Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire New Mexico help

If so, probably not more than once.

Got kicked out of Uncle Bills for falling asleep at booth. Not passed out, just nodded off. Me and my 2 buddies too lol.

Yes, and I've climbed at Box a few times. We didn't go this visit, never got south of Santa Fe, but I heard it has gotten really popular. Good technical routes and a lot of bouldering from what I remember.

Potato Canyon is not far from there. My wife climbed the Big Potato when we stopped a few years ago.

I was always eying the cracks in the Gila canyon this spring, though the rock itself seemed janky there. I used to love crack climbing. Still have a lot of my pro from back then. It started screwing up my hands, and I’m a guitar player so I let it go. My youngest daughter has gotten really into it; she just led her first climbs at I believe Smith Rocks recently… might have been City of Rocks. I led my only 5.11 (as far as leading) at City of Rocks… that was a long time ago.

I heard the rock at Box Canyon is kinda slick, which is how I remember it. Basalt? We used to scramble around there, but mostly, it was a teen party spot. First time I did anything with a rope was in the Sandias when I was going to UNM.

I haven’t seen that spire. That’s near Socorro?!

Edit: googled it. South of Magnelena. Never saw that! Very cool.

Rhyolite, which is pretty much the same as Basalt. From memory most of the routes don't require much gear it is all pretty well bolted. A handful of quickdraws and a few cams would cover the whole thing.

This is a pretty spire in the Middle Fork Gila canyon.

I only have a few hero shots from climbing, back in the day, and my hair was good & long so I’m not posting them <g>.

Remember they had a posting in side about the place being available because of health reasons. Always amazed me the number of natives walking or riding bikes north on the highway, 666 it used to be 491 now. last there 2019, drew tags many years ,lot different now.

I've lived on either side of NM my whole life and know the state well and spend a ton of time there. On average it's turned into a [bleep], moreso than my own state. Just spent the wknd there and will this wknd too...

Small towns folks are great but damn the folks invading them are epic.

I think they just call it Billy's Bar now. Still thriving.

Been many, many places across the world - have seen a lot - to have lived in the Gila all of those years was the best by comparison. We called our place Casi Cielo.

If God had meant for men to eat tacos..

Seems N.M. is about like Ca., a wonderful, beautiful piece of land with a politician problem.

True of so many places, like Colorado, Oregon or even Australia, but tourists should generally spend most of their time away from the major cities, politicians and druggies. Enjoy this "Land of Enchantment" one-on-one, out in the country. New Mexico is the 5th largest state in land mass but 45th in population density, meaning that you can get rural and scenic quickly once you get away from the cities. If you get lonely or seek crowded roads, spend some time in Albuquerque, where there are almost a million people, nearly half the state's population. The aerial tramway to the top of the Sandia Crest is an experience that is worth the bother that ABQ poses.

On the other hand, NM has original wilderness areas, amazing food and culture, intriguing historical places, casino gambling, horse racing, balloon rallies, hang gliders, marijuana dispensaries, chili roasting, ghost towns, museums of every imagination, ski areas, art shows, fishing, birding and hunting, the Spaceport, hot springs, Trinity site, narrow gauge railroad, exotic wildlife, Philmont, rock climbing, volcanos and lava flows, White Sands, the site of the Lincoln County Wars/Billy the Kid Country, the site of Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, huge bosques (marshy areas with tons of ducks, geese, cranes during migrations), roadside geology, restored forts on the Santa Fe Trail, big forests, large deserts, petroglyphs, Smokey Bear's park and grave, Area 51, Pietown, whitewater rafting, wine tastings and festivals, big ranches, Pueblos and Chaco Canyon, Air force drones, Carlsbad Caverns, big dairies, National Grasslands, ancient ruins and cliff dwellings, huge pecan and pistachio orchards. . and more.

You might also see long desolate stretches of highway with no services, incredible poverty, dust storms, dangerous cities, colonias, crazy weather swings, junk yards, Indian reservations, illegal aliens, wildfires, drunk drivers, hippie camps, gang graffiti and abandoned businesses, but that cannot be your focus.

Chose your agenda by the calendar OR just divide the state into quadrants and hit the high points in all four regions, no matter what season it may be. I have made Nuevo Mexico home for nearly 30 years and I don't know if I will live long enough to see all the amazing sites and sights. I'm trying!

PM me for specifics or hit the Googlesphere when you have the time.