July 30 – July 31. From Gila Cliff Dwellings to Apache Peak Road (through Reserve, NM)
Warning, height and weight limitations are sometimes hard to plan for, so be ready to adjust. We spent some time changing our plans, and then changing them again, but hey, any day in the Tortuga is a great day so can’t complain too much.
The plan leaving the Cliff Dwellings was to head north along the continental divide to even higher (and cooler) elevations through the center of the Gila National Forest on Highway 150. Left off Highway 15, headed east on Hwy 35 right past Lake Roberts to Hwy 150. At the turnoff onto 150 the Tortuga was greeted with a Big, Yellow Sign. The warning was clear, to head this way you needed high ground clearance and 4-wheel drive. Check, check, the Tortuga was ready for adventure, and a sense of joy was in the air to go one mile more. But then that Joy was stolen. On the other side of the road, there was a weight limitation sign for bridge structures 9 miles ahead. No matter how hard the Tortuga would try, it would never shed those unwanted pounds to get under the posted warning (the Tortuga is a little sensitive about its weight so that will not be discussed anymore in this portion of the blog). But that was 9 miles away and the day was getting long. The concept was to travel north to check out the road and find a site short of the bridges and spend the evening. Part of this story has to be redacted, but the Tortuga found a spot and then, what can be said is that constant evening showers in the area caused the Tortuga concern for traveling any further north on 150. The map seemed to indicate that the Tortuga was camping in a huge drainage area. During the long rainy night, the Tortuga decided that one mile more just might have to be several miles to bypass potential risk. The next morning, July 31) the Tortuga found itself going back south at sunrise, with a plan to head toward Socorro as the bypass of Hwy 150.
The Goal was Cibola National Forest by early afternoon. Well, that did not work out either. As an old army truck with years of service the Tortuga knows that “All good plans change at the line of departure”. Heading east on Hwy 35 through Socorro, driving some of the back roads of New Mexico never fails to impress. Winding roads, Blue skies, pure white clouds and limited traffic make the longest roads fly by. After an hour, a junction appeared with two options: left for Socorro and Right to Silver City. Perfect, Socorro offered us a short bypass on to Interstate 25, then right back into overlanding country of the Cibola National Forest. ALL GOOD PLANS CAN CHANGE (TWICE). As soon as the heading of the Tortuga was pointed due east toward the Rio Grande Valley town of Socorro a sign appeared warning of bridge height limitations of 12 feet 6 inches. The Tortuga has always been proud of its height and stature (13’6″) but there is a cost (like being the first one to get rained on) and the cost today is another change in plans. Hey, at least we were warned.
Turn around and head west young Tortuga, back to Silver City and around the western portion of the Gila. It was a great drive, but not part of the initial plan. So, contingencies were developed at 58 miles an hour. The first option was to go to the western edge of the Gila National Forest and hang a right. Due east on the first National Forest Road, through the center of the Gila, that led toward Magdalena, but without first-hand knowledge of road conditions the prudent thing to do is stop by the local district office, and that would be Glenwood. After a few minutes that contingency went by the wayside, because of mud. Summers in the mountains can be challenge due to rain. Afternoon showers are normal and road conditions are constantly changing from dry and dusty to muddy and slick. Most ranger stations have a pretty good idea of road conditions. On this day, the advice was to avoid the road in the immediate area and go to Reserve, the next metropolitan area right up the road. After a stop a yet another ranger station, a plan was hatched – head up an old logging road (435) and camp up near Apache Peak. It seemed like a compromise, but it would have to do.
