Day 26: 255 Miles
Starting location: Davis Mountain State Park, Fort Davis, Texas – 25 degrees
Ending location: Pine Springs Campground, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, – 45 degrees
Major Stops: Walmart
Weather: Snow turning sunny in late morningDay 27: This will be the next post…but we are staying here.
Day 28: Zero day
Hikes: Pinery Trail 1.4 miles
Snow accumulation of one to three inches was projected for Davis Mountain State Park on the day we were leaving. The snow was supposed to start at 7 am. So to beat it, I set the alarm for 5 am. This is not the first setting of an alarm since leaving, but still this was an unusually early time! (OK, stop laughing…yes I am still an early bird, but I tend to flow with the sunrise which is oddly late here and at 7:55 am this morning.) However, I wanted to take advantage of the endless water to shower before leaving as I would be in a place without any water or dump for a few days, and really wanted to beat the snow out of the mountains.
So, after walking Dottie, taking a luxurious shower with endless water, and eating breakfast, we hit the road in the dark. This is another thing I don’t like to do with the RV, drive in the dark. Sacrifices must be made however when safety could be a problem. So, I drove very slowly for the first hour because of dark and big animals, and then we continued to drive slowly the next two hours because of this:
RV Antifreeze
The drive was amazingly remote. I thought I was heading back into civilization, but that apparently was not true. There were many ranches along the way. Ranches are not buildings, but are huge blocks of land with nothing but grass and fences. I will say the grasslands are beautiful. Finally, we came to our spot for the next few nights, however we did not stop. We had to go another 53 miles (one way) to buy RV antifreeze at the Walmart.
Since we have been dipping below freezing every night, I’ve been keeping the gray tank macerator pump winterized. It is the most exposed plumbing item, and I had used up the last of the antifreeze brought from Michigan with the dump at Davis Mountains the night before. The nightly temperature was projected to dip down into the low 20’s during our stay. And without electricity, we would be unable to use the tank heaters because they would suck the batteries dead; so, I wanted to add antifreeze to the holding tanks. I managed to buy the last three gallons of RV antifreeze in the store! Whew!
Guadalupe Mountains
Finally, we got our National Park picture!
The campground is really not much to speak of, but the surroundings are absolutely stunning.
There are flush toilets but no dump station and no water to fill an RV. You can fill water bottles, but you cannot connect a hose to the spigot. So, come fully dumped and full of water, but do come. It is one of the most beautiful and quiet places. The quiet in these remote locations lets your soul sing. And, the stars add harmony to your souls singing. It was so beautiful to see stars without light pollution.
Did I mention, Texas is big? We are still in Texas.
Missed Photo Opp
On our sunset Puppy Potty Walk, we ran into a Mama Javelina and two babies coming out of their burrow to feed. I thought Mama was going to attack Dottie as she huffed and snorted and started towards her, but then she saw me. They apparently have bad eyesight. I will now be carrying my camera on all future Puppy Potty Walks as there are animals out there! Sorry, again, no picture. Perhaps, I should consider the bear spray, too?
Hiking and Mail Routes
Since I did not plan well and we went to town twice, once for RV antifreeze and once because I could not stand the dirt on the RV, I did not get an opportunity to really hike the trails here. I will make sure to make the time when I return. There are actually lodgepole pines at the tops of the mountains, so three different landscapes to hike.
Dogs, per usual in National Park, are not allowed on the trails other than the Pinery Trail. This trail has an interesting history and we did it on our zero day.
Before the Pony Express and Transcontinental Railroad, there was the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. This mail route ran between St. Louis, Missouri and San Francisco, California. These pictures are of the station located at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The stops were about 20 miles apart; and, the arduous 2700 mile route was completed in 25 days, as per the contract with the US government. The six year contract was cut short by the Civil War. The sign, albeit not the best picture as I had to step to the side so not to shadow it, will give you more information.
Just thought I let you know I enjoy reading “your novel”. Your descriptions are making me wonder why I’m still at home!
Thanks Tricia! I hope all is well for you and the family! Would love to see you out here!