Portal into a New Dimension (Autonomy Ranch) 12.23.24

Driving west and south after leaving Palo Duro Canyon, we were relieved to find campgrounds and dry camping areas to be open.  We drove without stopping much through the Malpais and White Sands areas, heading for the Arizona-New Mexico border.  Our destination was Portal, Arizona, not really a town but a census-designated area of widely-spaced properties and government land.  It is flat, dry desert, with thorny shrubs, cacti, especially prickly pear, and yucca, and here our friend Sajad from Park Forest has a parcel with a handsome 33-foot RV that is his winter home.  (He originally bought our vintage Burro trailer.)  He calls it Autonomy Ranch.  There are very few buildings in the area, and spectacular mountain views in all directions.  The area is considered prime for both bird-watchers and star-gazers.  Quiet and peaceful, it seems a good place to stay for a while.

It takes some decompression to get from a city/highway mindset to a place where everything requires a drive and amenities like supermarkets, medical facilities and other supplies may be an hour or more away.  Portal is an hour from Douglas, AZ, the closest place to grocery shop (see photo – pastel stucco houses and tall narrow evergreens, which I think are a type of juniper, are typical of that town).  It is 2 ½ hours from Tucson, the closest large city.  This means everything has to be planned.  There is a gas station and smaller stores in the area for emergencies, and a mercantile that is similar to a convenience store but also has an extensive hardware department.  With so few people around, it is a good idea to get to know your neighbors, and Sajad has devoted considerable time to showing us around and introducing us to the locals.  The issue of driving considerable distances is offset by the respite from finding places to stay every night, as well as frequent hooking and unhooking of the trailer.  We are learning different ways to get water and maintain our tanks. 

The sun slips behind the mountains to the west a good half hour before the actual sunset time, so we are learning to calculate when we will arrive back home, taking care not to drive after dark.  The roads to the property are gravel and hardly marked, and it would be easy to miss a turn and head into the mountains, which are even darker with less signage.  LCR and I made a trip to Tucson one day for a piece of hardware for the trailer, and though we concluded our business quickly, we barely made it back before the silent darkness fell.  Night driving is not one of our favorite activities, but especially in an area we don’t know, so we won’t be making that mistake again.  I also made a day trip to Douglas and neglected to fill the gas tank in time before returning.  I got home okay but the fuel level was low enough to be nerve-wracking.  I’ll get used to filling the tank timely and starting earlier! 

The temperatures here are in the 60s and sometimes lower 70s in the daytime, but can dip close to freezing at night, so it is necessary to dress for various temperatures.  I need sunblock and live in a sun hat and a jacket or light shirt, because the Arizona sun is indeed intense.  It feels a bit odd to be watching my favorite Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music in these temperatures and without snow outside the windows.  I really miss my family and the holiday music season, but I’m enjoying being here too.  Evenings are often spent by a campfire after eating Pakistani barbecue.  Sajad is a terrific cook. 

A hike around the property is a daily activity.  There are signs of wildlife in the area – jackrabbits, javelinas, of course many birds, and the security cameras of a nearby ranch picked up a mountain lion sighting one night.  I had not actually seen any animals until yesterday.  They stay clear of humans.  There are other, nastier creatures, of course – spiders and snakes – but they are dormant in winter.  And not visible, but very vocal, is a pack of coyotes who can be heard howling and yipping at sunset and sunrise.  We’re told they make a circuit around the base of the mountain range, starting in the west and circling north and east.  Sometimes they get close enough to annoy local dogs who can be heard barking in response.  They too are shy of humans, though I wouldn’t necessarily want to be tent camping in the mountains when they are out there. 

Yesterday I did see a group of four javelinas circling behind our compound.  I thought of them as wild pigs, but apparently they are technically not pigs, but peccaries.  The differences are technical but they look pretty much like pigs, and eat plants, roots and small animals like pigs do.  Apparently they are protected out here so they’re quite common.  They are not considered dangerous to humans and other large animals, except for dogs.  To us they look ugly, but it’s still fun, like seeing a zoo animal in your backyard.  The photo above was taken through the back window of the Bigfoot.  I did not go outside while the javelinas were there!

 

Signage:

Never miss a good chance to shut up.  – Sign at Valley Mercantile, Animas, AZ