Ruidoso, N.M. is under a heavy fire advisory. Nearly every public area in Lincoln National Forest is closed for hiking and camping. Fishing has been restricted to the north side of the Grindstone Reservoir.
My Flickr photoset of Ruidoso (click for slideshow):
The forest floors we examined we covered in several inches of kindling. The monsoon season, still two months away, is expected to be of little help in delivering moisture. Ruidoso, it seems, is going to burn very soon.
Our plans to camp near Sierra Blanca or Mt. Capitan squashed, Lauren and I took refuge at a cabin in town. We grilled a lot, and sampled a lot of local microbrews.
Here are my recommendations if you ever find yourself here:
cabins:
Apache Village
restaurant:
Michelena’s (by far the best restaurant in Ruidoso)
Michael Castellon 