2020 Winter Camping Trip Day6

2020 Winter Camping Trip Day6, 2020/12/1

We had a campfire in the morning. While we were chilling by fire, a dog came over out site. It was a puppy (cute!). We pet her and she looked excited. The next group person called the doggie and she went back. I heard the guy way saying to her, "Good girl" when she came back. Several groups were camping in campers. I saw another person had a morning walk with two dogs. In New Mexico, people like camping with dogs. Nice!

Zuni Mountain in the distance

rocks and snow

After we packed up we hiked 4 miles in El Malpais National Monument. The trailhead was just 10 miles from where we camped. The trailhead was very windy, but soon it got calm. The view was spectacular! Gorgeous Zuni mountains can been seen in the distance. There are many interesting rocks everywhere. 

After a half a mile of walk, we saw a car parked along the road about a mile away and from there a person and dogs were coming to the trail we were on. Dogs were running ahead of a hiker. Actually they were sprinting toward us. A brown lab and a black lab came to us and wagging and jumping to us. They were so happy and excited. I pet them. So cute! Soon the hiker caught up with doggies and asked us if the black one pooped. She said that the black one, his name is Shadow, hadn't pooped for a couple of days. We didn't see Shadow pooped. We talked a little with her with social distancing. She saw her neighbor abusing Shadow for one and half year: Shadow was on leash without any walking outside and not been taken care of well. So she bought Shadow. Shadow with her looked very happy. She is an artist and rescued an abused animal. This reminded me of Ms.H, an artist, who recently rescued Nemty the cat, due to many common traits of them. 

Talking with her on the trail was interesting. She is originally from New York City. After we said we are from Boston, she said that she had lived in Somerville. What!? We live in Somerville! We told her that we came from Boston instead of Somerville (just a couple of mile from Boston), because nobody knows Somerville. She actually lived twice in Somerville close to the place we live! WOW. What a coincidence. In the middle of nowhere, only 3 people in the vast public land in winter, talking about small city in Massachusetts which is far away from the trail. She said that NYC is indeed a center of art, and she is an artist, but NYC is too intense. So she decided to move to New Mexico, even though Mississippi was the most West she had been to at that time. She wanted to go to a beautiful place. So she just jumped on the Amtrak to the West without having a place to live or job. Wow. She lived in Albuquerque for a while and then moved to Grants, the city close to the trail eight years ago. She also kindly taught us that we could find stuff from native Americans. She showed where and how they looked like. 

a lot of broken bowl or something

decoration can be seen!

 

She picked up a piece of bowl or dish from ancient native Americans who live in the area. Pictures above are some of them. It was very exciting to see a piece with some decorations. Wow. On the way back to the trailhead, we found a lot of pieces of these kind. It was exciting. 

One thing not exciting was a Coca-cola can I saw near the trail.  It was abandoned along the trail. It was an old design with 6.5 Fl Oz (192 mL) style. According to the internet, that Coca Cola can design was sold in 1960's. Still the can is intact as it was after all the 60 years. Not good! 
Another thing I thought was...now Coca Cola can is 330 mL.....this explains how much more people are obese now! Sigh. 

Last part of the trail was a bit of scrambling, but it was great view! Love the West. 
Then we ate lunch and went off to Kanab, Utah. 

Nice View