Border Patrol & Canyon Catwalks

Hi friends!

When we left Alamogordo, we knew we wanted to continue west toward Arizona. So we decided to make a stop in Silver City, NM for a few days. Little did we know what an adventure that would be!

First, as we were trekking along the interstate, we started seeing signs that said ALL vehicles must pull over for inspection. We feel relatively accustomed to interstate travel since we have already journeyed over 2000 miles - so to see these signs, we both looked at each other and said "All?!". Well, sure enough, ALL traffic was guided through a border patrol checkpoint. We cautiously moved through the line - not knowing what was expected. I even wondered if I would be "busted" for taking pics lol! Meh, it was no big thang...but it did get our hearts pumping a bit faster!

We arrived in Silver City and set up camp. Yay! We even had a "camp cat" visit us while we stayed. :)

Based on input from locals and friends, we knew we wanted to venture up to the Whitewater Canyon. This recreational area, located in the Gila National Forest, offers visitors a chance to walk along a suspension bridge through a canyon of volcanic walls. The area was originally created as an ore processing mill in 1893 - taking advantage of the nearby gold and silver mining. If you're interested in the full history, I encourage you to Google it. For this post, I want to talk about the views!

The views during the drive were amazing as we entered the National Forest. We also pulled off to take in the scenic/historic markers.

Now for the fun part! Entering the parking area of the trail entry, we found only one other vehicle. Yay - that means we can meander at our own pace!

We saw some interesting trees haha! And Whitewater Creek was moving pretty quickly for this time of year. Nothing like the sound of rushing water and the smell of leaves and earth to make you feel connected to nature!

We saw remnants of the old processing mill set up along our walk! Old bolts and beams were visible all along the walk.

The views along the catwalk were breathtaking. Pictures don't do it justice and I'm seriously struggling in composing this post!

To think that the little creek we saw carved out such an amazing canyon over hundreds of years is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The creek during monsoon season (July - September) literally floods the canyon! The height and depth of the canyon truly makes one feel VERY small.

We left the canyon soul-refreshed and in wonder of this exceptional country in which we live! Thanks for subscribing to our blog - please leave questions/comments if there are ways to improve! :0)