venturing4th: Santa Fe Trail

Blog for May 2, 2017

Last Thursday, when we arrived in ABQ after leaving Angel Fire in the snow, we realized that we had left our Airstream step mat under the snow. We have two Airstream mats, one we purchased new last year and, would’t you know, that’s the one that got left behind. We called the RV park and asked them to retrieve it for us and hold it for us to come pick up when we were in Suguarite, 70 miles from Angel Fire. Today we drove the 70 miles and 2,000ft elevation gain along the Santa Fe Trail from Raton to Angel Fire.

In my mind, I always pictured the Old Wild West as somewhere in Texas, but, it turns out, it was right here in northeastern New Mexico. Unlike the emigrant trails that took travelers west to Utah, Oregon, and California, the Santa Fe Trail mainly handled commercial traffic moving east and west. When New Mexico became a territory of the US in 1850after the Mexican-American War, trade barriers were removed and traffic increased. In 1832 the Cimarron portion of the Santa Fe trail opened and the mountain branch, over Raton Pass, was opened in the 1840’s.

As we headed west on the Santa Fe Trail this morning, driving west from I-25 on NM #64, we passed what I thought was a Visitor’s Center for the Trail. It turned out to be the Wittington Center, founded by the NRA (National Rifle Association), probably the last place you would expect to find me visiting. The Center is no longer run by the NRA - the woman at the front desk told me the NRA was more interested in pursuing a political agenda than the educational role that is the Center’s mission - but is a private non-profit.

On their grounds, they have something like 22,000 acres, are 17 different shooting ranges for various interests: hunter’s pistol silhouette; black powder; high power rifle; small bore rifle; practical police combat; shotgun trap; and, youth hunter education challenge, among others. There is also Whittington U with instructors and courses, mostly in defensive and precision instruction. And, they run various competitions throughout the year. Everything is done very professionally and with safety at it’s core - we had to sign a release to drive onto the grounds past the Welcome Center.

"Movie Heroes" sculpture at the Whittington Center.

Entrance road with the flags of the states.

Ruts coming over the hill - the Santa Fe Trail. It comes right through the Whittington Center.

Another sculpture called "The Scout". It was supposed to be a resemblance to Charlton Heston but we couldn't see it.

Panorama of the surrounding landscape from...

the Whittington Center.

Back on the highway, #64, traveling along the Santa Fe Trail.

The trail passes through Cimarron Canyon.

These formations are known as the Palisades carved by the Cimarron River.

Balanced rock

Eagle's Nest at 7,800ft elevation.

The village of Eagle's Nest at the base of the mountains.

Next up is Angel Fire, elevation 8,400ft.

At Angel Fire is the New Mexico Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

This chapel was founded in 1968 by the Westphall Family in memory of Lt. David Westphall, who was killed in action in May 1968, and all Vietnam veterans.

Upon completion in 1971, it became the first major national memorial to Vietnam veterans.

The site was dedicated as New Mexico's 33rd state park on Veterans Day, November 11, 2005. the interior is simple with memories, prayers and thoughts left in the Chapel.