27Jun2008 From Amarillo to Carlsbad Caverns, via Lubbock, Texas

From Amarillo TX, we started early for Carlsbad NM as we wanted to stop by Lubbock to visit the Buddy Holly Center. Disappointingly, this turned out to be a very short visit.
We checked into a BW near White City and drove to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It was already mid afternoon and most tours started earlier. So we got tickets for the King's Palace tour for the next day.

We surveyed the surrounding desertscape from the viewing area by the Visitors Center. One of four great desert regions of the American continent, the Chihuahuan Desert starts from the State of Chihuahua in Mexico. It sprawls northwards into Texas and New Mexico. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, almost 47000 acres, is located on the northern end of this desert.

Our images of deserts are likely to be miles and miles of featureless undulating sand dunes but the Chihuahuan Desert is very different. Even a desert has water, but it is scarce. The availability of water defines the difference and characterises the landscape. The area we were in had about 14 inches (35cm) annually - much of this as late summer deluges. The heavy rains cause quick flooding but are short lived. Plants that can capitalise on these brief downpours are able to become part of this ecosystem. The topography of the land creates different environments. Cilffs with slopes which face the sun directly support the hardiest vegetation, those facing the opposite direction and have shorter hours in the sun can even be expected to harbour trees, albeit the hardy types - like junipers. Where there is relatively more water, such as near small seeps, even maples and less drought resistant growths can be found.
A visitor's pamphlet described this desert as "bleak, barren and beautiful". It went on to state that "deserts are among the last great wildernesses on earth, valuable for their lessons of survival, their beauty, and their solitude". Such refreshing thoughts would never have occurred to city folks. It would be fitting to learn the names of a few desert plants.

Bats are flying nocturnal mammals that feed on insects. They help to keep the insect population in check. We waited in the amphitheatre by the Natural Entrance for the spectacle of the 'bat flight' which takes place just after sunset. The show of flying Mexican free-tailed bats turned out to be one of the highlights of our entire trip!



Distance traveled 361.4 miles





Just the odd mill now and then, otherwise its miles and miles of open space from Amarillo, Texas to Carlbad, New Mexico.


Another big one out in nowhere


We went through Lubbock on the way to Carlsbad just so that we could visit the Buddy Holly Center. The place was quite small and they didn't allow taking pictures of the artifacts inside, so we left after a short while. But we could not resist buying the special DVD put together by Paul McCartney about the influence that Buddy Holly had on the history of rock and roll. Only true aficionados would know that the Beatles actually tried to learn how Buddy created magic with his guitar during his UK tour.


Buddy Holly's signature was his heavy black rimmed glasses. He was one of my favorite rock and roll artists. The famous refrain from that folk-rock classic American Pie: " ...the day that music died..." referred to the day Buddy died in a plane crash at age 22!


We knew these contraptions were used to water the crops but it took some time to figure out how they worked.


The water at the end of the vertical pipes slated the thirst of the sun drenched fields. They made sure that the nozzles were close to the ground to minimise evaporation.


Managed to get a reasonably decent shot of this pivot irrigation system as we zoomed by at over 80mph. Some clever person figured out that the irrigating arm should be moving radially and the seeds were planted so that all the plants got their ration of water.


Rare oil well still being pumped, for some reason the machinery appeared to be in very good condition but we didn't stop to check it out.



Thought there was something wrong with my eyes - wot? Did we really zoom pass a Gin Distillery in the desert? We passed signs for a Pecan farm but 'Gin'?! In retrospect, I guess it made sense as gin is made from the juice from of juniper berries and these trees were allover the semi-arid desert nearby.






Ah, at least someone was driving his tractor.



The whole area looked deserted, but the gas price at Hester's Self Serve was current, at 4.07 for unleaded. So the locals must be having cold drinks and sandwiches inside.


All of a sudden there was this WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO sign, but where was everybody?


Ah, an RV Park billboard, maybe we would see some people soon.




The entrance to the Carlsbad Caverns NP in New Mexico but the entrance to the caverns proper was still some ways off.


The entry times were restricted as they didn't want to lose anybody. Equally important they didn't want humans to pollute the special underground habitat by being there on their own, without the supervision of the Park Rangers.


The surrounding mountainside on the way up to entrance of the Carlsbad Caverns was dry and hospitable only to the hardiest plants and animals. Small cave entrances pockmarked the slopes.




Cactus is the classic desert plant but there are many species. One of the most well known is the prickly pear cactus with its characteristic spiny paddle-shaped pads. They grow in thick patches and flower in May. Prickly pear fruit can be eaten raw. They can also be made into jams. In exceptionally dry seasons, ranchers remove the thorns before the pads are fed to the cattle.
This plant is beautiful yet dangerous to touch - the spines are capable of inflicting painful injuries.


The yellow green really standing out.


Double click to FULL SCREEN to see the insects in the photo.


Cholla (pronounced choy-ya) is sometime called walking stick cholla or cane cholla. This plant is a good example of flora evolved to survive in the harsh desert environment. The spongey tissues in the stem retains water. The leaves have adapted to prevailing conditions by being spine-like. After storing up sufficient water, the Cholla puts forth purple flowers and yellow fruits.



The Cholla in its dried up state - the structure supports the plant in strong winds. It looks dead but when the rains return, it will thrive again.


The intriguing surface interest provided by the bark of the American Elm tree


The American Elm


There are very serious about the ecosystem at the Carlsbad National Park, New Mexico.


Juniper tree with berries - they are all over this area. Never very tall because of strong winds and lack of water, it a useful flora, animals eat the berries (seeds) and the branches provide shelter; goods fences can be built with its hard wood. It is also favored for cooking as high heat is given off when the wood is burnt and the shaggy bark of the juniper makes for good torches.


Prickly pear cacti again.


Semi-arid desert plants.


Ocatillo (pronounced O-ko-tee-yo) is really well adapted to the dry and scorching desert conditions which prevails for most of the year. But when the rains come, the heavens really open up. This plant is able to absorb large amounts of water in a short time, and sprouts leaves with colourful flowers in a hurry. When the dry spell returns, leaves are shed leaving only a thorny skeleton, which await resurrection by the next deluge. Native Americans that lived in this harsh land fed on the flowers and seeds of the Ocatillo. Medicinal value was derived from bathing in a solution made from the roots which was supposed to relieve fatigue. When planted close together, the resulting thorny barrier provided good protection from intruders.


Gradually people sauntered in and waited patiently for sunset - that's when the 'bat flight' show began. No photo-taking or video-recording was allowed - the signals from cameras disturbed these nocturnal flying mammals that navigated by sonar. All were advised not to speak and everyone had to be seated. The packed amphitheatre was absolutely silent. Once the sun had gone, as if by magic, the bats flew out by the tens of thousands and headed out in swarms to feed on insects in the fields. The mass exodus continued for forty minutes before the last of the stragglers departed. We sat stunned and transfixed for some time even though the 'show' was over. The Rangers explained that the bats would return before daybreak - their bodies bloated with food, which was at least fifty percent of their body weight. They would literally drop through the openning of the cavern (seen in the photo), attach themselves upside down to the roof and sleep. The same natural phenomenon would be repeated every evening, early spring through to October, whence they migrate to Mexico for the winter.