Into Thin Air

Yes the speed limit in Texas is 80.

Camped at the Fairgrounds in Ft. Stockton, TX FREE

This is the fairgrounds and it is in the middle of nowhere and quite a dustbowl.

Howdy all,  Sorry we dropped off the radar screen for a few days but we landed Friday in Mayhill, NM at Gillespie Ranch, a 200 acre cattle ranch butted up against the Lincoln National Forest.  The air is thin there about 8000 feet I am guessing and no cell service.  On the way there from Spicewood, TX, we drove through the middle of nowhere, for those of you who have seen Lonesome Dove, when they are in west Texas and Gus says "Not even a chigger could live out here", that is where we were.  You could see forever in every direction as it was completely flat and nothing can grow out there.  A little creepy if you ask me.  Anyway, so we are driving out of that and into the mountains and are on this crazy dirt mountain road about 5miles from the ranch we are going to, no guardrail and no signs.  We weren't sure we were even on the right road and it was steep and windy.  I started to get that "WE COULD FALL OFF THIS ROAD WITH OUR RIG FEELING" in my stomach.  I was thinking about Pocahontas not loving that road either.  Well we finally got there after crossing numerous cattle guards (yes they hold a lot of weight) and seeing loose cattle.  Once on the ranch we had to drive up this really steep swithchback just to get to the campground and I was wondering, "Holy Crap, do people really come up here with a rig like this and we have to drive out of here in a few days and is there a flat spot of ground in this whole county"??????  We made it, thanks to Bobe.

Camped at Mayhill, NM on Gillespie Ranch

Awesome horse accomodations.  Mayhill is about an hour south of Ruidoso.

Looking out the other way from our campsite.

We woke up to snow!  As we were riding down this trail we spotted a huge coyote just staring at us as we passed, it was not afraid of us one bit and I was concerned for Gracie.  The dogs did great going with us, it is mountain country, very rocky but nice wide trails, wide enough to drive on.  Not scary at all just really beautiful riding in the Ponderosa Pines.  We are so far out here that the ranch has the last electricity and phone service in the area.  They get the water from up on the mountain and pipe it in with a black plastic pipe that just lays on the ground.  He did drill a well for the cows and it is 800 feet deep!  He says there are elk, deer, mountain lions, wild boar, coyotes, wolves and a few big snakes.

Beautiful view out riding.

short video

In the little town of Mayhill, we had breakfast here and it really is still a hotel.  There were about 4 businesses in the whole town.

Driving to Ruidoso from Mayhill

I am still standing here in the laundry may writing on my blog. Tomorrow we are off to Silver City then onto Tuscon by Friday.