Horse Mountain - BLM Lands, New Mexico

Sawtooth Mountains in distance

 We bought 15 acres about 20 miles southwest of Datil, New Mexico last October. The property borders BLM lands on Horse Mountain all along its south side. We went out there last weekend to stake out where we want our little cabin and driveway to be. It was only our third time to visit. Back in May, it was scary dry, enough so that we told the man who would be doing the driveway and leveling work to just wait until conditions were better ( read: wetter). Well, things have definitely gotten wetter and better. It was green, green everywhere we looked on the way out there.  The right of ways and beyond on Highways 60 and 12  were resplendent with mile after mile of wildflowers where Black and brown cattle were nestled down in the thick grasses. At the property, the two little ravines that cut through it were both flowing with clear water and the views, sans the smoke and dust of the spring, were spectacular.

View of Alegres Mountain

 After deciding where to put our little orange flags, we went for a little hike along one of the small stream courses. In a short ways we found trees marking the beginning of BLM land.

 We also found the downed remnants of a barbed wire fence that had once defined the boundary. We continued up and up among the ponderosa pines, piñons and junipers. There were deciduous oaks too, although many were just a meager shadow of their former selves, most likely dying back during repeated drought years, and now growing back shrubbily from their roots.  It was steady uphill climb, humid for sure, but cloudy enough to keep things cool initially.The walking, however, was wonderfully was easy due to the open nature of the forest. I felt so happy I could've go on and on, but sadly, we had not come prepared to camp, so we had to leave it for another day.

 NOTE: The lands behind our property are not part of the BLM's Horse Mountain Wilderness Study Area (that I've written about previously in this blog) which is very close by on the same contiguous 10,000 acre plus parcel of public land. BLM has recommended a little over 5000 acres for the wilderness. I'm wondering, "Why not the whole thing?" and since it was recommended years ago, " Why hasn't it become an official wilderness yet?"