Our first stop after departing Silver City was Catwalk Recreation Area (CWA) where we were looking forward to hiking through the Whitewater Canyon. The beautiful slot canyon formed by the Whitewater Creek once served as a hideout for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as they attempted to evade the Pinkerton’s. Geronimo and his warriors also used the canyon to elude the U.S. Cavalry.
During the 1890s, the power of the upper creek flowing through the canyon was harnessed to bring water to the gold and silver mill which was situated in the lower canyon. Workers constructed a pipeline through the canyon which was bolted to the canyon walls about 20 feet above the creek. A series of catwalks were built on top of the pipeline in order to access it for maintenance and repairs. The boom came and went, and the mines and mill were closed in 1913; the materials were sold for scrap. The 200 or so residents left for other parts to find work.
The canyon essentially returned to its original state with no residents or mining operations. In 1935 the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) utilized the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to create a hiking trail through the canyon. The CCC used the existing bolts in the canyon walls to build a new wooden catwalk as part of the hiking trail through the canyon. The trail was opened in 1937 and survived until 1961. It was replaced by a metal catwalk which subsequently was destroyed by storms in 2013.
Fortunately for us and other visitors, the USFS was able to have a new catwalk built and installed in less than a year. Today the catwalk extends approximately one half of a mile into the canyon, then hikers can continue on the canyon surface for another mile — as long as they are willing to make several water crossings. There are plans to extend the trail deeper into the canyon in the future.
After our hike at Catwalk, we traveled north and ventured across the winding single lane Bursum Road (NM59) to visit the town of Mogollon (mo-go-yone). The town sits deep in the Mogollon Range within the Gila Wilderness at 6500 feet above sea level.
The town is sometimes referred to as a ghost town but it actually has a handful of residents (apx. 15) and several businesses. We saw several parked cars but no people during our walkabout. The town’s history began when gold was discovered in the late 1800s. Gold was mined here continuously until the 1950s. As a result, many of the structures are still standing today which leads to sense of stepping back in time as you travel through the small town.
Gold mining brought as many as 6000 people to the town at the height of production at the Little Fannie Mine and several other nearby mines. The town flooded often (sitting on the Silver Creek) and major portions burned multiple times. The town’s reputation (like many mining towns) was that of a rough and tumble place with several saloons and brothels (and no law).
After our day at CWA and Mogollon we found camping in the Gila National Forest among the pines and the serenading cattle that were roaming around us in constant search of food. The next morning we pushed northeast out of the forest onto the Plains of San Augustin. The Plains stretch 55 miles from the northeast to the southwest and range in width from five to fifteen miles.
Our primary purpose in transiting the Plains was to visit the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). The VLA consists of 27 radio telescopes positioned across the Plains via railroad tracks. Each of the radio dishes stands 90 feet tall, 82 feet across and weighs 250 tons. In their widest configuration the radio dishes stretch for over 20 miles across the Plains. The Plains are an ideal setting for the VLA as it is far away from any population centers and shielded from light by the surrounding mountain ranges.
We won’t pretend for a second to understand how this works but it is nonetheless fascinating to see the array in action and to learn about the many important discoveries made utilizing radio astronomy. The array has captured activity in our galaxy as far away as 150 quadrillion miles!
We met a motorcyclist who had pulled over for a break while we were off the road near the VLA adding air to two of our tires with slow leaks. He asked us if we were going to stop in Pie Town – we said yes – he said good, it is a tradition whenever you cross Route 60 to stop and have pie!
Well, we did, and it was dang delish! Maria had the Cherry Almond Pie and I had a piece of the freshly made Coconut Cream Pie. Pie Town establishments did a good business dishing out pies for cross country travelers and local ranchers until the ubiquitous interstate was built and diverted much of the traffic away from town.
Fortunately, about 25 years ago the Pie-O-Neer Cafe opened and it has been doing a booming business ever since. In addition to many travelers that now routinely avoid the interstate, the Continental Divide Trail runs through Pie Town. Many hikers stay at a nearby hostel and consume thousands of calories (based on what we saw) replenishing for the next leg of the journey. The town itself has not grown with a population hovering around 25, but they apparently throw a heck of a pie festival every September.
After filling our bellies with delicious pie, we set north across some dusty ranch country on the York Ranch Road in search of camping near El Malpais National Monument (EMNM). As you can see in the photo below left, the desert can be cruel for those unprepared for the terrain.
We found a beautiful spot to camp just east of EMNM on a bluff which provided great views and a spectacular sunset.
In the morning we made our way north to Grants, New Mexico to have our leaking front tire replaced. From there, we set out for the Big Tubes area to explore. There is only one way in or out – the Big Tubes Road ( NPS 300) – a classic impassable-when-wet mud job. Fortunately, while there had been some rain leaving behind some large ruts, the road was fairly dry and passable. Regardless, we would not recommend this road without 4WD and high clearance.
The Big Tubes Area is a massive volcanic landscape that provides the opportunity to explore lava tube bridges, lava tubes, tube caves and lava flows. There are no marked trails, although there are cairns laid out across the field – use the cairns – there are no other usable reference points in this other-worldly place. Even utilizing the cairns we made several wrong turns in hiking out and back across the field.
You are free to scramble down into the tubes and caves and under the bridges. We recommend wearing gloves and a climbing helmet. The boulders in the trenches and tubes are big and sharp!
From EMNM we traveled through several portions of the Ramah Navajo and Zuni Indian Reservations on our way north on the 602 to Gallup. We had reserved a couple of nights at the El Rancho Hotel and were looking forward to staying at this 1940s hotel that once hosted dozens of Hollywood stars ensconced here while filming Westerns in the area. Additionally, the hotel sits smack on Historic Route 66 to add even more kitsch. From the photos below you might suspect we were not disappointed with our decision.
Gallup has a storied history that predates the movie making haydays of the 1940s and 1950s. The first white settlers arrived in the area that became Gallup in the early 1860s. This was Navajo land and thus the Navajo attacked the white settlements. The cavalry was dispatched to physically remove the Navajo people from the area. The U.S. Army destroyed the Navajo homes, crops and livestock. The Navajo were then force marched 400 miles to a reservation where they were held for four years. In Navajo history this event is known as The Long Walk.
The town was formally founded in 1881 as a railhead for the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. The freight lines that ran through the middle of Gallup hauled the high grade coal that was mined in the area. While the coal mining in the area has largely played out, more than 100 freight trains still rumble through town every day.
American Coal Company – Atlantic & Pacific Railcars
Coal miners in Gallup went on strike in 1933. The situation in Gallup was politically charged due to the multi-faceted race issues that existed in the American West. Many of the miners were Mexican and, influenced by their experiences during the Mexican Revolution, were members of the communist National Miners Union. The white miners aligned with United Mine Workers of America. Additionally, by the 1930s, many Navajo Nation members from the abutting reservation had begun working in the mines in Gallup. The Navajo coal miners did not belong to any union and routinely crossed the picket line – they did not consider themselves as members of the world outside the reservation. This act further intensified the significant racism already directed at Native Americans in the West.
The strike turned violent in 1934 and the sheriff was shot and killed by a Mexican miner. Subsequently, the Mexican miners were deported en masse. The UMWA became the sole union, although it took another nine years for a contract to be signed by the coal companies.
Mural Depicting the Coal Mine Riot of 1934
We took advantage of the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Lots of delicious dishes to choose from. The only item we do not recommend is the beef tongue – it’s a texture thing!
We enjoyed our stay in Gallup. Fascinating western history, excellent local cuisine, fine coffee and great street art. However, please keep in mind this is not a trendy tourist town. As a result of the long history of cultural and socio-economic issues there is a legacy of high unemployment, high crime and poor education which is evident within the community.
A quick stop in Farmington, New Mexico for fuel, coffee and groceries and then we headed over the state line for the snow capped peaks of Colorado.
Mural, Farmington, New Mexico
Be seeing you!
ON THE ROAD with Maria + Stephen 