few days ago, I was amazed as I watched one of these big birds, (Possibly a crane) swoop overhead with a fish in its talons. Hopefully it was not off someone’s fishing line.
At one end of the River reservoir there appears to be an old fish ladder, downstream of the earthen dam.
At the inflow side of the lake, the river is just a trickle now, as the humidity is dropping to 15 percent and everything is extremely dry. As I recall when looking to the west at the barren mountaintop, I recall there was a fire in the White Mountains, years ago.
The Wallow fire in June 2011, was accidentally caused by campers in a wilderness area 25 miles southwest of Alpine, AZ. It grew to over half a million acres and took down over 22 homes in Greer. Several surrounding towns were also evacuated while fire crews fought the blaze, that crossed over to New Mexico as well.
Looking at that barren mountainside is a reminder of how long it takes a forest to grow and how quickly it can be destroyed. I want to continue to enjoy these beautiful forests with the wind whispering in the treetops. Let’s hope people think twice and use all precautions posted out there regarding fire safety in these dry conditions.
Have a great Fourth of July!
Toucanrv 