Deborah and I drove east on Rt 64, through Angel Fire, to Cimarron Canyon. We were heading for the Valle Vidal. Max, wait till you see the ski/snow board runs at Angel Fire - they are spectacular!
Cimarron Canyon is a magical place. My first time through this canyon was in December, 2003, the first time I visited Taos with Deborah and Ginto. During the drive back to Ohio, as we traveled through Cimarron Canyon en route to Colorado, I "heard" the name 'Spirited Journey' and that was the beginning of my new business life.
We stopped in Cimarron and visited the St. James Hotel - a vital outpost of the "Santa Fe Trail". Bat Masterson stayed here, as did many other "famous" persons of the "old west": Buffalo Bill Cody and his cohort, Annie Oakley, Kit Carson, Frank and Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid!
See this beautiful landmark hotel that is still in operation:
www.stjamescimarron.com
Valle Vidal is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern NM between Cimarron and Costilla. It's a 100, 000 acre parcel in the Carson National Forest, managed by the Carson National Forest. It's an important part of NM's ranching heritage and is still a productive grazing area today, as shown in several of the photos here.
Ted Turner also owns much of the land surrounding Valle Vidal, used for his buffalo ranching business, as well as his natural gas operations.
Deborah and I drove the 21 miles of gravel washboard road into the Valle Vidal, and stopped at the McCrystal Creek campground to take a hike. We sort of created our own trail and our reward was "tatanka" - buffalo! Look closely for the buffalo in the photo beneath the warning sign that buffalo are wild animals, posted at the McCrystal Campground entrance. Deborah assured me that buffalo, and indeed, all wild animals, only chase humans if they are startled or scared. The photo shows the buffalo after we stood very still and allowed him time to meander further away, so as not to "startle" him. I wasn't interested in trying to outrun a startled buffalo!
Check out Valle Vidal at:
www.vallevidal.org
During this hike, we also saw elk. On the ride continuing through the Valle Vidal, we also had a bobcat run in front of the car.
The canyon area driving out of Valle Vidal toward Costilla is overwhelmingly gorgeous. Another perfect adventure!
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