This is me ;-): Southwest Dirtbag Roadtrip: Part II

The road stretches to the horizon in the desert, blanketed with sagebrush and golden forbs. Little exists to give distances perspective except the black ribbon of asphalt slicing thru the arid landscape. Time is marked by the growing layer of red dust on my dashboard. In the midst of the desert off I-40 is Petrified Forest National Park, my next destination. I explored the petrified wood and badlands of the park in the cool of morning. Then back on the road I stopped at St. Johns Public Library to take care of some business, before heading into the solitude of the White Mountains.
Too much time spent lately passing thru the landscape on four wheels so the next morning I explored the Ponderosa Pine forest on my Salsa Fargo. Following the disappearing tracks of an old jeep road I saw an elk herd kick up dust descending a steep hillside; a young bull bugling in the lead, while the aging bull huffing at the rear. Back in the car I drove on to Silver City, Mexico and then north into the Gila Wilderness, the land of Geronimo and Aldo Leopold. As the sun set I soaked my road weary bones in a hot spring surrounded by the colorful cliffs of the Gila River. What a way to end the day!

In the morning I viewed the cliff dwellings, enjoying an inspiring discussion on shadows and lighting from an avid photographer. Then I shouldered my backpack, locked the car and began walking into the wilderness. Two days, two hot springs and plenty of relaxing was all the planning needed for this adventure and it was marvelous!