New Mexico Trip - June 2026

 In June we spent some time with friends at their Cabin in Cloudcroft, New Mexico.  It was very hot in the desert, but nice and cool up at the cabin above 8k ft.  We did some hiking around the area, played games and visited two national parks.  

White Sand National Park was interesting and fun for the kids to go sledding in summer.  Apparently, the sand is made of gypsum, the stuff that's used to make drywall.  We played around until the heat was too intense, then had a nice lunch in Alamogordo to celebrate Shyll's b-day.

If you've never had a chance to visit Carlsbad caverns, you should add it to your bucket list.  I was amazed at how you go down, down, down and keep going down.  This series of caves goes on for miles.  A legitimate hike that's all underground was a fun way to explore while avoiding the heat.  There's even a restaurant/gift shop down in the caves.  

We did some shooting and also visited the space museum.  That area is famous for having some of the best night sky viewing in the country.

Winter Hikes 2026

On our way back from visiting family in OK we took a route through New Mexico to visit the Capulin Volcano National Monument near Raton Pass.  We lingered too long at a few stops along the way which put us there close to sunset.  Just as we arrived, the park rangers closed the gate to the road that goes around the volcano to reach the top.  Bummer.  KD decided to be adventurous and hike up the entire road with me full well knowing that we would be hiking in the dark.  The sunset was stunning once we got higher up on the road before going around to the back side.  The winds really picked up making the hike quite cold and bitter.  It was fully dark by the time we reached the top, but with the bright moonlight we were able to see down into the crater.  It was a neat experience and a cool landmark to explore.  How many 12 year old girls can say they climbed a volcano in the dark in the middle of winter?

Capulin from a distance

Sunset on the way up

On MLK day, a group of us decided to take the boys winter hiking in RMNP.  This would be Kolby's first time trying out the snowshoes.  We started at Bear Lake and headed north to a junction where we gave the boys a choice.  They could go the short route to Bierstadt Lake or the long route to Two Rivers Lake.  Of course they chose the long route.  After a grueling windy adventure, lots of breaks for snacks and a stop to add extra socks for frozen toes, the boys finally reached  the lake.  We took a quick picture before our fingers froze then returned to find a good wind shelter to make some hot cocoa.  Kolby learned that sometimes adventures require a bit of suffering and discomfort, but in the end it's worth it!

Notchtop Mountain - Prints available

Hot Cocoa

Longs and friends