Palomas Gap Adventure

Palomas Gap is just that, a gap between two mountains with a narrow canyon at the base.

It splits the Caballa Mountain Range from east to west and is east of Caballa Lake.

Below is the east end of the canyon.

It really doesn't look like anything special - just another canyon.

After determining that it was inaccessible to us, we chose to follow the road.

It begins by skirting around the front of the mountain to the right in the photo below.

Then it curves around behind and into the gap.

It climbs almost immediately and is carved into the side of the mountain.

and climbs

Looking back -- we really haven't gone all that far yet.

And climbs some more

The 'road' becomes a very narrow shelf road in places.

Most of the more extreme narrow spots were on the driver's side for which I was grateful.

The switchbacks are supported by manmade stone walls as you can see in this photo.

I always pray the builder(s) had some idea what he was doing

and

hadn't been on a toot the night before.

So far, so good

I'm here to tell the story.

And climbs

Way out there where the land is flat is where our adventure began.

It was in this general area that "Garmin Gert" (our GPS) said, "Turn left".

She was kidding, right?

But she didn't laugh.

There was no possible left turn for a long distance - or right.

Was she crazy or wildly drunk???

Vic chose to ignore her directions.

The drop to the left was something under 1,000 feet!

Still not  a place to lose it, but the drop angle is much less severe now.

Go over the edge and roll and roll and roll and....

The view back

and across

and down.  What is that down there?

Oops - wonder if they listened to "Garmin Gert"

and turned left?

Or just lost it?

Or pushed it over the side?

The opposite side

Finally there was a left which we took to cross to the opposite side.

From here we can see where we have been.

Interesting the way the road is cut into the side of the mountain.

We still have miles and a couple of hours to go but, most of the

hair raising

breathtakingly

awesome part of the day is over.

At this end of the gap there are many glory holes, tailings and other remnants of mining days, such as this bulding,

The return trip to Elephant Butte took us through some lovely ranch country.

One day soon we'll go back and try it from the other direction.

The gap will look entirely different.