Socorro New Mexico 2004 Blurb


   Well here I sit in the Pagoda at Rancho Cerro Gordo, in El Potrero Chico, Mexico. It's 25F and snowing! Seems like a good time to write about our last destination - The Enchanted Tower, New Mexico. High spirits caked our first night's arrival, even though one of us was sick as a dog. The next morning we found our way too the "Tower" entrance, only to find the gate locked with the dreaded "No Trespassing" sign, urgh. To Mexico we go right? But wait, there's suppose to be some decent bouldering just down the road, so says Dr. Topo, in a place called Box Canyon. We checked it out and voila, we became rooted with ambition and motivation. We ended up sticking around for what wound up to be about three weeks. Three weeks of awesome bouldering and some of the finest sport climbing we've done. That locked gate at the "Tower" opened with a combo that was only known to locals and the curious few who thought about investigating the idea beyond the oh mighty American sign.

   It felt good to boulder hard again, at least getting close to what it use to be. George is moving away from being a rock climbing tourist and closer to being a climber. The days at The Enchanted Tower were super pleasent, the routes there are of the heavenly pocket type, pockets, pockets and more pockets... Really soft stone and super steep walls and an abundance of horizontal movement - we're going back after Mexico!

   WARNING - SPRAY: Did yet "another" 5.13, a route called Demon. It was awesome, much like back in AK, short and powerfull. Here in Mexico 5.12 is a common onsight for me, and 5.13 is gonna start falling soon. I'm becoming younger again, lol. Grades are only spray to the ones who subconsciously, one way or another, care about the damn things! After all, it's just movement over stone.

   We ended up passing alot of time with a couple college going cats. Their hospitality was legendary, as was the abundance of wifi hotspots in the college town of Soccoro. The tempts were around 60F for highs and 20F for lows. Snow was surprisingly slightly common. Oh damn, also check out the hail damage that rained upon Soccoro just prior to our arrival. Oh, also the mud! After a big rain or snow, the mud on the backroads became like ice when it caked up on the tires, damn scary the first couple times.

   For sure the area was one of the "smartest" areas we've been to, with many of the locals being tech students at New Mexico Tech. The conversations never fell short of painfull. Though my computer skills did silently slip there into darkness, unlike here in Mexico where the skills seem to have plunged into nothingness; next to impossible to motivate when the mind is saturated in overhanging limestone ;)

   So, starting from Soccoro NM, I have been keeping track of the best burritos. To even be considered, the taste has to be authentic and not "fast". So, to start the flame, Sophias in Soccoro has the best burritos so far, but this could change tonight. It's Christmas Eve and we're in Mexico. Mel, wife, and family are cooking for the residents here, a challenge is beckoning - bring the ruckus!



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