chasin' in the basin

Spring Break Day 5 - Thursday, March 18, 2010

Lauren wasn't feeling well on Thursday morning, so we decided to take the day off from skiing. I knew of a few trains running nearby on the UP Carrizozo line between Tucumcari and El Paso. It was another day of great weather, so I decided to head for the Tularosa Basin to get some photos...

I've always enjoyed the landscape around Carrizozo. As you drive down from the mountains to the lower elevations, the pinon oaks give way to wide open prairies... dig those wide open vistas!

Above Nogal, NM

driving US 380 near Carrizozo

I missed the first train (they really move out there in the desert) and had to wait a couple hours until the next one showed up. I drove to Alamogordo, did some shopping, and then headed back to Carrizozo. That gave the light time to swing around to a more favorable angle. I'd lost interest in the Carrizozo line after the lower quadrant semaphore signals came down (geeze, has it really been 11 years?) but the line still offers some photo opportunities worth checking out.

UP 7349 leads a west/southbound stack train, south of Carrizozo.

Near Three Rivers, NM. Sierra Blanca, where we had skied the past two days, looms in the background.

Pacing north of Tularosa.

Approaching Tularosa, NM

It was an enjoyable chase on a line I haven't photographed in several years.

Also seen in southern New Mexico during our travels was the work of graffiti artist "Irot" / "Riot". Irot's trademark cyclops creature caught my eye on a number of abandoned buildings and structures. I'd first noticed them on Monday as we drove from El Paso to Ruidoso, so I made sure to return for a few flicks...

Riot / Ante in Alamogordo

Riot in Mescalero

Irot near Ruidoso

Vacation time was winding down, but we still had a day left... check back soon for more.

WSC

np: The Simpsons on dvd - Season 7, Disc 1

Head for the mountains

Spring Break Day 2 - Monday, March 15, 2010

The skies were mostly cloudy when M and I woke up on Monday morning -- a bit of an anomaly for El Paso. After a bit of sightseeing, we were ready to head toward Ruidoso.

Driving Paisano Blvd along the Rio Grande. The border fence in El Paso seems larger and more imposing every time I see it.

I-25 north in Las Cruces

US 70 East near White Sands Missile Range

US 70 East between Tularosa and Mescalero, NM

El Nino wasn't finished with New Mexico yet; we drove through some snow flurries on our way into Ruidoso, arriving in the early afternoon. Mom arrived a couple hours later with L and L's friend MV. We decided to stop by the ski shop to pick up our gear for the following day...

Ready to ski - L and MV

a buck near the Alto Lakes golf course

For dinner, we decided to go to Casa Blanca, Ruidoso's premiere Mexican restaurant. The kids might have disagreed, but I thought the experience was worth every second of the 90 minutes we waited for our table.

waiting for a table - M and Mom at Casa Blanca

One unhappy discovery I made early on was that Ruidoso hasn't landed on the map of AT&T's 3G coverage. I'd be able to communicate with Miss L back in Texas via phone and text, but those photo attachments would have to wait until we returned to civilization...

Coming next: hitting the slopes with L and MV.

WSC

np: "Commando" on Cinemax