We spent a few days last week camping in the Black Mountain Range of the Gila National Forest (about a 3 hour drive northwest of Las Cruces). This was very different from the Sacramento Mountains where we have camped for most of this summer: Warmer; Slightly lower elevation; Mostly Ponderosa Pine forest; and Far fewer people because it is harder to get to. There are no campgrounds per se, but camping is allowed wherever one might find a good spot in the woods. We were over an hour away from the nearest cell phone signal. 

To our surprise, we were camping during bow hunting season for Elk. As a result, most of the wildlife was in deep hiding. And the other people there were very quiet as they were stalking their prey. It was a remarkably beautiful and peaceful experience.  

 

Sunrise

Road through the forest

 

Hiking the Continental Divide Trail

Broad-Tailed Hummingbird

Sulfur Butterfly

Western Bluebird

Great Mullein

Cardinal Catchfly

Fleabane

Thistle gone to seed

Upright Prairie Coneflower

Unknown Flower

Bee on a Thistle

Dakota Mock Verbain

Evening Primrose

Bee Balm in the morning dew

Unknown Flower

Burnt Branches from a forest fire

Wood

Buffalo Squash Blossom

Peregrine Falcon

Kestral Hawk - We have seen only a few Kestrals before, and they are very beautiful small hawks. In this area, we must have seen 40 or 50. This was their habitat.

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Brewer's Sparrow

Mike at the campfire

View from a campsite across the valley to the next range

Coyote near the Very Large Array (a radio telescope) on our way back out of the wild

 

Summer is coming to an end in the Lincoln National Forest. The campgrounds close on September 8th, the day after Labor Day. The days are getting cool and the nights down right cold. The wildlife are more agitated anticipating mating season and the approach of winter. At sunset Sleepy Grass Campground was filled with Mule Deer and herds of Wapiti/Elk. Like many of the animals, we will seek lower elevations in the New Mexico mountains as we continue to explore our new homeland.

Second breakfast in the village of Cloudcroft

Pinewoods geranium

Unidentified

Moonrise at Sleepy Grass Campground

Stella by moonlight

Aspen by flashlight

Wilson's Warbler on verbena

Our campsite in a grove of Trembling Aspen

Wild strawberry

Rose Hip with Trembling Aspen

Wholeleaf Indian paintbrush

Wapiti/Elk

Western Bluebird

Unidentified

Orange-crowned Warbler on Verbena

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Mule Deer

Steller's Jay

Unidentified

Mule Deer

Mule Deer with fawns

 Fleabane

That moment when you realize that your best friend is straight.