Well, my computer just had a momentary glitch and I lost this post just as I was about to upload it. So, here goes again.
The first picture is looking down Mexican Canyon, which you drive up to get to Cloudcroft. We're on the Osha Trail here, which is a nice loop trail about 2.5 miles long mostly through the woods. But, in this view, the "white area" you see in the distance is White Sands in the Tularosa Valley. The missile range occupies a great deal of that valley too.
The next picture is of the Mexican Canyon trestle which is just about a mile below Cloudcroft and was the largest of the many trestles the train crossed on its way up the mountain. It's six stories high at the highest point. According to the information posted on a sign there, the trestle "swayed" when the train crossed it, which must have given the passengers a bit of a thrill. This trestle is not "restored", and you can be fined $500 and put in jail for 30 days if you're caught on it. Spoilsports!
We're on a trail here that was part of the old railroad bed.
Finally, if you want to stay someplace "civilized", you can stay at the Lodge at Cloudcroft. You can climb up into the tower, which we did, and there you find Clark Gable and Judy Garland's names carved into the woodwork by them when they stayed there. (If you don't know who Clark Gable and Judy Garland are, you're too young - go ask your parents!)
As we were leaving, on the way down Highway 82 last Friday (Sep 23), we passed another Hi-Lo going up! Was it anyone on this forum? If so, we tooted our horn at you!
- Jack
Our Trip to the Sacramento Mountains
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