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Everything is Somewhere
Everything is Somewhere
This book and the companion website are dedicated to extending to all the joy of being in the Lincoln National Forest that John W. Stockert made possible with his book Trail Guide: Lincoln National Forest. The latest edition of John Stockert's book is dated 2002, and there have been changes to many of the trails in the Lincoln National Forest -- additions, deletions, damage from fire and flood, and reroutings. I have worked to bring John Stockert's work up-to-date. I have admired the wonderful descriptions in his book, and whenever possible, I have retained his prose.
The Smokey Bear Ranger District is named for the iconic bear cub, Smokey Bear, that was found clinging to a tree in a still-burning area of Thorium Canyon, now in the Capitan Mountains Wilderness area.
The unusual east-west-oriented Capitan Mountains on the northeast side of the Smokey Bear Ranger District reach an elevation of 10,179 feet. They were formed as a result of molten materials welling up within the earth.
Sierra Blanca Peak is the highest mountain in New Mexico south of the Sangre de Cristo Range in northern New Mexico. Located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation northwest of Ruidoso, it rises to an elevation of 12,003 feet just a mile south of Smokey Bear Ranger District. The entire area is a result of molten magma that pushed up from below. Volcanoes also threw out large quantities of rock and ash.
At lower elevations, Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands dominate. At higher elevations Ponderosa pines occur, and the highest parts of the Smokey Bear Ranger District are Spruce-Fir forest. Cattle graze in the northern potions of the Smokey Bear Ranger District.
In 2004, the Capitan Mountains Wilderness was badly damaged by the massive Peppin fire and subsequent heavy rains, and in 2012, the White Mountain Wilderness was similarly damaged by the massive Little Bear fire and subsequent heavy rains. In both areas many trails are hard to follow.
Let us all enjoy the trails, safely and mindful of the treasures of the Lincoln National Forest.
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