New Mexico, Gallup - Saturday, October 31, 2015 - Tucumcari to Gallup, NM

Our trip through New Mexico on I-40 was filled with all kinds of mountain and mesa views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although this looks like a pile of asphalt sitting along the interstate it is actually lava rock in the 3000 year old El Malpais (badlands) lava fields near Grant, NM.

 

 

 

We had to make a pit stop in Albuquerque because our “check engine” light came on several times as we were going up and down the mountains.  This happened last year so we knew where to stop.  For some reason the crankcase filter is getting plugged.  We need to find out why, but for right now the new filter will get us going.  We were able to get the filter at the Freightliner Service facility but they couldn’t get it installed until Tuesday.  They pointed us to a repair shop that was just one exit back.  Normally Greg would replace a filter but to replace this one you have to get into the engine compartment and crawl over the engine to reach it – it takes a skinny guy, luckily one was working today at the repair shop.  I should have taken a picture of the engine compartment.  The first guy that came out to look at it just said, “really?” and called over someone smaller.

 

 

Although they are few and far between there are a few touches of color out here.

We passed over the Continental Divide at exit 47.  I was busy taking this picture and missed the sign that gave the elevation, I think it was 7,263 ft.  I didn’t realize what the Continental Divide is until I looked it up.  Basically it is where the flow of rainfall divides.  To the west of the Divide the rain drains through watersheds to the Pacific Ocean and to the east it drains through a river system to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.  It tends to follow a line of the high peaks along the main ranges of the Rocky Mountains.

We were pleased when we filled up with diesel out here - $2.32 is much cheaper than the $4.00 plus we were paying per gallon last year.  I tried to snap a picture of this sign showing $1.99 per gallon for regular gas if you paid cash.  It was flashing back and forth between the credit and cash number and all I could ever get was the credit number, which is still pretty good.

 

 

We are staying this evening at USA RV Park in Gallup, NM.  This is in the mountains of upper New Mexico.  When Greg looked at the expected low for this evening he found that it is expected to get into the low 20’s.  Definitely not staying here for more than one night!!!