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New Mexico
When I arrive at Fort Union National Monument, it is late and there is snow on the ground so I immediately begin getting ready for sleep.
The temperature is hovering at freezing and have noticed that the cold temperature brings all of the moisture in my van to the windows, moisture that is hard to remove without a heater. Still, I find that wiping down the windows and then hanging the towel outside at night helps.
(Day 930 BR) 23°F.
Santa Fe Trail. Elevation 6400 feet
This morning is very cold, the coldest it has been on this journey and I like it. Upon rising, I remove the frozen frost from the insides of the windows. This is another way to remove moisture from inside a vehicle, especially one that you are living in. I scrap the ice from the windows and deposit it outside. Any ice scraper will work or if you do not have one like myselƒ, I use a credit card.
After the sun rises, it warms up quite a lot and I drive into the park to see the fort. From the parking lot, foot paths allow me to examine the fort, now in total ruins. The imagination is needed to picture how it was during the late 1800′s.
(m4fort-nm-union-2010-0316.0902)
Fort Union on the Santa Fe Trail
In the late afternoon, I arrive at Capulin Volcano National Monument, and when arriving at the entrance station, the ranger tells me that she is just about to close he park, but that I have just enough time to drive to the top because she also needs to drive up to insure everyone is on the way down.
(m2vo-nm-capulin-2010-0316.1636) The
Capulin Volcano
Upon arriving at the top, methinks the main reason that I stop at national and state parks along my journey is that there is so much to learn from these visits.
For instance, this volcano is a cinder volcano, and in school, I learned that cinder cones are one of the three types of volcanoes: cinder, composite and shield.
Leaving Capulin, I drive south on SR 325 until I arrive at US 87, turn west an drive to IH 25, turn north to Raton, NM, where I stop to find a place with WiFi.
Colorado
After a short stop at the visitors center, I return to the iterstate and continue north into Colorado and as far north as Wasenburg, Colorado, where I exit onto US 160 and head west while watching a snow covered mountain to the north. Looking on the map, I see that the mountain is Blanca Peak and is 14,344 feet.
(b1a06-32b.20100316.1908) Blanca Peak, one of Colorado′s 53 fourteeners.
After passing Fort Garland, I stop to photograph the sunglow that is highlighting the tops of it′s peaks. Then, I continue westward and at about seven pm, the jammer begins showing signs of an electrical problem.
Engine Trouble with the Jammer
I notice that the electric gauge is showing a low charge, so I turn off my lights and all other electrical items, reverse direction and return to Fort Garland where I find a place park my van for the evening and then get into the back trying to go to sleep, but I just keep mulling over what I am going to do in the morning.
(Day 929 BR) 31°F. windy
Overnighting in a parking lot
With a freezing wind blowing, I rise, disconnect the battery and carry it to a small garage next door to have it charged. Then by nine this morning, I drive west to the next town, Alamosa which the mechanic tells me has several ap-marts.
Upon arriving, I asked the clerk to check the alternator in the jammer, which he does so with it still on the van and the charging test failed. He tells me that to get a more accurate test results, it is better to remove the alternator to test it. So I pulled the alternator and when he tests it inside, it fails again.
After installing the new alternator, I try again to get the heater to working without the cooling system leak but I am not able to. So I reinstall my bypass hose, fill the radiator and begin driving east on US 160 to SR 150 where I turn north and drive to the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
(b1a06-32b.20100317.1411) Great Sand Dunes National Park
(b1a06-32b.20100317.1450) Great Sand Dunes National Park
After leaving the national park, I head east on US 160 back to IH 25 and drive north towards the next park when somewhere north of Walsenburg, Colorado the engine begins to act up again, this time with different symptoms. It is then that I notice the water temperature has reached the red line so I immediately turn off the engin, pull over and check the radiator which has steam coming from the cap.
Apparently, I forgot to tighten it to the second notch, only closing it to the first notch and now the engine has overheated. I do have a gallon of antifreeze and a gallon of water and add them when the engine cools. Next, I start the engine and drive it about a mile and it heats up again so I stop at a place where there is a creek with flowing water and fill up the empty bottles. When the engine cools again, I fill up the radiator with the water but the engine will not start.
I then decide to call my insurance for a tow and while I am talking with the insurance person, a Colorado State Patrol officer walks up, looks into my window and asks if I need help. I tell him that I am calling for a tow truck and he tells me that I am at mile post number 56. I relay the mile post number to the insurance person and she arranges for a tow truck to pick me up and take me back to town.
After loading my van, I have the driver drop me off in the parking lot of a d-mart. There is enough coolant in the radiator to prevent it from freezing, so when I arrive in town, I will just sleep in my van tonight. In the morning, I will try to start it again. If it does not run, I will call to arrange for help.
As I lay wide awake in the back of my van, I begin praying while meditating on how quickly our circumstances can change here on this earth and how important it is to maintain our complete trust in God. Then, during my meditating, I recall an old
Life Lesson, one that was learned but so easily forgotten. No matter how bad it gets on life′s path, always keep cheerful.
Who knows? I could be walking tomorrow. Nevertheless, I hope that will not be the case and I will contact the local brothers for some suggestions.
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