(Flat Top Mesa)
Cerro Pedernal (the Flat Top Mesa) looks so very much like ‘Fishers’ Peak’ in Trinidad, CO. Georgia O’Keefe made this Mesa famous in her paintings, while she resided at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM. We decided to take a drive up the Mesa to get a glimpse of the valley floor from this altitude, a magnificent vista. We had to ask directions more than once on our way up the Mesa, maybe New Mexicans would rather we didn’t explore their legends. Legend had it, that a Spaniard buried gold coins ($2 million worth) somewhere north of Santa Fe, and some think it is buried around Cerro Pedernal. On our way we made several ‘missed’ turns before we got on the correct road. Once we got on the ‘right’ road we eventually had to turn around because the road was meant for Jeeps or horses, not our wide “Gypsy” Tundra! While we were turning around we put a few scratches on Gypsy and had to use 4-wheel drive to get out, first time to use 4×4 on Gypsy, she did GREAT! Pedernal’s elevation is 9800′ +/- and we saw the Pinon & Juniper change to Aspen & Ponderosa with meadows AND shade.
Gone were the cactus and prickles. The scenery looked more like Colorado than New Mexico (in this area).
gypsyroadgallery 
Navigating up…up….up toward the Pedernal Mesa peak was such a solitary and exhilerating adventure: no others on the Forest Service road when we ventured there. Our only traveling ‘companion’ was a very, very large (and well fed) bull snake which we allowed to cross in front of us… it was in NO hurry to move out of the way, so we studied the intricate designs on its skin as we waited (safely) inside our trusty Gypsy!
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What a great adventure! Looks beautiful. Go gypsies!! 😊
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