On Friday, March 20, 2026, we left the wide-open gravel expanse of Chosa Campground and pointed the truck west toward the mountains above Silver City, New Mexico. Our destination was Mesa Campground in the Gila National Forest, a welcome change from desert boondocking to pine trees and cooler air. When we arrived, the campground host greeted us with the news that all electric sites were taken. After a few days at Chosa, that felt less like bad news and more like a return to normal life.
We claimed Site 9, an outside pull-through with a legitimately nice view through the trees. On paper, it looked like an easy win. In practice, it turned into a minor geometry problem. The site was just narrow and short enough to make positioning the trailer more complicated than many of the back-in sites we’d handled recently. After a bit of maneuvering (and a little humility), we finally got everything lined up just right and settled in.
The next day, March 21, we loaded up the kayaks and headed to Lake Roberts, a small but scenic mountain lake about 5 minutes away. We launched easily and spent several hours paddling the shoreline. The lake was calm, the air was cool, and the setting—surrounded by ponderosa pines—felt like a completely different world from where we’d been just days earlier.
We saw ducks, other waterfowl, a bald eagle overhead, and at one point a very large fish that launched itself partially out of the water right next to me, which was equal parts thrilling and mildly alarming. We pulled up to a small island for lunch and had the place entirely to ourselves. After lunch we paddled to the dam and checked out the spillway, which had no water running over it. Being right next to the spillway made Lake Roberts feel like the world’s largest infinity pool. While paddling the lake was easy and enjoyable, it was one of those simple afternoons that ends up being a highlight.
Sunday found us attending church with the small but welcoming congregation at the Cobre Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in nearby Bayard, New Mexico. The branch is modest in size, but the warmth of the members more than made up for it. We stayed afterward visiting with the Branch President, Relief Society President, and Elders Quorum President, and left feeling like we’d spent time with old friends rather than people we had just met.
Monday brought cooler weather, which felt like an invitation to get outside again. We chose a short hike on the Purgatory Chasm Trail. It’s not a long hike, but it packs in a surprising amount—interesting rock formations, a bit of water, some shade, and enough variety to keep things engaging. It’s the kind of trail that doesn’t demand much but still delivers. The rest of the day was quiet and productive, spent relaxing at camp and doing some study and preparation for our upcoming mission.
On Tuesday, we drove out to City of Rocks State Park, one of the more unique landscapes in New Mexico. On the way, we stopped for breakfast at M&A Bayard Café in Bayard—a small, local spot that felt exactly like the kind of place you hope to find on a trip like this. Well-fed, we continued on to the park.
City of Rocks is exactly what it sounds like—massive volcanic rock formations rising out of the desert floor like a natural maze. We spent time wandering through the formations, climbing here and there, and keeping an eye out for petroglyphs. Linda managed to find a couple of particularly interesting ones, including depictions of the familiar hunchbacked flute player—often associated with Kokopelli—hidden in less obvious places. One was etched on the back side of a rock within a small cavity and covered by a hand-sized stone. There’s something oddly satisfying about discovering something like that and then carefully putting it back the way you found it, like you’re part of a quiet, unspoken agreement with everyone who comes after.
After exploring the park, we drove up a rocky hill just east of the main formations (near the park’s overlook area), which rewarded us with a sweeping view of the entire landscape. From above, the scattered rock columns look even more surreal, like someone dropped a box of giant stone blocks across the desert.
From there, we headed into Silver City for a late lunch at Jalisco Café, a long-standing local favorite. The food was solid, the portions were generous, and perhaps most importantly, it was pleasantly cool inside—always a winning combination.
The drive back to camp took us along New Mexico State Road 15, a narrow, winding mountain road that we knew all too well. Nearly ten years ago, we had hauled our trailer up that road, ignoring the very clear warning signs about sharp turns and limited clearance. At one particularly tight hairpin, we were forced into the opposite lane and came uncomfortably close to a head-on encounter with a Prius. This time, even without the trailer, the turns felt tight enough to demand full attention. It’s safe to say our risk tolerance has matured a bit over the last decade.
Back at camp, we closed out the evening the right way—with a campfire using wood purchased from the state park. Dinner was simple: roasted hot dogs, followed by s’mores. There’s something about sitting around a fire in the mountains that makes even the most basic meal feel like an event. It was a fitting end to our stay, and a nice pause before heading on to Tucson for nearly a week with family.
| Nights | Total Nights | Miles | Total Miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 387 | 310 | 34248 |