Change.

It’s inevitable. It’s constant. The canyons and washes that make up the Tularosa basin are susceptible to change too. Last September, Twin City first explored these canyons and had such a great time that we returned a few weeks later. Each visit proved to be better than the last. It had been close to a year, and the third iteration of our Tecolote Series had some surprises waiting for us.

Change brought with it new opportunities and challenges. The event started much like any other. A convoy of Jeeps and Toyotas nearing fifty strong made their way North to Alamogordo, NM. However, this time we had been forewarned. Torrential downpours in the Sacramento Mountains had created flash floods that had altered the landscape below. Some bypasses had been washed away, debris littered the area, and the trail we last encountered was no more. To add a layer of complexity, we did not scout the trail beforehand.

From the beginning, the trail proved difficult and forced some of our participants to find ways around it. What we once traversed in an hour took us three hours. The soft red sand churned and bogged some of our vehicles down. Our cadre were not deterred; in fact, some didn’t worry about the obstacles ahead and enjoyed the downtime. Time which had always been our constant adversary was irrelevant. To our surprise, our members caught up, laughed it up, and enjoyed each other after months apart. In the past few weeks, Twin City has changed too. We’ve lost a few members, dealt with internal discontent and cleared up misunderstandings. Some grievances were aired; but not all relationships were salvageable. The canyon wasn’t the only thing that had changed, we too had changed. Looking back, we were not the same team we were a year ago.

Well, we did not get far up the trail this time. But that’s ok. We were too busy enjoying the company of old friends and having fun making new ones. Joining us this time were our newest friends Unbranded Misfits, who drove all the way from San Antonio, TX to explore beautiful West Texas and New Mexico. We were accompanied by new faces and familiar ones like NM Trail Hogs and Wild West 4x4! Together, we learned that change is inevitable, change is constant and sometimes change is an opportunity to mend old grievances, toast to new friendships, and to stop and appreciate the scenery around us.

Thank you all that came out!!! Our Tecolote Series continues to morph and grow and demonstrate that the things we have in common far outgrow the ones that we don’t.

-TCOR