Ted. Many towns in the American West rest hard up against an iconic mountain range. In Las Cruces, that would be the Organs.
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| Las Cruces backed by the Organ Mountains |
Lying 10 miles to the east of Las Cruces, this range is only about 12 miles long and the tallest peak is just 8,900 feet high. Yet, their distinctive pipe organ like appearance dominates the surrounding area. Much of the range was protected in 2014 as the Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks National Monument.
The Organs run north to south and divide the Rio Grande Valley from the Tullarosa Basin. Most of the moisture in the area comes from the late summer monsoon, which rolls in from the east. Thus the eastern slope is a bit greener. This has been an unusual year with lots of fall rain so the modest little waterfalls, even on the western slope, are still flowing.
We have enjoyed several hikes into these mountains and they will hold an outsized chunk of our memory of Las Cruces. I’ll share a few snapshots.
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| Judy with our buddy Jeff |
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| Sunset over Tullarosa Basin |
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