Sleeting in Datil

2/12 - We had a little extra time, so we decided to drive out to where Hwy 12 runs into 60 at Datil, and work on 12 from that end, for a change of pace. The skies over Aragon didn't look too threatening, so we didn't bother with gloves, hats, those sensible things people bring along when they're walking in the middle of winter. By the time we got 15 miles away from Datil, we were noticing black clouds to the north, but we didn't worry too much. Weather around here usually moves west to east, and south to north, and I was expecting that the storm would move off in the direction of Albuquerque.

As soon as we started walking, it started raining. Neither of us wanted to be the one to chicken out. Within a mile, we were walking in hail. Datil is up around 8000' in altitude, so it was pretty cold. The other challenge was how hilly it was - up one steep hill and down the next all the way to Cynthia's truck, which was parked 7.7 miles away. We had about a mile where the wind and the rain eased up and we got a little bit warm, but the last three miles were just harsh - wind and sleet and icy rain, dripping off our jackets and soaking our pants' legs. The last mile my feet were completely soaked. Even the dogs were shivering. Because the wind was coming from the north, our right arms and hands were the ones that suffered most.

Lucky the Eagle Guest Ranch was open, and they had a roaring fire going in the fireplace.