This morning we hit the road at first light. We headed south and drove through the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation to Cloudcroft. It was 11 degrees but dead calm. Really didn't need anymore than a medium jacket.

I have to tip my hat to the Mescalero Apaches. It's painfully obvious at what a miserable failure our National Forest Service is when you compare what they do with their lands. Their forests are healthy, diverse and well managed. The forest through the reservation are free of all the underbrush and not over crowded with trees. You see the difference in the amount of wildlife viewed.

Elk on the reservation

...and finally, some turkeys (AKA: New Mexico Democrats).



Tomorrow, Angela wants to go to the UFO museum in Roswell. So I'm gonna try to get some pics of Pronghorns and Sandhill Cranes. We also saw a lot of Mulies and Canadian Geese along the Rio Bonita on our way here, between Roswell and Ruidoso. I get to take pics and she gets to look at UFO BS.

It starts out in the teens each morning but warms into the 40's by mid-afternoon. Very little wind so it's not bad in a short sleeved shirt unless you stand in the shade for very long.

I've taken lots of pics but uploading them from this lodge's "wi-fi" is excruciatingly slow. I'm just uploading the hi-lites. I'm really enjoying getting lots of practice with the new camera.

Great pics. Sounds like a nice trip.

Those elk pics are awesome!

Great stuff

Man those elk are awesome!

Thanks. Definitely the highlight of the trip so far. One meadow had 6 bulls in it but they were too far for pics (400-500 yards). I would have taken any one of them. But at $13,500 for a trophy elk hunt on the "rez" I'll have to pass.

Wow, nice pics

Hey Mike if you haven't already and don't know about it give the Cornerstone Bakery a shot while your there! Awesome food

cornerstone

We were up there 4th of July and also stayed at the Dan Dee cabins. Loved the cabin but hated the shower. The shower was barely a trickle! Enjoy your stay and have a safe trip home!

Great pics, LP! Hope y'all have a big time and two or three little ones.

Keep 'em coming! Beautiful country out there. Be safe, have fun, and make some memories

Landpirate

My mother and step dad lived in Ruidoso, NM. for about 10 years. They use to own Caseys cabins. I would go up 2-3 times a year and that place was great. If you have not seen Bonita Lake go dee it. It is between Ruidoso and Capatin NM.

Really sad about the lake. Great pics. PS, don't get too excited about Roswell...

Man, you guys are having a great trip. Thanks for the pictures.

We did eat breakfast at Cornerstone yesterday. Pretty decent breakfast. Lincoln County Grill has a pretty good breakfast too.

Our cabin here at Dan Dee has a great shower. However, it doesn't have a level floor in the place. I don't mind, except when I get up in the middle of the night. Trying to keep your balance in the pitch black is difficult enough on a level floor. Otherwise, these cabins are clean and cozy. They're just rustic enough that the women aren't turned off by them. I like them and would stay here again.

Demos, read my report on Lake Bonita. It's not so pretty now. Last year's fire burned the entire area at and around Bonita. Immediately after the fires, the monsoon season struck. With no vegetation on the mountains all of the ash and topsoil ran into the lake. It's silted in pretty good. They've drained it so they can dredge it out.

Great picture LP. Really enjoy seeing some of the same roads again. Love the area and the Tularosa View. Did you get to see Sunspot Observatory..





Probably One reason the area is so clean, in the 70& 80s Cloudcroft and Mayhill had several large wildfires in drought area. Burned Mayhill clean to ground. Now your looking at new growth areas??

X2. Saw NOTHING living over there when we went Decamber 2011. You might, but we didn't

Really neat pics. Thanks for sharing.

Land Pirate if you are still there on Tuesday go to Club Gas on the corner of Mechem and White Mountain, catty corner to Farley's. Order the dinner special, it will be a carry out. A full meal deal for about $8. I think Tuesday are Tacos with beans, rice and a salad. Well worth it.

Lucky !! Lol !! Always love taking trip out too Taos , angel fire or up too winter park co ... Good times!!

Very nice pics LP. Lots of animals and landscape to take pics of there.

Had another great day of sight seeing and pics at the Three Rivers Petroglyphs. We're heading home in morning and I'll upload pics to Photobucket once I'm home and have a faster Wi-Fi.

My brother (who lives here) said that the Apaches are continually clearing under brush and using controlled burns to maintain their forests. The reservation forests, as a whole, look completely different than the National Forests outside of the Reservation. It's very obvious once you look closely.

Great pics and sounds like a great trip

Keep the pics and stories coming

I lived in roswell,the museam is good to see once. Go check out the institue, I went to school there, lots of history.