Uniqueness about Angel Fire today:
Angel Fire is a relatively young village. The Angel Fire Ski & Golf Resort was started in 1965 by the Roy Lebus family. A community built up around the ski area and the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce was founded in December of 1982 and the town was incorporated as the Village of Angel Fire in1986. Angel Fire is a high-altitude haven nestled in a valley 8,382 feet above sea level between mountains ranging from Mount Baldy at 11,086 to Wheeler Peak, the hoghest mountain in New Mexico at 13,161. 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.”
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, pike 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. (Please note there is no “s” in Eagle Nest.)
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 Scenic By-Way – an 85-mile loop around Wheeler Peak through the towns of Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa, Taos, and 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 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 Elevation: Angel Fire… 8,500 feet
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. If possible start on a heavy water regimen and a high carbohydrate diet a week or two prior to coming up the mountain.
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.
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