Wanderings, Part 1

It's a madness, it is, but it liberates the mind and frees the soul

· Asperger's Syndrome,Big Bend NP,Hiking,Mexico,Guadalupe Mountains

I hadn’t been wandering in a very, very, very long time, when, at the age of 63, I got my inheritance, quit my job, and filed for divorce, all in the same week. Perhaps there’s a madness to it, and it certainly can look that way to those on the outside looking in; to those affected by it. But I also know that Aspie’s sometimes just have to get away from everything. As do Explorers, I suppose.

It wasn’t the first job I walked away from and it was my second divorce. And I find myself feeling mentally freed. I look with optimism at the plans I make, knowing full well that I will change them. As I have at least once this week already.

I have a grand plan, at least for the next 5 or 6 weeks or so. And then things get a little hazy, but I have options in my mind. I will leave on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 and head for Big Bend National Park. About 3 weeks there, then I go to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands.

I decided that while I am Big Bend, aside from the hiking, I will make the little trip across the Rio Grande into Mexico. I decided that as long as the water is not too deep, I will wade across rather than take a boat that one of the Mexican locals will offer. I decided this because, well, how many people do you know who have waded across an international border?

I will, however, pay for a burro ride from the river into Boquillas, Mexico. Why? Because I’ve never ridden a burro, and I will have fun doing so!

My ex-wife just called me, "You Crazy Genius," which reminded me of some quotes about genius:

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.”
Oscar Levant

“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.”

Aristotle

"The only difference between genius and insanity is that genius has its limits."

Albert Einstein

Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence.

Edgar Allan Poe

Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.

Arthur Schopenhauer

Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.

Friedrich Nietzsche

February 18, 2020

I had originally intended to begin my trip on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020. But I was waiting for my new prescription photo brown glasses to arrive and they didn't arrive on Monday the 10th. So I waited for them and I got them on Tuesday the 11th. Thus I left early on Wednesday the 12th in the dark in a snowstorm. The first hour was very bad driving - I could barely do 50 mph. By noon I had reached the rest area just before you get into Idaho, located in Lima, Montana and there was beautiful sunshine. I was rewarded with the following view:

This is the view from the rest area at Lima, Montana on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, about noon.

View from the rest area at Lima, Montana, about noon on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

This trip did not go as planned at all, but it certainly qualifies as a wandering. Perhaps even an adventure. The remainder of my first day of driving was pretty uneventful. The rush hour traffic in Utah's central valley, roughly Ogden to Provo was pretty crazy. Being sleepy didn't help. Road construction didn't help. I think I pulled over somewhere along the line and took a short nap. I ended the day in Green River, Utah:

Thursday, February 13, 2020.

I started my day quite early as I had yet another night of poor sleep. I filled up my gas tank and I was on my way before 6 AM. I hadn't been driving long when the first rays of sunlight started to appear on the horizon. I stopped just north of Moab, Utah, and took this picture that looks out over Arches National Park:

Other than stopping for a few more naps during the rest of this day, it was pretty uneventful. I stopped at Costco in Albuquerque where the line was too long to take the time to fill my gas tank. I looked at their hard alcohol section and found some interesting items, but nothing to buy. I then went to the Total Wine and More on the north side of Albuquerque. I didn't stay long as I was anxious to get on my way. I knew that I was not going to make it to Carlsbad, New Mexico that night, where I had a hotel reservation. I did notice that the Total Wine had some Sotol, something I have been wanting to try. Sotol is a distilled spirit of Mexican origin sourced from Dasylirion texanum, Asparagaceae, and Dasylirion wheeleri (commonly known as Desert Spoon or, in Spanish, sotol), a plant that grows in northern Mexico, New Mexico, West Texas, and the Texas Hill Country. Sotol liquor is a Mexican drink that is known as the state drink of Chihuahua, Durango, and Coahuila and is also currently produced in Central Texas. There are few commercial examples available. It is produced in a manner similar to the more common artisanal mezcals of central Mexico (Taken From Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotol). I ended the day in Roswell, New Mexico:

Friday, February 14th 2020.

Again, I started my day early in Roswell after a night of poor sleep. Today was the day of real wanderings. I must have stopped and taken at least one and a half maybe two along the way but I don't really remember. I didn't realize that I was coming in from the Northwest side of Big Bend instead of coming in straight from the north. So I ended up coming in from Terlingua. I turned and headed towards Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. This takes you to the visitor center and campground at Castolon. First though I needed to go to Panther Junction so I could fill up with gas. This meant a 13 Mile detour, then I had to go back 13 and drive to Castolon. When I got to Castolon I went into the visitor center, stamped my passport book, and inquired about campgrounds. I was told that all the campgrounds in the park were full. But that if I want to do inquire about one of the Primitive Backcountry campgrounds, I would need to go back to the panther Junction Visitor Center. I was also told that there was plenty of private camping outside the park in, Terlingua. . I thought about this and I discarded the option of camping in Terlingua. . My reasons were that it was going to cost me about seven and a half dollars a night to camp in the park with my Senior Citizens Discount and private camping in Terlingua was going to cost me $30 to $35 a night plus I was going to have to drive probably an extra 25 to 50 miles everyday just to go in and see things in the park. More when I went to the east side. In fact the Boquillas area of the park was probably going to be 50 miles in each direction.

On my way back to Panther Junction. I did stop and take a couple of pictures of Big Bend:

I stamped my passport book for Big Bend and headed north towards Marathon, Texas and then headed west towards Alpine on US Highway 90 passing through Marfa, famous for the Marfa lights. Along the way, I passed through Valentine, Texas on Valentine's Day. No less. And took the following picture:

I continued into the darkness until I finally arrived in Van Horn, Texas, my stop for the night. Google maps does not do the day justice:

Saturday, February 15th, 2020

I started out my morning in Van Horn Texas. This time I didn't start too early. It was Daylight when I woke up. I went next door to the grocery store and bought some fruit for my day's travel. I then filled up my gas tank and headed north towards Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It was a nice sunny day. On the way towards Guadalupe Mountains, I kept passing through these very low washes that had flood stage markings in them. The washes didn't look deep enough to have this much water in them. And if the water was to the top of the flood stage marking, which was 5 ft., it would seem that it would have had to have been a hundred or two hundred yards wide. It would be a huge amount of water. It was hard to imagine so much water can flow through this little wash.

At any rate I got to where I had a good view of Guadalupe Peak with El Capitan in front of it. I was in one of these washers and of course, I tried to capture the flood stage markings:

I drove a little further. Or should that be farther? I remember checking for the difference between further and farther. Farther refers to distance so I drove a little farther. I didn't stop to take another picture that mostly shows El Capitan in front of Guadalupe Peak:

After stopping at The Visitor Center at Guadalupe Mountains and finding out how bad the winds were, I stamped my passport book and headed towards Carlsbad Caverns. I couldn't camp at Carlsbad Caverns - my plan had been to camp at Guadalupe Mountains and drive to Carlsbad for the day. I did take this photograph from the visitor's center, looking out over the prairie:

After this I continued north and then I headed west towards White sands National Park. I went to White sands and you could only do back country camping - first come first serve, limit 10 per day. So I was far too late to be in the first 10 and I couldn't pack my big tent into a campsite. I didn't even take any pictures at White sands I just stamped my passport book and then headed north towards the hotel in Albuquerque. I needed to get Albuquerque early because Sunday the Total Wine and More didn't open until noon and I couldn't wait until noon to leave. So I got to Albuquerque around 8:00 PM, went to Total Wine and More, bought my bottle of Sotol and then went to the hotel. It was another day I have a lot of driving:

Sunday, February 16, 2020.

My last two days were pretty uneventful. I left Albuquerque after a quick free breakfast at the hotel. It was daylight again when I left, but since it was Sunday the traffic in Albuquerque wasn't bad. I just drove, and as usual took at least one nap along the way. The last hour or so just before Spanish Fork, Utah was pretty ugly. Rain and snow, low clouds, poor visibility, and it was starting to get dark. I did make it to Spanish Fork in time to fill my gas tank at Costco and go into the store for a few minutes. I then drove just a little bit north and checked into my hotel for the night:

Monday, February 17, 2020.

My last day of driving. Again a quick breakfast at the hotel. It was a little busy driving through Salt Lake City, as again I started in daylight. It was uneventful otherwise. I did stop and take a few pictures along the way:

Just into Montana over Lima Pass.

At the rest area south of I-90, on I-15, near Butte, Montana:

I also took a nap at the rest area just south of the junction with I-90, near Butte. I made it home just before dark: