Cloudcroft, NM Part I

Last week the Boys and I ventured forth once again in our little camper. This time we were seeking cooler weather. The only way to get cooler weather around here it to go higher in altitude. The highest point within a reasonable drive time is Cloudcroft, NM. Because we went 8 miles past Cloudcroft to Scenic Canyon RV Park we climbed to about 9,000 feet. That is 5,000 feet higher than we are here in Deming. What a difference a few thousand feet make.

The campground was small; only 15 spaces tucked into a narrow canyon that looked more like a mountain meadow to me. To make the most of a narrow space the RVs were parked on one side of a circling road. Some of the RVs faced North and the others South. We were nose to tail. I found this a bit disconcerting after living and camping in the almost endless vistas of the desert.


Only self contained RVs were allowed; there were no tent campers, no homemade units. While walking around the park I noticed that except for one medium sized rig; I was the only one with NM plates, all of the others were from Texas. That might explain the size of the rigs. Most of them were Huge! They were extremely long, all with multiple slideouts and one was so tall that they needed a 6 foot ladder to put up the outside window shades. Then there was me, in my little 17 foot Casita Travel Trailer. A ladder is not needed to cover its windows, the only option to just to reach out and pull down the blinds. The only thing that slides out is the step to enter. I was a lonely little petunia in an onion patch. (Below is my rig in front of one of the medium/large, but not the largest rig in the park.)



That is just fine by me. The Boys and I were as snug as three little bugs in a rug. While the men were futzing with the mechanics, and the women were cleaning the insides, the Boys and I were sitting outside taking it easy.

The view up the canyon was beautiful. When the sun was out and the light just right I expected to see Julie Andrews running into the meadow singing "The Sound of Music".

Because I booked late in the season, and in fact would not have gotten a spot at all if someone had not cancelled, I did not have the prime view. Rather than look across a grassy dip and then just a bit up the tamer side of the canyon, I could have looked right up the steep side (as seen above). I am told that elk and other wildlife can be seen close up from this side. You can bet that next year I will book ahead.