Return to Wagon Mound, NM

We spent Easter weekend in Colorado Springs. Not only did both Mike and I attend college in the Springs, but this is where we met, dated, got engaged, and got married not too far from there. So, Colorado holds many memories for both of us, and it was our first trip back since the wedding almost two years ago. It was about a 6 hour drive straight up I-25, so the drive was easy and the scenery was pretty. Well, parts of New Mexico aren't the best, but the beauty of Colorado made up for it!

At one point in the trip I had to stop and laugh as we passed through a town in New Mexico called Wagon Mound. My senior year of school, we were playing the University of New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, NM. On our drive home, the highway was completely whited out and we heard that at the NM/CO border, Raton Pass (a curvy road going through the mountains, impossible to drive without seeing the road!) was closed. The bus driver literally could not see a thing! We pulled off the highway and stopped at a little run-down gas station in this tiny town of Wagon Mound and while our coaches were trying to come up with a solution, we visited the food aisles in the gas station and purchased tons and tons of beef jerky, Cup'o'Noodles, Ramen, Combos, chocolate, and all the other junk foods you could imagine. To think of all that junk food now makes me sick, but it was all they offered!

The coaches then came back on the bus and told us we were going to Wagon Mound High School to spend the night. Apparently since Wagon Mound is close to Raton Pass, they have an emergency group who comes to open up the high school for stranded travelers. These nice people opened the concession stand and we ate our gas station fare along with nachos, burgers, & hot dogs. The gym was also available so we played basketball and knock out. They even had a projector screen so some people were watching movies.

Some of the girls playing knock-out

Some of us wanted to shower. After 2 games of softball earlier in the day, we were pretty disgusting. Unfortunately the school did not have showers, but they offered us the janitor's closet, which was a full-out blast of icy cold (oh yeah, it wasn't heated either!) water at chest level. I can't remember what we used for towels, but someone had a pair of Crocs that we rotated so that no one would have to step on the gross floor with their bare skin. Some of us braved the spray in order to feel somewhat clean, and then we slept on the thinnest couch cushions on the gym floor. It's one of the more random experiences of my life.

Coach T was always one to make the best of a bad situation! Love her! (And I believe it was her Crocs we used as shower shoes...thank you friend!)

Someone had the foresight to pack a deck of cards...

Our sleeping arrangement! Not only random but also uncomfortable!

Anyway, as we were driving north towards Colorado, I saw the exit for Wagon Mound and could actually see the high school and old gas station from the interstate! Kind of random, but it gave me a laugh. Once we got to the Springs, we went to my brother-in-law Steve's house and just basically hung out, saw some friends, ate amazing food at all our favorite places, went on one of our favorite hikes, and got to see some of Mike's family.

Mike and I both realized how much we miss good ol' C-Springs. It seemed that with every turn there was either something new to look at or something from the past that we could reminisce about. It's kind of nice to have a place like this that holds so many memories for both of us. We'd like to make it back there eventually, so here's hoping that it's sooner rather than later!