New Mexico @en
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The journey resumes…
Thank you for your latest messages triggered by the long rest of the blog. Vivalavida received important works, including the modification of the entire oil system to try to improve cooling. The oïl to water exchanger has been removed and replaced by a large oil cooler controlled by a thermostat. I hope that recurring heat problems will be if not solved at least reduced.
After the long break period, VivaLaVida has hit the road again.
1. Heavy thunderstorms dot the plains of New Mexico.
2. Some dump hail..!
3. I make a stop at the Overland Expo West, South of Flagstaff, where I see John & Mandi again who started their journey since two weeks for their Pan American: from Alaska to Patagonia…
4. Camping stop with Chris and Jennifer on the shore of Lake Powel.
5. V4 with the “Sherpa” installed, the Chris’s very special van going up the Grade Kelly on the Smoky Mountain Road.
6. Camping at Deer Creek, along the Blurr Trail. The Sherpa is a base station for group camping. It offers a double bed in the upper part once lifted.
7. Fantastic view over the north of Capitol Reef and the Water Pocket Fault.
8. View toward South.
9. VLV in the Upper Muley Twist Canyon.
10. V4 going down the Blurr Trail.
11. A few hundred feet below, it is only a small point…
12. Temple Mountain Under thundersotrms.
Vivalavida is gonna stop again for some technical changes, the oil cooler mounted recently needs to be repositioned. If it significantly lowers the oil temperature, the hot air flow is building heat in the transmission. We must find another solution.
So expect a few delays before new updates… 😉
New Mexico
I’m then in New Mexico where I visited two sites even I had very few time to hit the road to the Baja.
The first one is a small State Park called City of the Rocks. an area of about one mile long by half a mile large where hundreds of eroded rocks make pinacles where it’s allowed to camp. I arrived at Sunset end enjoyed the last rays of light…
1. On the road, just before arriving at City of the Rocks.
2. Sunset on the pinacles…
3. … and sunrise the next morning.
4. A real labyrinth!
5. First light on dry grass.
6. Where VivaLaVida camped.
7. California quail, spectacular but not easy to approach.
I then went to a site where about 800 years aga, indians used to live in cliff houses.
8. Short stop in the charming town of Silver City
9. Arrival on the site of Gila Cliff Dwellings.
10. Bowl created by crushing of grains.
11. Wall were partially closing the overhangs…
12. … to create rooms…
13. … sometimes really high in the cliff.
14. Another view of the interior.
15. It’s one of the largest sites of cliff houses with le Mesa Verde National Park.
16. I slept a few tens of miles away in a beautiful mountain pine forest at nearly 6,000 feets above sea level.
Thats’s it for today. There will still be an update on my road crossing Arizona before offering you the story of our trip to Baja… 😀