23 October 2015, Friday

We are back on the road. This morning we head towards Chiricahua
National Monument. We drive through over 100 miles of desert basin
and range. We finally get off of I-10 east and begin following signs
to the National Monument. It seems improbable that there can be
anything interesting out here, until we arrive at the canyon. If
Goblin Valley, Utah had petrified goblins, this place has trolls –
giant trolls, and castles, and cathedrals, and balanced rocks, and a
giant stone “duck,” and even a formation that reminds me vaguely
of Snoopy. We walk a 3½ mile loop through the various hoodoos and
formations, down into Bonita Canyon, past the grottos, across the
creek, and back up again. In addition to the rocks there are desert
flowers, lizards and birds.

We return to the beautiful campground where we had set up our tent
earlier in the day. When we were there early this afternoon, only a
few small trailers and tents were present. Now there is a giant RV blocking the
road to our site. The campground host advises us to go around the
one-way campground road the wrong way to get to our tent. She figures
the big rig will be awhile wriggling into place. As we eat our supper
two other giant rigs show up. There are bright headlights, loud
engines, louder generators, and lots of people with flashlights
yelling instructions: “hard right!” “hard left!” “watch the
ditch!” One big RV finally gives up and leaves.

These campgrounds were built in the 1930’s for tents, not for today’s
giant RV’s. There are supposed to be length limits here, but some
people try to ignore them. I propose that there should be a giant
stripe painted on the entry road. If rig plus vehicle exceeds the
length of the stripe, no entry is permitted!  The noise and lights
continue for an hour and a half. O and I are hoping for quiet soon.
The host promises to talk to our neighbors about their bright lights.
Perhaps it will be quiet by 8. We’re just hoping the campground road
is clear when it is time for us to leave in the morning.