Some Very High Country by russellviii
Once we left Chama, NM the road to Taos took us through Carson National Forest.
It was an amazing journey. As we entered the forest the road began to climb. It continued climbing. I didn’t really realize how high we had climbed until we stopped the car for a quick picture. From the valley below I had spotted the massive stone face of Brazos Peak in the distance. Now, driving across the mountain tops, I looked out over a viewpoint and saw Brazos Peak again. But this time I was practically looking down onto it.
There was a nice little turnout in the road, so I stopped the car and hopped out for a minute. Although it was mid-August, mid-afternoon, and 80 degree (F) temperatures were pretty common in the valley below, the temperature along most of our drive across the mountain tops was in the upper 50’s.
I wanted to get a good picture of the view. I walked a short distance, maybe 50 feet from the car, to find the perfect spot. By the time I had walked back to the car I was totally winded, completely exhausted. Keep in mind, I live, and spend most of my time at an elevation which is nearly 5000 feet above sea level. Altitude doesn’t normally affect me. But here I could tell that I was at a location which was much higher than that to which I am accustomed.
Researching later on, I found that some points along this section of road are at about 10,500 feet; very high indeed.
over 3 years ago
