May 22
Start: near hwy 96
Stop: Ghost Ranch
28 Miles
Total miles: 538
I decide not to push to Ghost Ranch for dinner which makes my morning miles feel very leisurely. A lazy meander up and over. The afternoon is filled with big sedimentary canyons. Layers of orange, yellow and red stack up all around me. Simply spectacular. I think of Georgia O’Keeffe all day and imagine her inspiration from this jaw-dropping environment.
The chocolaty Rio Chama is larger than I expect. It happily carries rafters and kayakers who I can hear laughing from my perch on the road. The holiday weekenders are out in force. Road walking gets me near Ghost Ranch but I’ll wait until morning to head in. Then I get a text from Beads that they’ve got a room and I should come. Plans are meant to be broken. I even get to return the umbrella to a very grateful Focus. Hot shower, laundry, talk of snow and Taos. Chocolate milk for dessert.
Journey Return 