Accidental Taos

8-15-2011

It was a brisk morning today. I don't have a thermometer, but when Leo and I got up at 6:30 AM I'm guessing it was in the low 50s. Our sweaters felt good.

Good Morning Campers

 

I cranked up the propane stove and got some Starbucks VIA brewed. By 8:30 I realized that was an insufficient breakfast. I had seen a sign somewhere that said Angle Fire 20 miles. So I decided to make a run in to see if I could find a breakfast spot.

Two and one half hours and 75 miles later I rolled into Taos. When I got back to camp this evening I pulled out the map (which I'll take with me from now on) and determined where I went wrong. It seems I should have turned right instead of left at the State Park gate. That's what is known as getting' lost from the get-go. But I've come up with a sure fire way to avoid getting lost int future. From now on I'm going to explore with no particular destination in mind. That way no matter where I end up, it won't be accidental.

As it turned out, my accidental trip to Taos was great. It took me through a large section of the Carson National Forest. This offered some of the best scenery I've seen in years. Here is a sample:

View from the top of the drive through Carson National Forest.

Leo found the prospect of chasing chipmunks down the mountain particularly tempting.

I hear movement in those leaves!!!!

Too bad that railing and Pappy are in the way.

On the trip through the National Forest I saw several NFS campgrounds that were sparsely occupied. There were also plenty of well marked NFS roads that I can explore for boondocking locations. Since this was my first time through this area and, remember, I started out going to breakfast in Angle Fire, I didn't venture off the main highway. You know, I wouldn't want to get lost. And while access is fairly easy, not many people venture past the first few miles of the stream, leaving the rest relatively pressure free.” I hope sometime when I out exploring with no destination in mind I can find Forest Road 438 off New Mexico Highway 518 and just happen to have my fly rod in the truck.