A photo hunt

[Bedrock Bob 3,885]

I came upon a very nice ruin not too far from where I live. I am still researching the history, but it seems it started out as a river crossing and a lodge or inn on the river. About 20 rooms all together with a big porch and a stone walled corral the size of a baseball field. There was a bridge across the Pecos river here at one time I believe. It overlooks a bend in the river with a beautiful fishing/swimming hole and a big wide grass covered bench. The best I can find out so far was that it was an inn way back in the 1800's and in the early 1900's it was a tuberculosis sanitarium. I have got the story cornered in Las Vegas and I will have a bunch of facts about the place soon.

It was well posted...

Notice the pirate's treasure chest in the upper right corner of the sign.

So I decided to hunt the surface with a camera.

It is the top to a candle lantern I beleive...Moons and stars

".44 C.F.W."

It is silver plated. The corner of a book I believe.

What a place this must have been!

There were several buttons, forged nails, harmonica reeds, and a bunch of other good junk laying around on the surface. Of course there were a couple of broken arrowheads and a few shards of pottery in the gravel as well. I imagine that spot on the Pecos has been occupied since the rocks were new.

I hope this isnt too many photos but I just had to share them.

Bob

[Ant Man 15]

Bob,

That's a very interesting location. I can imagine what it must have been like to live there when the building was in better condition, and what a lot of work it must have been to stack up the rocks! It kind of reminds me of an ancient Roman ruins or something.

Paul

[garimpo 2,283]

Over 30 years ago my hunting was for coins and relics before I got

into gold hunting...Ark...OK....and Tx were my stomping grounds and

the detectors I used were Goldak and Garrett BFO's...BB your pics

remind me of the weeks on end I spent tracing and detecting the old

pony express stations in Ar...Ok...and Tx...some really interesting

finds and experiences....to bad it was before computers and digital

cameras...one of the things I found out quickly was that when the

Historical Society people put up their plaques it's not necessarily

the correct site...if they have to walk over a couple of hundred

yards they just put them where it's easy to get to...I found some

to be off a 1/4 mile or more....good work with the camera and the

post....

[homefire 2,579]

Cool Beans! Bummer on the 1906 thing!

[Bedrock Bob 3,885]

Bob,

That's a very interesting location. I can imagine what it must have been like to live there when the building was in better condition, and what a lot of work it must have been to stack up the rocks! It kind of reminds me of an ancient Roman ruins or something.

Paul

You should see the fences! There is about 2 miles of stacked rock fence about 4 feet high running all over the place. The corral is huge and on three sides it is stacked rock fence. The fourth side is a cliff overlooking the river and the site of the old bridge (or cable crossing, I am not sure which). There are still big steel pins in the rock just below the edge. There are two wrangler shacks at both ends of the pasture in the river bench.

The ruins are much too big for a single photo. I tried to get half of the ruins in a frame and I could not do it. There are several outhouse sites (at least seven)and a couple of larger outbuildings. I have seen the ruins of whole towns that are more recent that were not in this good a shape!

I have hunted all over these hills north of the place and have found many ruins. On one adventure I met a fellow hiding behind a rock. He told me that "somewhere out here" there is an old inn that was full of artifacts. I went in the direction that he thought it was a mile and a half and located an old ruin behind a thick bunch of trees on the river bank. It had a giant fireplace made out of an old train boiler with 1" thick metal. I figured I had found it. Then after a few trips I got on the wrong trail and went way south of my intended destination. I hadnt gone a mile from the truck when I crossed a trail and found this place. Obviously what he was referring to.

This spot is about 6 miles away from an old Spanish town called El Cerrito. There is a very good book written about El Cerrrito and its people. No mention of this place though. The locals dont talk about it, the FS is reluctant, but there is a FS LEO that almost busted me with a metal detector a few miles away that knows the scoop and is willing to talk. I see him out there often and he is quite a macho lawman. He seems to like me though and chatted a while. He told me who to contact at the FS office in Las Vegas and the next time I have a weekday to screw around I am going to go tap his brain.

In this area you dont need to locate a "spot" at all. Just walk out the back door, ground balance, and start walking. With all the old trails, forts, camps, ranches, battlefields and indian grounds around here you never can tell what you will find. I have yet to spend one hour searching without an interesting find.

[Bedrock Bob 3,885]

Here are a few good photos of the various wings of the structure and some really nice rock work. Yes, it looks Roman, or Anasazi from my perspective. You can definitely see where there were some fine craftsmen and then some lesser skilled rock stacking. The funny thing about this country is that it ALL looks like stacked rock...even the canyon walls.

A darn nice corner of dry stacked wall that has lasted a hundred and fifty years or so.

Ass good of an overview as it gets. About half the main structure.

This puzzles me. it is a tee in two main walls. I just like the photo.

A very nicely laid wall and others that didnt fit that rock together like the old timers.

The fellows that built these walls were real craftsmen. It is some very fine dry stackin'

[ron l. 0]

bob,wow those walls are really amazing and to think of how much time it took, unbelievable amount of time.

thanks much for sharing the pictures. take care. ron

[Dean (N.M.) 0]

Hello Bob,

Very nice photos! Thanks for posting them. The stories those walls could tell ehhh. It must be nice to make the finds you do so close to your home.

Is it starting to cool down a bit in the mornings in your area yet? Have the temps been staying below 90 during the day? Last time I was out I about roasted. Hope to see you out in the field soon. Good hunting! Buena suerte!

Dean

[Ant Man 15]

Like Dean said, the stories those walls could tell! I'd love to hear about any more of the history of this place you discover. Sometimes I think I was born too late and should have been a pioneer.

Paul

[Hoser John 1,240]

:whoope: Incredible workmanship on those structures. Life in the old days was nothing but work ,work, work :whaaaa: no electricity,no grocers and NO AIR conditioning in that hot enviroment. The grit and tenacity is absolutely amazing,no wonder they died so young,flat worked to death and thats ifn' they were lucky and departed this life with their scalp intact too. :wacko: thanx much for the fantastic pics of a bygone era-John

[Bedrock Bob 3,885]

Hello Bob,

Very nice photos! Thanks for posting them. The stories those walls could tell ehhh. It must be nice to make the finds you do so close to your home.

Is it starting to cool down a bit in the mornings in your area yet? Have the temps been staying below 90 during the day? Last time I was out I about roasted. Hope to see you out in the field soon. Good hunting! Buena suerte!

Dean

Dean,

It has been hot up here. About 92-94 each day. But it is only for a couple of hours and the clouds take it down into the 50's really quick. So you dont know whether to wear a jacket or a tee shirt, or BOTH. Most nights are already below 60 degrees.

I was over by Ocate and Guadalupita yesterday and it was 95 at 12:00, 52 at 2:00 p.m. A couple of inches of rain in places and all the creeks running like mad. I have had 26" of moisture since the first of the year. The weeds are 8 feet tall and the mosquitos are so thick that they hit the back of your throat when you breathe. The vegas in Mora county are every color imagineable and the asters are everywhere. I have never seen colors like this up here. It looks like California wine country in the fall only more flowers and bigger mountains. The snow is finally gone from the Gascon ridge but just ten days ago it was still snow capped. It is stunning.

I have 2 flocks of turkeys down by my favorite creek that are regulars and a young bull elk with a 3X3 set of horns that will ALMOST come in for corn. There is a big sow bear that follows me around and although I rarely see her I can backtrack and see her footprints over mine that are just ten minutes old. If I lay a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my tracks it is gone within minutes. That bear keeps Wally on his toes and when he gets jumpy I know she is behind us.

We need to get together before the fall is upon us and make a trip to this spot. That way you can take Zaya and not be reliant on my crazy schedule. If you donate a couple of sacks of field corn to the cause you can have the best deer, elk, and turkey hunting in this state. And a really nice treasure hunting site as well. There is a spring with an old sawyer's camp and lots of old cabins to detect.

Now that my son is married (I performed the services at his wedding three weeks ago) I will be able to schedule my free time a little better. This weekend or the next one I am free as a bird and plan on going to the mountians as well as down in the hills to the ruins in these photos. Just let me know if you can get together and we will go!

Bob

[Dean (N.M.) 0]

Bob,

I am definitely ready for some cooler temps while hunting. About a month ago Zaya and I headed South of Albuquerque to hunt for meteorites. The area we hunted was an area where a sheep herder found two iron meteorites fairly close to each other. I figure there might possibly be some more pieces. Zaya and I roasted that day and we were zapped of energy by the end of the day.

I use to hunt elk in Guadalupita and in the Rincon mountains near Coyote creek. What beautiful country! My friend who owned the ranches there passed away years ago. He had told me about a possible meteorite fall that was passed to him by the old timers in the area. I have hunted his ranch once but never found anything. It now belongs to my brother in law so i still have access. I think a little research is in order. We will have to give it a go soon.

Zaya and I will take you up on your offer. We would love to see the ruins and do some hunting in the other area you mentioned. Maybe a turkey hunt is in order for the Z-Man. The bear story is great. I haven't seen one for years. In Guadalupita there are tons of turkeys running around. In the Rincon mountains I had a flock that followed me around a couple days while bow hunting. I know it sounds crazy but it happened.

Congrats to your son! I will give you a call and we will plan a trip within the next 2-3 weeks for sure! Let's see some more pics of the ruins and here a bit more history. What a sweet find. Watch out for the macho Leos and guys hiding behind the pine trees.

Dean

[Bedrock Bob 3,885]

Here is a good photo from another "photo hunt"...Those hunts that you just cant take it home but made a good find anyway.

My son was married in Ruidoso and I took old highway #3 from Villanueva to Corona. Along that stretch there are many old sites and I have been lurking about Encino and Duran pretty often. That day I went to Ruidoso I found this headstone near an old lone tree out in the middle of nowhere near just south of Encino.

Pretty darn old. This woman was probably born in the 1700's!

[29 Prospector 0]

Bob,

Everyone says if the walls could talk. Well I'm sure you may know as I do, if you sit is silence long enough and just meditate on your surroundings they will give up their story privately to you.

Such a great find. Love it. Keep up the work of documenting these things because someday all we may have are the pictures.

Bob