El Morro National Monument

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03af0f21egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="03b203c0.jpg" border=0 width="32" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#66334C" FACE="Arial" ><B>New Mexico National Monuments by Motorcycle</B></FONT><B>      |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="New Mexico National Monuments by Motorcy"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Petroglyph National Monument"><U>Petroglyph National Monument</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monumen"><U>Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pecos National Historical Park"><U>Pecos National Historical Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bandelier National Monument (Part 1)"><U>Bandelier National Monument (Part 1)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bandelier National Monument (Part 2)"><U>Bandelier National Monument (Part 2)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Valle Grande National Preserve"><U>Valle Grande National Preserve</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="El Malpais National Monument"><U>El Malpais National Monument</U></A>   |   <B>El Morro National Monument</B>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Very Large Array Telescope (VLA)"><U>Very Large Array Telescope (VLA)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chaco Culture National Historical Park"><U>Chaco Culture National Historical Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="El Malpais Hike"><U>El Malpais Hike</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Attempt at Pecos Baldy Lake"><U>Attempt at Pecos Baldy Lake</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="039f2f02egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03cf0f03.jpg"> <div> <I>El Morro National Monument</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0a940f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>This captures the monument quite well.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Location:  138 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico</div> <bR> <div> Trip Length: 287 miles covered during same trip as El Malpais NM</div> <bR> <bR> <div> An additional 25 or so miles past the El Malpais western visitor center (and over the Continental Divide at 7882') lies El Morro National Monument or otherwise known as Inscription Rock.  This is a sandstone outcrop that has a permanent spring underneath.  For all of human time visitors there have left graffiti carved into the stone as they visited the spring.</div> <bR> <div> Visitors include Indians that left petroglyphs, Spanish explorers and just plain old cowboys to name a few.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0a340f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The spring/pool is in the center of the picture - not easy to photograph</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Sorry about the small picture.  I had originally used all 5x7 images but download time was excessive,  Now just use one large pic per page.  These are compressed, original pics are spectacular - unfortunately for the viewer.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0a440f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Onate's scrawling.</B></div> <bR> <div> Juan de Onate left this inscription in 1605.  He was the first Spanish appointed governor of New Mexico.  It reads:</div> <bR> <div> "Passed by here the Governor Don Juan de Onate, from the discovery of the Sea of the South on the 16th of April, 1605".</div> <bR> <div> The Sea of the South was the Sea of Cortez - he thought he was the first to discover it.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0a7e0800.jpg" border=0 width="480" height="640" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Petroglyphs and more recent writings.</B></div> <bR> <div> There are some pueblo type ruins on the top.  I've seen these before, but the desire not to be in the heated afternoon winds on the Interstate keeps me going back to the road.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The trip home:</B></div> <bR> <div> Going back the same way I pass the Bandera volcano and ice caves.  This is a privately owned venture within El Malpais.  Think the forest service tried to buy it and incorporate it into El Malpais but the owners wanted too much money.  Costs 8 bucks to get in, had the weather been better would have gone in to get some pics.  Maybe a link will be posted later.</div> <bR> <div> The wind returning to the Interstate was fierce.  Teeth clinched, hands gripping maximum and 100% concentration.  If it kept up that badly on the Interstate I would have just gone 20 miles and stopped at an Indian Casino/Motel and waited it out - overnight if need be.</div> <bR> <div> Got to Grants and turned onto the Interstate.  Figured with my 6 gallon tank and 50+ mpg would get back easily to Albuquerque.  Twisted the throttle to get up to speed and the engine just died.  Coasted to a stop on the side of the road.  Turned on the reserve but it still wouldn't start.  Had a flashback of a conversation with a co-worker yesterday about what would happen if there were engine problems.  Just said I had a cell phone and "911".  Big talk then, sitting on the side of the road thinking how long it's going to take to get help and get home sucks.</div> <bR> <div> Got off the bike, walked around, checked the reserve petcock, got on, choked it - finally started.  Whew!  Looked for the nearest gas station and it was back up the road.  Great, I've got an off road bike just will turn in the median.  WRONG......this is Grants, road is cut through lava, the median between the highway is lava!</div> <bR> <div> Blew (literally) on down the road and found the last exit.  Took 4.7 gallons.  Will have to work on the gas useage details later.</div> <bR> <div> Wind died down gradually as Albuquerque approached (but is gusting to 39 mph as this is typed).  40 miles out of town had a pure tailwind.  Perfect motorcycling for the last miles.  Guess I earned it.......</div> <bR> <div> Trinity Site is open Saturday.  Crosswinds would really kill.  VLA Sunday.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Very Large Array Telescope (VLA)"><U>Very Large Array Telescope (VLA)</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>