My Jeep rattled over a series of extremely deep indentations that literally had my teeth clattering together. Oh man. Darcy was right about the deplorable road conditions. But then, almost immediately after passing the entrance, the graded surface smoothed out, proving that it was most likely the heavily-loaded gravel trucks causing the damage. Within several more miles, I noted a subtle change in the foliage as the elevation increased. The mesquite and chaparral gave way to scrub oak, larger junipers and, ahead on the higher slopes, a sprinkling of skinny ponderosa pines appeared along with a few patches of snow. I pulled to the side of the road, intending to download the maps, only to realize there was no cell service. Grudgingly, I had to admit that Burton Carr had been right and
