Campgrounds re-opening at Quemado Lake

Quemado Lake

Camping is fun, but wouldn’t it be cooler just to drive back to your country cabin in Spring Canyon Ranch? Yeah, we thought so! Here’s the info, though, in case you insist 🙂

The Quemado Ranger District of the Gila National Forest is reopening two campgrounds on May 1, 2013, that were temporarily closed during the winter.

•           Piñon Campground located in the Quemado Lake Recreation Area off N.M. State Highway 32 and Forest Road 13.  Two group sites located within the Piñon Campground will be open and available for reservations.

•           Juniper Campground also located in the Quemado Lake Recreation Area off N.M. State Highway 32 and Forest Road 13.

Recreation users are reminded to dispose of trash properly in appropriate bins and leave the campsite clean for the next forest visitor.

 

Also, fire dangeris high, so please practice campfire safety:

•           Clear all flammable material away from the fire for a minimum of five feet in all directions.

•           Make a fire only if you have a shovel and sufficient water to put it out.

•           Have a responsible person in attendance at all times.

•           Never leave your campfire unattended.

•           Avoid making a campfire during the windy part of the day.

•           To make sure your campfire is out, drown with water and stir with dirt, making

sure all burned materials are extinguished. Feel with your hand to make sure it’s out cold.

•           Every campfire will be put DEAD OUT before leaving it.

 

There will be potable water available at the Cove Lake Access, Juniper Campground, and Piñon Campground.  The dump station at Piñon Campground will be available at this time.

 

For additional information regarding campgrounds or other recreational opportunities on the Gila National Forest, contact the respective Ranger Station or visit the website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/gila/

Ready to retire in 2013?

Ready to leave the rat race behind and upgrade your quality of life at an affordable price?

Once upon a time, our current landowners were right where you are…

…except now they’ve exchanged gridlock and rooftops for elk crossings and wide open skies.

If you’re ready for a lifestyle change or want to trade up, give us a call at 888-812-5830 or visit www.swproperties.com. We’re sure to have home sites* with the amenities you desire at a great price.

Think you might not be able to afford it?

Think again: we have guaranteed financing at a low rate and work with you to make your retirement dreams come true.

Here’s to retiring in style and having a truly happy 2013!

Sincerely,

The Team at Southwest Properties and Hitching Post Land Co.

Don’t Wait – Act Now!

 
*We offer two distinct ranches that are ready to meet your needs. Spring Canyon Ranch has well-developed, ready-to-build 3 – 8 acre home sites with underground electric, water, telephone and Internet, while Ponderosa Ranches‘ 10 – 20 acre parcels have even more room to roam and electric to boot.

Unexpected Treasures: Kim’s Korner in Quemado

A few years ago, retired Navy Officer Kim Carr bought herself a nice piece of land in Indian Springs, Quemado, where she built a log cabin to match the New Mexico lifestyle she had long dreamed about. Fast-forward to today, and Kim is the proud owner of “Kim’s Korner,” Quemado’s answer to the swanky boutiques of Santa Fe—and one that’s just as important to the local art community. Everything she sells is made by homegrown talent: from pottery to jewelry, to prints, paintings, postcards and more. There’s woodwork by Bob Baker, a neighbor from Indian Springs, and every artist that has items in the store works there four to five days a month.

So the next time you’re tooling down the 60 in southwestern New Mexico trying to get from Point A to Point B, make it a point to take a breather in downtown Quemado (don’t blink or you’ll miss it) and stop in and say “hey” to Kim. She’s right next door to the Spurs & Skirts Hair Salon (just in case you need a trim) and she’s open Wednesday through Saturday 10 – 4, and 12 – 5 on Sundays.

It’s the unexpected pleasure of finding unexpected treasures.

 

Meet the Neighbors…

What do you see when YOU look out your window? When you decide to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind and head for the wide open range, you’ll find your outlook—on life and out your windows—changes considerably for the better.

Take a peek at what awaits you in New Mexico and find out just how easy it is to go from bumper-to-bumper traffic, noisy neighbors and pesky pollution to a wandering trail through the National Forest, a herd of curious elk and pristine night skies.

 

Fishing, anyone?

Quemado Lake, just 20 miles south of Quemado and Spring Canyon Ranch, is a 131 acre manmade trout lake with two ADA fishing piers, two boat ramps, seven developed campgrounds, one primitive campground, and links to more than seven miles of hiking trails. The lake is nestled between piñon-juniper woodlands and pine forests at an elevation of 7860 feet. Quemado is stocked all with rainbow trout in fall, winter and spring months and offers year round trout fishing and warm water fishing for channel catfish and small mouth bass during the summer months.

Quemado Lake

Quemado Road Trip: Lightning Fields

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With gas at very comfortable low prices, road trips are the way to go for a vacay this summer (yes, Virginia, there are still four weeks left of summer!)

Head for New Mexico’s high(er) country and cooler temps and be pleasantly surprised by some of the state’s paths-less-trodden.

Commissioned by the Dia Art Foundation in 1977, The Lightning Field, by the American sculptor Walter De Maria, is described as “a work of Land Art” situated near Quemado. According to the Dia Art Foundation’s website, “It is comprised of 400 polished stainless steel poles installed in a grid array measuring one mile by one kilometer. The poles are two inches in diameter and averaging 20 feet and 7 1/2 inches in height and are spaced 220 feet apart and have solid pointed tips that define a horizontal plane.”

Sounds pretty impressive, but it’s even more so when you get up close.

The sculpture is meant to be walked in as well as viewed, though this is not something you can just drive up to and take a picture. Those looking to experience The Lightning Field need to visit the Foundations’s website and make reservations for an overnight stay at their cabin. The Foundation vehicle picks you up from Quemado and takes you on the 45 minute drive to the fields; you’re not allowed to drive in your own car.

The “visiting months” are only from May 1 through October 31 (and right now the weather’s perfect for a high country visit!) Sounds a bit mysterious, but it all adds to the drama. After all, what could possibly be more hair-raising than witnessing a field full of lightning bolts? By the way, they don’t guarantee a lightning storm, but what you can bet on is a sort of Zen encounter. Or a polarizing one, depending on who you go with. Nature, Man, Art, the mountains, the sunset, the sunrise, six people to the cabin…

One thing is for sure: you won’t leave The Lightning Field unmoved.

May 20, 2012 Solar Eclipse: New Mexico Edition

 

On May 20-21, 2012 an annular solar eclipse will take place starting in China, moving up through Japan, under the Aleutian Islands, entering North America in Northern California, moving passed Reno, through Zion National Park in Southern Utah and the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona, over Albuquerque, New Mexico and ending passed Lubbock, Texas.

This very awesome sight will be visible from the Pie Town / Quemado area shortly before sunset (weather permitting). The track of the eclipse is about 100 miles wide. To get a good view, select a site with an unobstructed view of the horizon to the WNW, where the sun will set.

Remember to have some eye protection: very dark smoked glass or tiny pinhole apertures. Click here for eye safety precautions.

Click here for an animation of the viewing.

Click here for a Google map and a solar eclipse path.

Happy Eclipse!

 

 

 

Some Things Old are New Again

A Quemado stalwart has reopened its doors! The old El Sarape cafe in Quemado is back in business, with the old name but with new owners. The owner and accomplished cook is Lucricia Mendoza (575) 773-4999.

Several of our Ranch Representatives have stopped in to try out their menu and are big fans. Of special note are the items available with Chipotle Pork and the Huevos Rancheros. According to our taste testers, the menu also features a variety of American dishes and sandwiches, and the Reuben is a special treat!

Hours: Tue – Sun 7AM to 7PM, closed Mondays.

Stop on by!

El Serape Café, Quemado, New Mexico (Photo by Kelly Gatlin / La Luz Photography)