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Aspen Park Guest
Ranch
Description
Aspen
Park is located 2 miles upstream from the Town of Red
River on State Highway No. 578, in the Sangre de Cristo
Mountain Range. It consists of 10.84 acres, more or
less, of forest and meadow, surrounded by the Carson
National Forest, at an elevation of approximately 9000
feet. It is bounded on the east by the Red River, a
crystal clear mountain stream, and on the south by
beautiful little Goose Creek, which flows down an
enchanting six mile valley from Goose Lake, nestled
below Gold Hill. Our perimeter is bounded in its
entirety by the Carson National Forest, except for a
small part at the river which adjoins other private
property.
Even this is out of view from the main, inhabitable
part of our property.
The great
significance of this topographical situation is that no
one will ever be able to place or build anything within
view of Aspen Park. It will always have a surrounding
360 degree view of the national forest. Hence, the owner
will have absolute control of the appearance and
character of the property, in perpetuity.
Its cloistered setting, in a deep valley, provides great
privacy and serenity. All sounds and glare
from civilization are excluded by surrounding shoulders
of the mountains. Since the forest actually intrudes
across our property lines, wildlife
abounds. Deer, beavers, badgers, wild turkeys, occasional timber wolves, bears and elk wander through, even
during the day, and when tourist occupancy is high. The
chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and birds that live
here are rarely out of sight. The latter include
Stellar Blue Jays, Western Tanagers, humming birds,
ravens, eagles and water ouzels. The Red River is regularly
stocked with trout, by not only the N. M. Game and Fish
Department, but by the Red River Chamber of Commerce
which buys and stocks large trout from private
hatcheries in Colorado. Because of the easy access to
the river at our bridge, we get a generous supply of
trout and the fishing is good!
A pageant
of wild flowers begins in June with a carpet of
dandelions, followed by columbines, wild roses, ground
orchids, shooting stars, yellow wall flowers, wild
raspberries, strawberries, and gooseberries.
High
altitude provides Aspen Park with a wonderful climate.
Days are cool and nights are invigorating, even in
mid summer. The pure unpolluted air and cerulean skies
have to be experienced to be believed. The same is true
of the dramatic cloud formations and spectacular starry
nights.
These
conditions provide marvelous respite from the summer
heat, humidity, and smog of lower climes.
The
property is served by New Mexico Highway 578, a modern
paved highway that is maintained 365 days a year. It
parallels our property at the river. The Town of Red
River is just 5 minutes away, and if you take the road
in the opposite direction to the Upper Red River Canyon,
it follows the river up to the
foot of the high mountain ridge where Wheeler Peak, the
highest mountain in New Mexico, is located. The City of
Taos is only 36 miles away, Angel Fire is 25 miles, and
Santa Fe 110 miles.
The
improvements on the property consist of a main two-story
house, or manager’s residence, a laundry, public
bathhouse, shop, storage units and 13 individual
housekeeping cabins.
The water
system is served by a mountain spring that might be
called the " Jewel in the Crown " of Aspen Park. The
water is wonderful tasting and very soft. Our guests
have hauled it home with them for years. A 1500 gallon
polyethylene tank, high up a hill in back of the
property, provides excellent gravity pressure.
The
original architectural style of Aspen Park employed the
rustic exteriors of the 1920s and 30s. All structures
are made of either logs, spruce-bark siding, or rough
heart lumber. None are painted.
Our
father liked this rustic character, and he continued to
use it in the 10 buildings he added. He had strong
convictions that everything should be natural,
unobtrusive, and harmonious with its natural setting. He
often stated his philosophical desire to bridge the gap
for his guests, especially children, between their
soft, luxurious homes, and the rudimentary existence of
the pioneers who settled the west. He was once heard to
tell a contractor that something being proposed was "too
spiffy ". It was vetoed.
Although
our cabins all have baths and kitchens, and most have
floor furnaces or panel heaters, they should not be
described as luxurious in the contemporary sense. One
still feels the outdoors, psychologically, if not
physically. Over the years our clientele have
selectively become folks who prefer intimacy with
nature to the comforts of home.
Many
activities went on at Aspen Park during our 45 years of
operation. We rented horses, provided Jeep trips,
fishing and hunting trips, trail hikes, pack trips to
the high country, and cookouts at the ranch we once
owned above the Red River Pass.
In our
recreation center, we held weekly teenage dances,
square dances, and slide shows. In the 60s we operated a
restaurant and buffet.
Dad often
advised his guests to make side trips, near and far,
even when it meant interruption of their stay at Aspen
Park. The practice paid off, when people showed their
appreciation by returning to stay with us in following
years.
Aspen
Park’s geographic location could not be more fortunate.
It is in the middle of a region of the American
Southwest that has long been famous for natural beauty.
Its mountains, plains and deserts are as varied as any
on earth, and with its sunfilled low humidity climate,
it is a wonderland that merits the superlatives
expressed by visitors from abroad.
New
Mexico, especially, has been compared to such
internationally famous regions as Provence and Cashmere.
Its historical
interest and rich mix of Indian, Spanish and Anglo
cultures perfectly complement its natural beauty. Add to
this the cultural environment created by its famous
colonies of artists, scholars and musicians, and it is
easy to see why the state calls itself, "The Land of
Enchantment".
Unfortunately, the
hitherto unspoiled country of the Southwest is fast
becoming famous. Rapid growth of business and
residential development threaten to compromise the very
things that have made it desirable. Who would not cringe
at the mention of " urban sprawl " in reference to Taos
or Santa Fe. Well, it is happening!
A land rush is on
in the U. S. Where we once had flight from the cities to
the suburbs, we now have flight from the suburbs to the
country. The reasons are many: traffic grid lock,
pollution, congestion, and the frenetic pace of city
living. The kind of land that meets the needs of this
exodus is rapidly being grabbed up, and land as
desirable as Aspen Park is almost gone.
Considering all of
this, it should readily be seen what a unique and
extraordinary property Aspen Park is. Its pollution free
climate, unspoiled alpine forest, its river, and most of
all, the assured privacy of its location, make it a
property rarely to be found. |
