CLOUDCROFT ON HOLD, JUST TOO DARN COLD

Well, our plans to spend a few days hiking in Cloudcroft have been shelved due to the fact that they are predicting snow there. Enough said. Instead, we've just pulled into the campground at Valley of Fires (now that sounds warmer, doesn't it?) Recreation Area. It is an area where a volcano erupted about 5,000 years ago, and the terrain is black and craggy - very different from the rest of the terrain that surrounds the 6-mile swath of lava flow. Unfortunately, the wind speeds here are upwards of 40 mph, so mostly we are just sitting inside listening to the whistling wind, and experiencing the tossing of the Chinook with each big gust! The dust in the air is so thick that visibility is severely impaired. But it is warm (72 degrees) and the internet connection is good! Also, the bathrooms have hot water, soap, and paper towels!