Elevation:  8,382' at base of valley.  Surrounding mountains range from 11,086' Agua Fria Peak on the south end of the valley to 12,441' Baldy Peak at the north end of the valley.  Wheeler Peak, at 13,161', the highest mountain in the state, forms the northwest boundary of the valley.  Latitude N36 degrees 25.24 minutes; Longitude: W105 degrees 17.40 minutes.  The incorporated Village of Angel Fire covers an area of 18,450 acres.  Average lot size is .726 to .786 acre.  Population:  1,048 year-round, according to the 2000 census, plus over 600 seasonal residents. 

Climate:

Winter temperatures are generally moderate, averaging mid-thirties daytime to mid-teens in the early morning.  Average annual snowfall is 140" in the valley and over 210" at the ski area.  Average annual precipitation in spring and summer is 7" with moderate temperatures, varying from early morning lows in the mid-forties to mid-afternoon highs of 75 degrees with very low humidity levels.  

Month                 High           Low            Inches

January                  44             -10                20.2

February                40               5                 22.2

March                     50              15                30.8

April                        55              18               16.1

May                         60              30                 7.0

June                       70               35                   .7

July                         78              45                 4.7

August                    78              45                 1.2

September             72              30                   .2

October                  65              25                 8.7

November              50              20               15.3

December              45             15                20.0

Tourism

Tourism is the principal year-round industry in Angel Fire.  

•  Fair weather activities (May-Oct) include:  an 18-hole PGA-rated golf course, tennis, fishing, scenic chairlift rides, mountain biking, climbing wall, four wheeling, and more.
• Year-round is ideal for photography and enjoying the magnificent wildlife (elk, deer, birds, and more), exquisite cloud formations, beautiful sunrises & sunsets, wonderful aspen color change (fall), glorious wildflowers (spring & summer).  Hiking and horseback riding, including horse-drawn sleigh (winter) or wagon rides are also year-round activities.
• Winter activities are dominated by skiing, snowboarding and snow biking at the Angel Fire ski area, the 4^th largest in NM.  With 74 trails on 445 acres of private land and a vertical drop of 2,077'.  26% of the trails are for beginners, 50% for intermediate, and 24% for experts. Annual skier days:  104 days on average season.
• Snowmobiling is also a popular sport, with guided tours available on private land as well as in the Carson National Forest bordering the Village.  $10 million in ski area improvements have been made in recent years.  The ski area includes:
• Nordic Center with 22 km of terrain for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing begins and ends at the summit.  
• The only two high-speed quad chairlifts in New Mexico.
• The new sport of snow biking.
• 6,000 sq-ft Children's Ski & Snowboard Center.
• Tubing at the base of the ski area, operating daily and early evenings.  Children must be 42” tall.  
• Two Freestyle Terrain Parks and a Halfpipe.  
• Special events are scheduled year-round and are listed on the Angel Fire Chamber's website:  www.AngelFireChamber.org

Government

•  Village Council with four Council members and a Mayor, all elected to four-year staggered terms.  Village Hall:  377-3232.  Emergency Calls:  911.  Police office 377-3214.  Fire/EMT office 377-3347.
• As of 2009, Angel Fire has 928 registered voters. Voter registration is at Angel Fire Village Hall.  377-3232
• Police:  Chief and 3 officers.
• Municipal Court:  One elected Judge.
• Fire Department based EMS Service:  4 paid employees and 25 volunteers, including 11 certified EMT’s.
• Planning and Zoning Commission:  Appointed by the Mayor.  A Planning and Zoning Code is in effect, and a General Master Plan is in use, which includes land use, community design, and development controls.  
• State law mandates that 21 is the legal age to purchase alcohol; Sunday sales after noon.  

 Elected U.S. officials:  

• Sen. Pete Domenici (R) 202-224-6621
• Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) 202-224-5521
• Rep. Tom Udall (D) 202-225-6190

Taxes:

• Gross Receipts 2010(sales) tax:  7.4375%; Total GRT revenues in FY09 $241,643
• Lodgers Tax 5%; Total Lodgers Tax revenues in FY09 $2,138,880
• Colfax County Property Tax:  1/3 of assessed property values times tax rate.  Total Village of Angel Fire Property Tax Valuation 2009: $20,827,526 residential and $72,447,714 non-residential.  

Real Estate

• Sales in 2009 (*= #sales $amt not reported):
• 50 Parcels Land:  $3,752,553
• 61 Homes:  $23,460,258
• 41 Condos:  $6,099,416
• Average home sale: $398,991

2-br home $260,000

3-br home $384,229

2-br condo $133,231

Other:

• 123 (13 new dwellings) building permits issued in 2009
• 10 new homes constructed in 2009
• Total existing houses & condos 2,147 est.
• Long-term monthly rental:  $500-$1,300 avg.
• Covenants:  Vary by subdivision.  Contact Angel Fire Environmental & Architectural Control Committee 377-1135

Public School Information

Cimarron Municipal School District 2009-10 enrollment:

• Cimarron Elem./Middle School (K-8):  112
• Eagle Nest Elem./Middle School (K-8):  180
• Cimarron High School (9-12):  95
• Moreno Valley High School:  79

Medical

• Moreno Valley Health Care Clinic, Angel Fire: 377-3301
• Holy Cross Hospital, Taos (approx 26 miles west of Angel Fire): 758-8883
• Angel Fire Family Dentistry, Angel Fire:  377-1383

Veterinarian

• Angel Fire Small Animal Hospital, Angel Fire:  377-3165

Community Facilities

• Angel Fire Community Center.  11,300 sq-ft facility housing 6,000 sq-ft multi-purpose room, commercial kitchen, classroom space and playground.  Recreational and educational programs year-round.  377-1544.  
• Shuter Library, 11 S. Angel Fire Rd.  Public computer access.  377-6755.
• Angel Fire Ski Area:  Mid-Dec thru late March.  800-633-7463
• Angel Fire Golf Course & Country Club Pro Shop:  May – Oct.  377-3055
• Monte Verde Lake:  Fishing, picnicking and paddleboats. May – Oct. Pay fishing fee & boat rental at boathouse.  377-6401.
• Olympic Park:  Tennis courts, playground, softball field, and basketball courts.  Next to golf course.  377-6401.  
• Angel Fire Resort Day Care Center:  State licensed, year-round childcare for ages 6 wks to 11 yrs.  Shot records required.  377-4213.  

Churches Call for locations and service schedules.

In Angel Fire:

• Angel Fire Baptist Church:  377-3107
• Angel Fire Foursquare Church:  377-5917
• Angel Fire Lutheran Church: 377-2814
• United Church of Angel Fire:  377-1559
• Holy Angels Church: 377-3332

In Eagle Nest:

• Moreno Valley Church of Christ:  377-1043
• St. Mel's Catholic Church:  377-1937

Other objects of significant interest: 

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial – the first Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located 1 mile from the Angel Fire Village limits.  A 6,000 square foot shrine and visitor’s center built by Dr. Victor Westphall with his private funds.  Dr. Westphall’s son, David, was killed in a 1968 enemy ambush in Vietnam.  The Memorial was built not to glorify war but to honor the men and women who served.  The Memorial is slated to become a New Mexico State Park in May 2005. 

Famous people who have lived in or near Angel Fire: 

• Dr. Victor Westphall, who built the first shrine and memorial honoring men and women who served in Vietnam.  The memorial was completed in 1971.  The memorial has been expanded to honor all veterans.  Dr. Westphall passed away July 22, 2003.  

• Approximately two thousand years before any Anglos arrived in the Angel Fire area, the Moache Ute Indians (a fierce, nomadic, constantly warring tribe) migrated to the Angel Fire Area and claimed it for their summer and fall camps – their sacred ceremonial area is still known as “Valley of the Utes.”

Uniqueness about Angel Fire today: 

• Angel Fire Ski & Golf Resort was started in 1965 by the Roy Lebus family.  A community built up around the ski area, and was incorporated as the Village of Angel Fire in 1986, so Angel Fire is a relatively young village.

• Angel Fire is a high-altitude haven nestled in a valley 8,382 feet above sea level between mountains ranging from 11,086 (Mount Baldy) to 13,161 (Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico).  Spectacular sunrise and sunset colors gave Angel Fire its name long ago when Ute Indians observed the glowing skies and called it the “fire of the angels.” 

• Angel Fire’s climate is enjoyed by most residents and visitors.  Winter temperatures are generally moderate, averaging mid-thirties daytime and mid-teens in the early morning.  Average annual snowfall is 140” in the valley and over 210” in the ski area.  Spring and summer offer an average annual precipitation of 7” with moderate temperatures varying from early morning lows in the mid-forties to mid-afternoon highs of 75 degrees with very low humidity levels. 

• Angel Fire is a photographer’s delight – wonderful scenery, magnificent wildlife, exquisite cloud formations, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, wonderful Aspen color change in the fall, and glorious wildflowers during spring and summer. 

• Wildlife viewing is a year-round amazement – birds, elk, deer, coyotes, squirrels, chipmunks, and an occasional bear (when not in hibernation from late November through mid-March). 

• Summer activities include golf, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, ATV riding.

• Winter activities include skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, tubing, snowskating, ice skating, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. 

• Sportsmen enjoy lake and stream fishing, including winter ice fishing as conditions permit.  The area is also known for big game hunting, primarily elk. 

A number of annual events attract visitors and locals, including Missoula Children’s Theater, Music from Angel Fire, Living History Days, and the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve torchlight parades and fireworks. 

Interesting Facts

Angel Fire – got its name from the Moache Utes.  Seeing mysterious tongues of red and orange licking the morning sky, one of the elders claimed it was the "fire of the gods".  Later Franciscan Friars interpreted "fire of the gods" as "the place of the fire of the angel". 

Eagle Nest Lake – covers 2,200 acres and borders the south side of the Village of Eagle Nest.  The dam was built in the early 1900's.  Eagle Nest Lake provides some of the Southwest's best fishing for trophy Rainbow trout and Kokonee and Koho Salmon.  A State of NM Fishing license is required.  Fishing is a year-round sport with ice fishing usually beginning in January and the first open water fishing starting in April. 

Elizabethtown – New Mexico's first incorporated town established in 1867.  Five miles north of Eagle Nest on County Road B-20 (off Highway 38), there are ruins and a museum open Memorial Day through Labor Day.  Beni Jo Fulton, Curator for the Elizabeth Town Museum can be reached at (505) 377-3420. 

Enchanted Circle – an 85-mile loop around Wheeler Peak through the towns of Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa, Taos, and passing Angel Fire. 

Kit Carson – lived in Taos, and his home there is now a museum at 113 Kit Carson Road, (505) 758-4741. 

Palo Flechado Pass – the mountain pass between Taos & Colfax Counties.  Palo Flechado is Spanish for "tree pierced with arrows".  Elevation 9,101 ft. 

Red River – has six buildings listed on the National Register of historic Places.  One of them has six buildings listed on the national Register of Historic Places, was built in 1915 and used as a school house until 1942; it has now been converted into a museum. 

Red River Fish Hatchery – located N. of Taos & South of Questa on Hwy 515, (505) 586-0222.  See a display of the trout-rearing process and take a self-guided tour of a show ponds and trout raceways. 

Wheeler Peak – New Mexico's highest mountain at 13,161 feet. 

Village Elevations:

Angel Fire... ..........8,500 feet

Eagle Nest.. ..........8,262 feet

Questa........ ..........7,500 feet

Red River.... ..........8,676 feet

Taos............ .......... 8,965 feet

Fast Facts

Angel fire has wonderful year round weather.  Winter Temperatures average mid-thirties during the day dropping into the teens at night.  Average annual  snowfall is 140’ in the valley and 210” at t the ski area. 

Spring and Summer  temperatures range from early morning lows in the mid-forties to highs of 75.  Extremely low humidity.  Summers do require a sweater or light jacket for evenings.  Fall is crisp and dry.      

Population:  1048  year round residents

                     Population can swell to 10,000 during a winter holiday  

Angel Fire was Established in 1967 and incorporated with the state as a municipality in 1986.

Land Area:  18,000 acres 

Helpful Travel Tips:

Altitude Sickness

At 8,382 feet, it can take some time to get acclimated to the altitude.  To avoid Altitude Sickness be sure to drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest.

The symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) include:

• Headache
• Loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting
• Fatigue or weakness
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Confusion
• Staggering Gait

If any of these symptoms persist despite drinking plenty of fluids and taking mild analgesics, get medical attention.

Some helpful phone numbers:

New Mexico Fishing Information   1-800-275-3474

NM Department of Game and Fish   505-445-2311

Carson National Forest      505-758-6200

New Mexico State Parks 888-667-2757

Road Condition Reports 800-432-4269

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