The temperature in this cave never gets above 31 degrees. As rain and snow-melt seep into the cave the ice floor thickens… more and more each year. They estimate it to be over 20 feet thick, with the deepest ice being more than 3400 years old. The green tint is...
800 feet deep, Bandera Volcano rose up in volcanic fury some 10,000 years ago. It is one of the finest examples of an erupted volcano in the country, and also one of the most accessible. A fairly easy 3/4 mile hike climbs around and into the blown out portion of...
The term El Malpais (“the Badlands”) is used locally to refer to lava flows. I did not know this when I came to this Ntnl Monument. From the satellite view it is clear; a huge black smudge blankets the area south of Grants, NM. It’s volcanic features include a string...
So, I’ve spent the past few days relaxing in luxury. Although I went nearly the entire month of January without paying for a night of camping, there were these billboards along the Interstate advertising $17 per night at this RV park, so I decided to stop in for a night...
Since we were passing nearby, I stopped in at Carlsbad Caverns so I could hike down the natural entrance. Last year I only had time for the elevator ride and the ‘Big room’ hike, but today we had time for me to make the short 1.2 mile hike down. It...
After a few hours of driving East on Hwy 9 we came up on Columbus, NM and the Pocho Villa State Park where camping (with electric & water) was a mere $14 per night. It didn’t take much discussion to agree that a warm shower and a 120v plug was...
As I pulled out of the Hollowman AFB area, I was only a few minutes drive away from White Sands Ntnl Monument so I popped in for a quick look before the weather chased me into Las Cruces for the night. As it turns out, you can rent snow-sleds (or...
Just south of Holloman Air Force Base (between the base and White Sands Ntnl Monument), are a few small lagoons which the AFB allow the public to come and bird-watch and/or camp. This is where I happened to pull into last night about an hour before the sun set, and...
I rolled into Alamogordo, NM late this morning looking for access the the Lincoln National Forest so I could setup camp. The first road that I thought would allow me access was fenced and locked. Though I could hike or bike in I could not drive. I then accessed the...
Finally, I can check the box that I visited Carlsbad Caverns. This trip was planned two years ago but I did not make it, then again last year but a vehicle breakdown prevented me from making it. This year I only just made it and with only hours to spare....
