Another big Loop!

We only had one more Saturday left in New Mexico, so we hopped in the truck again and set out to see what we could see!
Looks like a great day for some 'splorin. #lastsaturdayinnewmexico #saturdayexcursion
Instead of heading north and then west like last weekend, we started out south and then headed for the mountains!
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We’d heard that the road over the mountain was still covered with snow and ice (as of three weeks ago), but we were still determined to see if we couldn’t make our way to the summit (Emory Pass) and then down the other side.
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Our drive took us through Hillsboro, a small historic community that boomed with the discovery of gold in the late 1800, was often attacked by the local Apache, and today is a “charming, peaceful village of a hundred souls boast[ing] flower-filled yards and old cottonwoods lining the main street.” We stopped to take advantage of the community restroom (thank you very much) and then continued on our way.
We crossed the Percha River
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(me thinks it gets a bit more robust during the spring snow melt)
and met some local fellows crossing the road.
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Here’s another shot of the Percha – complete with a waterfall!
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The road twisted and turned up through the Mimbres Mts
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(that tan stripe through the trees is the road).
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Finally we reached the summit – Emory Pass!
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It took our breath away (as did the wind!)
Thankfully, the roads were clear of ice and snow on the way down the other side. And we even spotted some Havalinas!
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They scurried out of sight, but I got out to see if I could get closer.
Oh – they were surprised!
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One finally stopped long enough for me to get it in focus –
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He’s still in the shade – but not to bad for a quick wildlife shot!
We continued down the mountain,
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heading toward Silver City. But as we were approaching the city, we noticed a mountain that had a slightly more man-made (or man sculpted) look.
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We assumed it was some kind of mining, and were delighted to see an entire viewing spot around the bend with more information. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the Chino Mine, aka Santa Rita Copper Mine.
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While I confess it wasn’t the most scenic part of the day, it certainly was interesting to read its history (it’s one of the oldest mines in the country) and its impact on the community and environment. Here we are standing in front of one of the tires used on the trucks that you can see going up the hill on the second photo.
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Youser!

We did finally make it to Silver City – a larger quaint NM town, full of artsy shops and interesting buildings.
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And it had lots of options for lunch! Yum!
Instead of rewinding our drive back over the mountains, we chose to go the long way home. Miles wise it was quite a bit longer. But actual driving time, only about 9 minutes. And that’s because most of the road looked like this –
NM Drive 1-30-16-35

We were home before dark and even had time for a quick nap before the sun set on our final Saturday in beautiful New Mexico (this time, anyway!).
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Stats for the day – Miles driven – 221 (!). Cost of fuel – $18.50 =) (Pretty sweet when it’s $1.56/gal!)

If you’d like to see more of the beautiful New Mexico countryside – there are a couple more pictures HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!
Steph

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