The Jornado del Muerto

 

 

From: Oxsan
Date: 27 Feb 2002
Time: 02:13:42

There is a place out in New Mexico just east and north of Las Cruces that I have always wanted to see. In fact I may just crank up the SUV and go out there one day this spring. Officially it is called the Tularosa Basin but the Apaches and the Mexicans in the nineteenth century called it the Jornado del Muerto or "Journey of Death". It is rough, dry tortuous country--a basin between two ranges of the lower Rockies.

Alex Shoumatoff mentions it in his book Legends of the American Desert with what I think is apt terminology:

"The Tularosa country is a parched desert where everything from cactus to cowman carries a weapon of some sort and the creatures who sleep with both eyes closed are dead"

I like that.

In Life Among the Apaches I once read of a daring pony express rider who contracted for a very high price to carry the mail through this basin from Albuquerque to Las Cruces. When asked why his pay was so high he said that it took three horses and three saddles going and three horses and three saddles coming back. He rode one horse and led two and would change on the fly when chased by Apaches.

A man living in this area who admits to being an amateur archaeologist claims to have discovered human remains that date back 70,000 years. All professional anythings hate amateur anythings if they succeed, so Archaeology is not buying it. But I might.