Whtshos
Observer
Texas Backroad Borders
Spring 2018
Laud & Rositha Maroney w/Camino
Tim
Roger w/Sydney
Mike
George
- Somewhere around late 2015
- Started building a route named 4 Corners. Intent…go to the farthest cardinal points of Texas.
- Told a few friends about it.
- Made a plan.
- Soon realized it was going to be a boring run…..connected the dots with a purpose, worked through the logistics, and here we are!!
- March 8
- Camino and I departed Arlington around 13:00, enroute to Sweetwater for the evening. Set up camp on Lake Trammel with the place to ourselves.
- Grilled a couple of pork chops and enjoyed a beer, watching the sun set.
- Was notified Jay Are Smith was on his way to me to wish us good luck and drop off some goodies.
- Jay Are and Katherine showed up at 23:30….discussed both of our days’ adventures and wished each other safe travels.
- March 9
- Departed Lake Trammel with fuel and breakfast on the To-Do list.
- Filled both items in Pecos.
- Arrived at Balmorhea Lake to see Roger had just gotten there. Within 90 minutes, Tim, Mike and George all showed up.
- Greetings and beers immediately followed.
- Decals were applied to vehicles. Drones were test flown. A few issues were discovered, but worked through.
- Camp Fire discussion……..BitCoin…..
- Left over pork chop and beers for dinner.
- March 10
- Roger headed out towards Van Horn to pick up Mason Weems (land owner) who would join us for the first week.
- We all met again in Marfa for a fuel stop and lunch.
- Pinto Canyon Road was an excellent intro of what we were about to enjoy for the next few days.
- First touched our route in the Ghost Town of Ruidosa.
- Group Photos.
- SO MUCH COOL ROAD!!!!
- Passed on first invited stay location at an old air strip.
- Checked out a small memorial cave. Assisted locals out of a stuck situation.
- Very neat downhill section with large rock formation overhang.
- Many drop gates across much private property. (permission’s were granted)(read above logistics comment)
- Met ranchers on a Kubota SxS. Stated we were the most traffic they had seen in years.
- Unique marsh land….salt stained, burnt stumps, natural arch on Mexican side.
- Arrived on guests’ property. Explored on foot for two days.
- Tended to an old and forget cemetery, believed to be part of the old Brite Ranch. I’ll let you do some cool (1917 and 1918) research on that one….
- March 11
- Data dump. Great food day. Shelter area clean up. Large fire in tractor rim fire ring. Drinks and shenanigans.
- March 12
- Departed our hosts’ property and headed to Van Horn. More excellent roads and views.
- Met with Border Patrol and talked for a while.
- Fuel and fluid refills in Van Horn. Chuys restaurant for lunch. I did some work related qualification testing.
- Arrived at Indian Hot Springs (Private Ranch) Approached from the back access gate. Awesome road and views.
- Met up with our host and ranch hand. Terrye and Ruben. Amazing people!
- Left over pork steak and beers for dinner.
- The property dogs and ours, played for hours.
- March 13
- Lazy morning, no breakfast. Dogs played even more.
- Drone research and practice and settings adjustments.
- Given a tour of the property. Handed keys to the Jeep and Polaris.
- Buffalo Soldier Battlefield and memorial.
- Mayfield Canyon.
- Buddy House, Lake House (old General Store), and mountain lion traps with bait goats…..
- Visited a grave site of 3 unknowns….believed to be a squaw and 2 children. Respects payed.
- CRAB BAKE AND CRAB BOIL!!!
- Laundry started by all that evening.
- Showers and Hot Spring soaks were enjoyed.
- March 14
- Lazy Day, organized truck, abandoned village (2008 flood) exploration with guide. (Ruben)
- Beautiful Church, school, cemetery.
- Grilled Ribs, Dutch Oven Soup.
- Gift giving and dinner for our host. All devices charged and ready to go. Burnt all trash.
- Fed the bait goat in the canyon….in the dark….
- March 15
- Sadly departed Indian Hot Springs.
- Mike and George parted ways with us and headed back towards real life.
- Roger left the group for the evening, to take Mr. Weems back to his vehicle in Van Horn.
- Tim and I continued on towards El Paso. Late lunch in an old taco shop.
- Stopped in at the Chamizal National Monument and got a private tour by Park Ranger. (Monument was closed for construction)
- Accomplished the FAR WEST point of TEXAS….in the dark…
- Grabbed a night panorama shot of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez from the Franklin Mountains Pass.
- Fuel and Groceries outside of Ft Bliss.
- Arrived late to a Hard Landing area….just outside of Dell City.
- Set up camera for night shots and called it a night around 02:00
- March 16
- Woke up at the face of the Salt Basin Dunes. Beautiful morning!
- Drone footage of Roger joining us again.
- Hiked into the dunes for a few photos.
- Checked out the Salt Flats of TX.
- Stopped in Guadalupe National Park for the keys to Williams Ranch….road closed due to construction…grabbed patch and left to visit the Piney Station, a stop on the Butterfield Overland Postal Route.
- Met with Terra Firma Roamers on their return trip to the Gila NF at Red Bluff Reservoir.
- Brats and chocolate cake for dinner. Drinks and story tellin’.
- Data dump. Spy Drone visited us for a while….(local operator) chatted till 01:00
- March 17
- Said goodbye to TFR crew as they concluded their trip.
- We departed and followed a very slow and long stretch of lease road, through a very active gas field. Allowed entry to private section (read logistics) and continued out of gas operation area.
- Stopped for good fuel and bad food in Kermit.
- Got on an old, unmaintained lease road through an old oil patch with still pump jacks and great torn up roads….
- Neat Benchmark in the SE corner of NM and TX. First I’ve seen of its kind. Plastic covered with opening at BM. Pretty red sand dunes on the road.
- Encountered our first turnaround…H braces with a chain and cable…no attached fence, respected that and rerouted.
- Landed at Muleshoe NWR. Reece McPhillips joined us that evening. Tortellini and cake for dinner. Light rain at 03:00.
- March 18
- Woke to a light rain
- Departed at 07:30. Fuel and breakfast at the Wolverine Café in Texico….great food!
- Held a great pace all day. Very cool High Plains scenery and abandoned homesteads.
- Dropped off of the Cap Rock Plateau, very unexpected. Lots of deer and antelope.
- WIND, WIND, a little more WIND, LARGE GRASS FIRE and some WIND!!!!!
- Landed at Upper Plum Creek camp area at Lake Meredith.
- Steak & Beans in the 4W Camper….beers and stories…
- Wind shook the truck all night.