21 Dec Karma Trip #2, Part II: AZ -> NM Gila Hot Springs, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Thursday Dec 16

We hit the road fairly early Thursday bound for New Mexico. We had an aim for Gila Hot Springs Campground, high up in the Gila Wilderness. Aaron’s brother Josh has recommended this place and we thought it might be a great place to spend a couple days, near hiking and of course hot springs!

The drive east was beautiful. The mountains of Arizona became the desert of New Mexico and by 2p we were parked in Silver City, taking a long, late lunch break before making the final 2 hour ascent up to the campground. We enjoyed Silver City a lot, and wanted to figure out a way to spend another day down in the quaint and varied mountain town.

We made it to the top of the ridge, only 36 miles from Silver City but a full two hours later – just able to see the outline of the vast landscape around us with the last slivers of daylight. By the time we we reached the campground just after 6, we couldn’t tell much of the landscape around us. We pulled in, found the check in station, and paid our dues for 3 nights after my squeal of delight in finding out:

1. They had wifi! We lost cell service not long after leaving Silver City — and we debated the number of nights based on whether we’d be able to work at all over our time up in the Gila Wilderness.
2. Only half of the 8 campsites were available the next 3 nights strait, and one of those was mere steps – 30 steps to be exact – from the first of the 3 hot springs pools.

 

We couldn’t hide our excitement. The campground was exactly what we were hoping for – and more. We parked our van and stripped down immediately and headed for our first dip. The pools were between 104º and 110º and steaming in the night. The almost-full-moon was high in the sky and lit up the pools perfectly in the dark. We selected the middle pool, OOH’s and AAHS becoming involuntary as we sank into the shallow rock pool, laden with tiny pebbles on the bottom, the hot water spouting over rocks into the pool on one side.

After our long hike the day before, this was exactly what we needed for a day or two of recharging!

Friday Dec 17

Definitely one of our coldest nights in the van thus far! Temps were likely around 30º and we had a little frost on the front cab of the van, farthest from the bed and the least insulated area. We woke up around 7 but didn’t get out of bed until after 9 – when the sun finally crept over the steep canyon wall and hit the van.

I utilized the wifi all morning, and Aaron made us oatmeal for breakfast. We had no plans that day, just relaxing, hitting the springs, and catching up on work. Around 10:30 we decided to explore the neighborhood in the daylight, so we set off on foot to check out the local general store just up the road. Passing neighboring ranches with sheep and a couple local campground resorts, we warmed up with the morning strong sun at 5,500 ft elevation.

We unfortunately arrived at the local general store Doc Campbell’s Post — an hour too early for patronage so we were back at the campsite by 11:30, and we both started working for several hours. By 3p we simply HAD to get in the hot springs & soak up some more afternoon sun. We put in a few more hours of work and then had another pre-dinner dip around the end of dusk. We spent a long time cooking a big meal w/ leftovers: sweet potato, shiitake mushrooms, shallot, garlic, rice, beef broth, spices and kale. After dinner we took a final moonlight dip before bed — truly the perfect way to warm up anytime!

Saturday Dec 18

We decided on Friday that if the mornings were going to be cold either way, that on Saturday we would get up early to hike around the Gila Cliff Dwellings. It might seem counterproductive to aim for an outdoor activity during the coldest part of the day — but nothing wakes you up better or gets you warmer faster than some hiking outside!

We left camp around 8a and parked at the trailhead parking lot to make a quick breakfast before setting out. There’s a network of trails but we chose one that hiked up a fork of the Gila river for 1.5 miles before turning back to do conquer the short, 1-mile loop around the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

The cliff dwellings are unique in that you get to walk within the rooms, up and down ladders and steps to see what the ancient civilization saw 700 years ago as they lived within this amazing cave and cliff-side system. We finished the hike down, loving the views of the valley below.

We checked out the local general store, finding some nice looseleaf tea and enjoying their selection of local products and books about the area. We then returned to the camp to work for the afternoon, but not before getting a quick soak in the afternoon sun! After we finished working for the day, we went for a last springs dip.under the full moon — happy to have had these 3 nights and two days in this very historic and magical place. Afterwards, we snuggled into our sleeping bags with a pot of fresh popcorn, and turned on the classic movie the In-Laws! Very rewarding and easy day!