Journey Day 510 | CDT Day 173

I found a cliff dwelling just above the Gila River.

12/4/87

Up early, I am a bit surprised to hit Little Bear Canyon and find it's six miles to the Visitor's Center, with an option to the Cliff Dwellings apparently not indicated properly and no Little Bear Canyon on my map. So I push on to the visitor's center, breakfasting a second time before hiking the final miles past hot springs. More fords make for more fun.

Pretty girls retard my push to the visitor's center, but I make it. Clean up under watching eye of old redneck. Call Texas friend Richard Alvarado, who may join me in Columbus, N.M, at the end of the hike. Talk with unhelpful visitor's center helper, a maintenance man named Julian who knows more, guarantees good weather despite clouding that kept off the freeze during the night for the first time in awhile.

Julian meets me as I walk to the Cliff Dwellings packless, drops me where I need to sign in and climb numbered route, reading educational entries. I talk with a watercolorist who I convince to go hiking down the Middle Fork, then hike up to the Cliff Dwellings, pass Richard, a wild guy with long, gray hair, overgrown handlebar mustache and mirror sunglasses, scrubby attire.

I toured the cliff dwellings left behind by Anastazi.

Into dwellings, have woman named Nancy (who later invites me to her goat farm in Corsica) shoot my photo. We talk, Richard returns. We talk, explore, establish rapport. I end up sitting with them until closing. One old woman who entertains us with her fear of falling. Later is full of piss and vinegar. Revived by her hardiness.

I munch dinner of veggie stew at Nancy's cabin, we talk about everything, including her farm in Corsica two miles from the nearest road. She knows Harvey Mudd, the owner of the preserve I crossed in Colorado. Ties him to Richard Harvey Mudd colleges.

Head to hot springs. Richard displays his mountain man talents. He's three-eighths Cherokee. He's lived long periods in the mountains with his knife and knowhow, apparently. We enjoy hot springs, then I head for his cliff dwelling. They hang out a bit, then hike out. I crash soundly in this excellent lair, never realizing it rains hard.