I live in El Paso and never have the time to visit that beautiful area. Thanks for sharing!

@TheMetalMonkey970

4 күн бұрын

There may not be much to see up there now, but it was a truly magical place. I'm glad I got to see it one more time before it got burned again.

Glad you posted this . I first saw Lake Bonito over 45 years ago as a young man and many times after with Family, Girlfriends etc. Loved camping upstream way back near the horse stalls. You could rent a nag back in those days. We also used the trail head to Monjeu (sp) lookout on the crestline. The area was much less developed back then, Ruidoso was much smaller as well. . Coming from desert lowlands you knew you were close when opening the car door and smelling the pines.I knew those hills well back then ,have not been back since before fires, afraid to see maybe. Gotta change that..

@TheMetalMonkey970

4 күн бұрын

Thanks for sharing! It sounds like we've had some pretty similar experiences there. My parents first date was to Monjeau, and I've taken so many of the people closest to me up there because it may be the most special place in the world to me, and I wanted to let everyone else experience the magic that place holds. From what I can tell, the stables and all the areas upstream from there weren't hit by the fire, but I won't know for sure until I go back. That may be another video in the future. It just breaks my heart that it keeps happening.

Not sure how old you are, I'm 59. Born in El Paso, there till age 7. We spent many weekends at Bonito. I remember laying in the cabover truck camper bed while on the drive and looking out the front window as we went through Ruidoso, neon signs on the cafes and motels lighting up the night, rabbits' ears sticking up along the sides of the dirt roads, and then arriving at the campground. I was always more interested in exploring the woods than fishing with my parents and brothers. Moved to south TX in '72 (age 7), then to SENM in '78. Went camping back at Bonito a few times with the family over the next 5 years, just as good as I'd remembered. Fast forward two decades, took my daughters there in early 2000s, wasn't the same, at all. Loud music, people obnoxiously loud and wasted, campsites overly packed... not what I'd remembered at all. Maybe just went at a bad time, I don't know. Hopefully it'll go back to the quiet, family-friendly place it used to be, and be spared another decade of cleanup from the fires...

@TheMetalMonkey970

2 күн бұрын

I'm about to turn 44. We used to camp at South Fork in the mid 80s, but even then it was starting to get rowdy with the biker parties, so my family started camping farther up the valley near Turkey. It was peaceful for a time, but eventually the crowds moved up the valley as well. Lately it's been terrible. My high school friends and I used to camp up in Tanbark, but the campsites we used to camp at are now private property with houses. There are still some good, peaceful campsites up there, though! My brother and I used to get there the same way, in the bed of a truck with a camper shell. Getting past Capitan into the pines was my favorite part of the drive. Thanks for the stories and thanks for watching!

Nothing but good times & memories camping with my brother, picnicking with my parents. Beautiful area miss those times

@TheMetalMonkey970

2 сағат бұрын

Seems like it's the place where a lot of our families bonded.

Bro, the way you described your feelings for the mountains perfectly encapsulated my feelings for them as well. I grew up in the Panhandle of Texas, on the High Plains. We used to go to Northern NM (Tres Ritos, to be exact) as a kid, and the mountains were, and are to this day.....magical. I really appreciate you sharing this. My wife and I spent a few days in the Bonita Lake area while it was being renovated. It's nice to see it full again. You earned a sub with this video.

@TheMetalMonkey970

2 күн бұрын

That area is amazing as well! I've done some camping at Upper La Junta and also played in a disc golf tournament at Sipapu the fall after the fire. It was right when the leaves were changing. It was incredible! Thanks so much for watching and following. One of my goals when I started the channel was to create a sort of community of the people who love these places the way I do!

@OreoSpeedwagonR_T

2 күн бұрын

@@TheMetalMonkey970 we get it, my man. I'll be honest, the community aspect of KZread of one of the most satisfying aspects of this whole thing. We've met subs from all over the country, and some even feel like family now. Good luck on your journey.

@carenclemmons5002

23 сағат бұрын

Me too. Fond memories of Bonito Lake and fishing the stream post dam. Remember the floods through there also. Still can’t beat the full pine air capturing my mind as a window rolled down to hear the stream. Always respected the founding Indians in those mountains cuz they knew where the earth could grow your spirit. That’s why they stayed and I suppose why all of us were drawn to revisit the areas that kept our peace within the mountains. Very thankful for the awakening they formed in me. Thank you Metal for telling its history for you and for bringing out tales of others because the memories were what I needed. I’m a native Texan, almost 70 years along but consider myself a New Mexican also because my family’s path and my childhood growth blossomed there riding wild donkeys in a valley to cave mining around Nogales to snowmobile to ski slope. NM gave this flat lander wings that carried me through Colorado and all states north going to Anchorage, Alaska. I am eternally grateful as you all are for receiving the gifts from New Mexico’s mountains. Hmmm. Yeah

@TheMetalMonkey970

23 сағат бұрын

@carenclemmons5002 I love hearing everyones' stories! Thanks so much for sharing yours! Even with all the fire damage over the years, it's still been alive and magical. I need to go back when it's reopened to see the current status, but I'm sure it will still feel the same, even if it looks different.

Im 64 and our family would go camping with Tents , in the 70's I remember my father taking out the Colman stove, and my mom cooking eggs bacon and sausage for 6 of her children plus coffee for the uncles & aunts cousins, I really wasn't the type to go hiking, instead I preferred to go fishing with my uncle we would get there late Friday and pack out mid Sunday at the end my parents would mahe sure everyone would be picking up all the TRASH we would leave our area cleaner than when we arrived, We would be out there about 3 times per summer, Last time we were there was about one year before the first fire with a church group mostly teenagers i remember taking about 12 bicycles and my 3 kids and most of the teens church group took off on a bike ride and they all came back sokeing wet cause of the rain. Good thing is they were enjoying themselves.

@TheMetalMonkey970

Күн бұрын

I've definitely come back soaking wet from excursions up there. Had some scary lightning moments up in Turkey Canyon too!

First time up there was a backpacking trip in I think 1987 with our two daughters who were 3 and 6. Short, up Argentina to the top. Camped in that short oak grove. Awesome view of desert on the west and forest on the east. One more by ourselves then just day hikes up the trails. We are in our 60s now and a lot slower but did the same loop you did in this video last September. So sad about another fire. I called the Ranger station and was told a lot of that was spared. But the meadow camping area burned. I was asked to call back August 23. Thanks for the video! Oh have you ever gone to the back of that mine? Me neither. Ha ha.

@TheMetalMonkey970

3 күн бұрын

My first time was about '84. I always loved it up there, but when I got old enough to do it, my first hike up to that ridge was what hooked me. That view out west blew my mind coming from Roswell. It did look like everything north and west of the stables was spared in this fire, but I want to go back and see for myself when I can.

@TheMetalMonkey970

3 күн бұрын

And no, I don't mind caves, but I don't like mines. And I've always been worried about cornering a wild animal or something 🤣

@bryanschwertner3585

2 күн бұрын

Hopefully you can go back after the closure is lifted or reassessed on August 23.

@TheMetalMonkey970

2 күн бұрын

@bryanschwertner3585 I normally go up in mid to late September for my birthday, so we'll see how it's looking around then.

@bryanschwertner3585

2 күн бұрын

We started camping in the 1960s in what is now called Mescalero Cabins. Some years back it got a little pricey and wild on summer weekdays. We changed to the Upper Bonito Canyon for good in 2019 instead of now and then. It is only 250-260 miles from the farm in Texas so easy to do 2-4 nights in the middle of the week (now that we are retired). But this year my heart broke! The fire! So we went to Collegiate Peaks CG up from Buena Vista. Very pretty. Did the trail up to Mt Yale but turned around at 12,400’ for old folks reasons. Ha ha. Afraid of injuries that would require air evac.