Wait, there's forests in New Mexico?

June 23, 2007 - My father and I headed out for the first real leg of the road trip (I guess you can consider the drive through texas to be a prologue...). We went up to a friend's cabin high in the Santa Fe National Forest. It was gorgeous country... and probably a surprise to most of you who thing New Mexico is nothing but desert and mesas. There were many awesome views and deer all over the area of the cabin.




















We then took a drive up to the top of the mountain we were on for even more spectacular views.
















My rodeo handled the rocky dirt road like a champ... too bad it no longer has shocks! Here my dad determinedly tries to drink a beer as we bounce back down the mountain.


Back below the cabin there was a classic mountain brook (the headwaters of the Pecos River, actually)... which of course I took full advantage of wading through until my feet were entirely numb.



There was also an adorable mountain convenience store with somewhere around 10 hummingbird feeders outside along with pretty garden boxes with messages written on them by the hummers.