The South-Central New Mexico Destination Area
(Essentially Lincoln County Expanded)

Above Left: A [Google] Topo-Map Image of the bike tour area.

Above Right: A Roadmap Image of the bike tour area.

Some Interesting Tidbits:
• Visually contrast the White Sands area with the All Black Area of an ancient non-volcanic lava flow now called Valley of Fires Recreation Area (we visited both areas by bicycle) - See the Side Trips.
• Lincoln County is the famed area of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War (caused by the Greed of a Dry Good Store's attempted monopoly) - See the Side Trips.
• Lincoln County and Billy the Kid are the subject of about 20 Hollywood Movies and countless 'Dime Novels' and Story Books.
• Roswell (actually a little north of there on a ranch) is the home of the first known UFO crash that also had bodies and a huge and unexplained US Government cover-up. There is a Museum in town that has photos and sworn testaments of ranchers, retired military personnel, and a few local citizens that were involved (like the Sheriff who initially managed the site crash protection and a town Mortician that was asked for Child Sized Caskets by Federal Agents). There are a few things there that I did not know (from Books, TV, and Movie Documentaries), like the space ship's broken pieces were so light-weight that its military handlers said that it felt weightless (in sworn written testimony made before they passed away from old age).
• The Sacramento Mountain area contains a Mescalero [Apache] Indian Reservation.
• The Sacramento Mountain area contains the old US Army / US Cavalry post called Fort Stanton (which had seen continued use, upgraded over time, and only closed after WWII).
• Not identified on either map, somewhere in the southwest corner is the White Sands Missile Range Museum. We visited it, a military ID was required, and we have some pictures to share - See the Side Trips.
• The Three Rivers Petroglyph (State Park) has over 21,000 Petroglyphs, they were created by the Mogollon Peoples that lived in the area. The Jornada Mogollon Indians, inhabited the region and made the glyphs in the 900 to 1400 AD time frame - See the Side Trips.

Day 1
Cycle around Fort Stanton and then Loop-Ride to just beyond the Ruidoso Airport

Above Left: A Placard about Fort Stanton, named after Captain Henry W. Stanton (see the quote block below).

Above Right: A map of Army Forts in New Mexico during the 1850-1860s time frame (compliments of the White Sands Missile Range Museum).

Fort Stanton was named for a Soldier of 1st Dragoons named Captain Henry W. Stanton, who, in 1855 was killed by Mescalero Apaches. The post, located on the Rio Bonito in the Capitan Mountains was established that same year to protect settlers in the area.

The US Army Dragoon units evolved into the US Cavalry. The 1st Dragoons (formed in 1833) became the 1st Cavalry (in 1861).

Riding Around the Main Cantonment Area of Fort Stanton, NM

Above: These are the Quarters for the Command Offices, Troop Headquarters, and Services like Quartermaster, Clinic, Mess Hall, and Small Arms Armory around a Parade Field.

Above Left: Likely a Command Officer's Quarters.

Above Right: Likely an Infirmary.

Above Left: Nice Street Name. I was in the 10th Cavalry, the "Buffalo Soldiers".

Above Right: Looking southwest over the horse and Trooper exercise field, we are east of the main cantonment area, in fact the Horse Stables are directly behind us.

Above Left: Riding out in a southeast direction, leaving Fort Stanton proper.

Above Right: Looking northeast at the Capitan Mountain Range.

Above: National Cemetery that has an unusual amount of Naval Veteran Grave Markers at an elevation at 6200'/1800m in land locked New Mexico.

Above Left: Looking southwest over the Sacramental Mountains with the white peak of Sierra Blanca barely visible on the right side, just about due west from here.

Above Right: Sierra Blanca zoomed-in, it is 11,981'/3652m, sitting between here and White Sands.

Above Left: The handlebar-bag, sans map, is heading southeast on NM-220.

Above Right: This was the sharp corner (ahead) where NM-220 turns 90° right and heads southwest for about 5 miles. It is not a problem for bicycles but we saw where a few cars had skidded straight through the bend.

Above Left: Terry was keeping the Bee company on NM-220 (Capitan Mountains in the background).

Above Right: Dennis (moi) was embracing the Bee on NM-220 (Sierra Blanca in the background).

It was about 60F/15C, we were mostly climbing until now, so no jackets were needed, and Dennis' Flannel Shirt and Jeans are just about perfect for the conditions ('same-same' for Terry). We had to wear jackets for the downhill return.

Sierra Blanca Regional Airport
(Also-Known-As Ruidoso Airport)

Above Left: Still heading southwest on NM-220 on top of a plateau (where the local airport is situated, ahead).

Above Right: Sierra Blanca Regional Airport Tower in the background and Engine 7 of the Ruidoso Fire Department.

Above Left: We were looking NNE at the Capitan Mountains.

Above Right: This is a motion photo looking down upon a part of the town of Capitan, NM

In the Capitan Mountains the little bear cub that became known as Smokey Bear, was discovered in 1950 in a wild forest.

Trivia: Pronounced 'Smokey Bear', NOT pronounced 'Smokey the Bear'.

Capitan, is home of the Smokey Bear Restaurant and the restaurant has been a location restaurant for many Movies (and home base for many fire fighters).

Above Left: Looking due east.

Above Right: Riding northeast on NM-220.

Above Left: Sharp turn coming, Capitan Mountain Range ahead.

Above Right: This was the sharp 90° turn location of NM-220, we were about halfway back to Fort Stanton, and this was our last ride photo of the day.

It felt great to be riding again, this was our first bicycle ride of 2019 (24 Feb) and the first time that we had been on the Tandem since October of 2018.

The Fort Stanton Museum

Above Left: Fort Stanton historical placard.

Above Right: Museum welcome Flags.

• The missing information here is that an Army Division and an Army Regiment are organizationally sized as the same, with the same command structure and command ranks.
• Regiments tend to be mounted forces, originally on horses later on mechanized vehicles (ground and air, respectively trucks or armored personnel carriers and helicopters).
• The equivalent units also have different names, a Cavalry Squadron is structurally the same as an Army Brigade, a Cavalry Troop is structurally the same as an Army Company. A Regiment, in 1830s, had 3 mounted combat maneuver units, the Dragoons (mounted infantry), Mounted Rifles, and Cavalry (mounted with a saber and later with a handgun).
• If the 1930s units seemed similar, they were, they evolved from a time when managing a rifle was a major task in itself and managing a horse was a major task in itself. In the 1850s the disparate maneuver units were combined into one organizational unit and called Cavalry (as depicted in the above left image).
• Brigades used to be commanded by Brigadier Generals (one star) and Regiments were commanded by Major Generals (two stars). A typical Division/Regiment had, and still has, three (3) maneuver elements (called Brigades or Squadrons respectively).
• Over time the Brigade General became the assistant to the Major General at the Regiment/Division level, and Colonels (which means Column Commander) became the commanders of the maneuver Columns (Brigades/Regiments).
• Notice how many words are French in origin.
• Additionally, to the upper right image: Artillery was represented by the Red color and still is (the color the boom sound) and Infantry is represented by the Blue color.