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