Day 20 to Ghost Ranch

Despite it being summer solstice and the shortest night of the year, our water bottles were frozen this morning. Our destination for the day was Ghost Ranch. We had heard a lot of good things about it and convinced Ro to join us for a day off there even though it was off route for him.

Today was the opposite of yesterday- descending from subalpine forest to desert. The vehicular traffic was the same- one. Downhill was fast and fun and we pulled into Abiquiu before noon. The only commercial operation in town was Bode's store, but it was truly one stop shopping. A combination gas station, grocery, hardware store, curio shop, restaurant and ice cream parlor. We couldn't ask for anything more. We filled up on chili cheese burgers and ice cream and got supplies for the last leg of our trip.

After we crossed the Chama River (the first real river we'd seen since the Rio Grande on day1), the afternoon was a hot, grueling 13 miles on pavement through the desert to Ghost Ranch. Set amidst sandstone spires next to a stream and large fields of alfalfa, it seemed a true oasis. Once we checked in, things just got better. CDT and GDR travelers stay free the first night. The campground includes a bath house with hot showers, shaded porches, washing machine, fridge and microwave. Meals in the dinning hall are all-you-can-eat for $9. There is a library, snack bar, wifi and swimming pool... We were in heaven.

Owned by the Presbyterian Church, Ghost Ranch is a spiritual and artistic retreat center. Originally owned by 2 Mexican cattle rustlers, it has over time been a farm, dude ranch, artist colony, and paleontology site. It caters to groups of all kinds, who usually stay in one of many bunk houses, with week long classes in art-photography-nature-etc. We took full advantage of the AYCE dinner, cleaned up, then bedded down under the stars.

new plants seen- subalpine fir, scarlet gilia, tidy tips daisy

animals identified- elk, coyote, Western scrub jay, AZ race snake, 2 tailed swallow butterfly