07/15/2025
I left El Paso early on Sunday of the 4th of July weekend and traveled through Cloudcroft on my way back home to the Texas Panhandle. I was going to visit an orchard in La Luz, NM when the rain came. I didn’t go to the orchard and turned back down, I was going to take La Luz Canyon Road up to Bridal Falls but decided to turn back as the roads were full of water on the creek crossings from the rain. I stopped at La Luz Creek to snap some shots of the chocolate falls. I made it to Highway 54 and decided to turn back and take Highway 82 up to Cloudcroft, they were just reopening the road. I stopped at the Tunnel Vista and climbed up onto the cliff walls on the other side of the rest stop. In Cloudcroft, I parked on the side of the road and took the short hike to an overlook, I didn’t hike down to the Trestle because I thought it was on the other side, nope just private property. From Cloudcroft I took Highway 244 down to Highway 70 just north of Mescalero, I saw an elk right in front of my truck but didn’t stop to snap a photo. I saw more but barely managed to get a shot of one before it got too dark.
Salà de El Paso temprano el domingo del 4 de julio y pasé por Cloudcroft de regreso a casa, al Panhandle de Texas. Iba a visitar una huerta en La Luz, Nuevo México, cuando empezó a llover. No fui a la huerta y di la vuelta. Iba a tomar el camino de La Luz Canyon hasta Bridal Falls, pero decidà regresarme porque los caminos estaban llenos de agua en los cruces de arroyos debido a la lluvia. Me detuve en La Luz Creek para tomar algunas fotos de las cascadas de chocolate. Llegué a la carretera 54 y decidà regresarme y tomar la carretera 82 hasta Cloudcroft; justo estaban reabriendo la carretera. Me detuve en el Tunnel Vista y subà a las paredes del acantilado al otro lado del área de descanso. En Cloudcroft, me estacioné al lado de la carretera e hice una corta caminata hasta un mirador. No bajé hasta el caballete porque pensé que estaba al otro lado; no, solo era propiedad privada. Desde Cloudcroft tomé la carretera 244 hasta la 70, justo al norte de Mescalero. Vi un alce justo delante de mi camioneta, pero no me detuve a tomarle una foto. Vi más, pero apenas pude fotografiar a uno antes de que oscureciera demasiado.
