Living Our Dream: May 2018

Monday, May 28, 2018

Middle Fork Lake Trail, Red River, NM

Wow for yesterday! We drove into Red River, a small but very bustling community just 20 miles from us, to a Forest Service Road to the Middle Fork Lake Trail 91. Rated as moderate, had switchbacks, climbing over 2,000 feet, the end result of viewing a high alpine lake would be, hopefully, the reward.

The drive up and over Bobcat Pass to get to Red River

Snow on Wheeler Peak

When we got into Red River, there were so many motorcycles - there was a rally going on and the town was expecting over 20,000 motorcycles to participate in the run. Bikes parked in the middle of the street, people walking willy-nilly, businesses booming. Found the road to take us to the trail and off we went.

Dropping down into Red River

Bikers galore

Through a little community called Alpine Lake, did not seem that anyone was home, most places still closed up. At the end of the pavement, we saw a Forest Service Fire truck - stopped and asked if everything was okay, yes, and continued on a very rugged road for another mile. Good thing we now have a high-profile vehicle for these kinds of treks.

Through Alpine Lakes

Uh, oh - everything okay? Yep

Single lane, very rugged road to trailhead

When it's busy, that's a good sign

Trailhead was found, lots of cars (a good sign), packed up everything (all food and water/Gatorades) and off we started. Lovely creek bubbling near, up the switchbacks we climbed. Glad I did not count them (counted coming down - 30) or I would have stopped. Once we got to the river we knew we would have to forge, we had another mile to go. But that last mile was a killer. We started at 9,420 feet and knew that by the time we got to the lake, we would be at least 10,900 feet. Hardest hike I have ever done. Walk 30 steps, rest, walk 30, rest. Not so much hard to walk, but to breathe. We made it.

Lovely sound of water running over rocks

Switchbacks, lots of them

We were watching for the crossing, trails to left or to right

Beautiful! A family that passed us (took us 3 hours to go 2.7 miles) had set up to do some fishing, the girls were having fun walking along the lake. At one point we heard voices and saw some folks sitting opposite us. Had our lunch, and had a guest the whole time, finished up, was rested, and passed folks who had just come up on horses.

One more mile, we can do this!

Crossed and up we continued to climb, switchbacks galore

The reward of this site was worth it

Fishing and relaxing

Still snow near the banks

Our visitor, begging

His cheeks full of nuts (we had trail mix)

Started down (only took 1 1/2 hours down) and the horse folks passed us. It took them 1 1/2 hours to come up on the horses and we figured it was about 30 to 45 minutes for them to go down.

The kids playing near the water's edge across lake

Last look at lake before heading down

Horses resting

Here they come, we were about 1/2 way down

Glad we did it! But today we cannot move. Not sore, just physically tired. I was glad that we pushed it and got to the top, the vista views were astounding!

On our way out (dirt road) saw this rider and his dog ahead of us

Back through Alpine Lake

So many bikers on the road

Over Bobcat pass and back to Angel Fire

One of the rally stops - this one in Eagle Nest

Visit to Las Vegas, New Mexico

Who was first? Las Vegas, NM or Las Vegas, NV? Yep, New Mexico. The town is seeped in history dating back to Pueblo times with the Ancient People living along the rivers of the Rocky Mountains, hunting, gathering, and living off the land. Las Vegas is due south of Angel Fire where we are camping, and after reading some of the history of the area, decided to visit the town and all we can discover. Las Vegas means 'the meadows'.

Look out you little buggers

Driving along in the forest, narrow road

Storrie Lake, just outside of Las Vegas

Pretty drive, about 4 miles into our drive we came across deer leisurely strutting across the road - glad we saw them and did not hit them. Once we dropped into the forest the road became very narrow and no edge lines, definitely glad we did not bring the RV that way - was very close when an on-coming car/truck passed us. Construction going on and at one time had to wait for earth equipment to move out of the way - would have been hairy if we had the RV - not much room.

Seems we always find a connection to Ohio (BF Goodrich of Akron)

Through the towns of Black Lake then Guadalupita, then through a very strange looking town called Mora. Found out it's history when we got back - one of the founders of Old Bent's Fort in Colorado, Ceran St. Vrain, moved there and started a grist mill, he later the leader of the unit of the Taos Revolt. Once we passed through Mora we began to see the signs for the Santa Fe Trail, a branch of the trail that came through the mountains.

I knew this, just had to be reminded again

Couple of things we did while in Las Vegas - visited the City Museum that houses the artifacts of history. Roosevelt's Rough Riders started in Santa Fe and the museum now possesses the largest collection on the Rough Riders. The museum also had exhibits on the Santa Fe Trail and its impact on local businesses; the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad and it's impact. There was a large display on the outlaws and cattle rustlers which the town of Las Vegas played a big part - Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, Jesse James, Wyatt Earp to name a few.

Antique Flower Basket Quilt - circa 1845 (a quilt I want to make)

Las Vegas was a major stop on the Santa Fe Trail, it was the largest town between Kansas and San Fransisco. The town was a major trade center, not only with the Apache Indians, but the Spanish, the emigrants who traveled along the trail, and Fort Union which was 20 miles north of the town.

Lovely old buildings

Afterward we drove into the old business district and saw the square where the Santa Fe trail wagons would come to to trade, and then drove back to where the railroad tracks come through town and stopped to take a picture of the La Castaneda Hotel which was one of the major Harvey Houses that served the railroad for many years. When the hotel closed in 1948, the hotel went into disrepair and today it has been bought and is being refurbished, hoping to reopen in 2019. I had just read the history of the Harvey Houses - 'The Harvey Girls: Women Who Opened the West' by Lesley Poling-Kempes, and to put this hotel into perspective was great.

La Castaneda Hotel, a major Harvey House

From town we drove to the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, talked with the ranger inside and after walking the nature trail at the building, drove to another nature trail and walked to the Gallinas River and back.