Boondocking in Santa Fe

We planned to stay at the Hyde Memorial State Park during our visit to Santa Fe. We hoped to snag one of the seven electric campsites in the park. But by the time we arrived on a Friday afternoon they were all taken. The sites were pretty tight. That can spell disaster for campfires, so even if one had been available, we probably would have moved on.

That left us with a choice to make for our evening accommodations. We had been toying with the idea of boondocking (camping without most or all hookups) for a while, but we were both a bit afraid to take the leap and cut the cord. We weren’t fully set up to do it, but from what I had been reading, we could get by for a few days.

We were both tired and ready to stop for the day. Our options nearby were to take a nonelectric site in the state park or move next door to the Santa Fe National Forest with the same setup. We made the leap and chose the forest.

We pulled into the Black Canyon campground in the Santa Fe Forest and were immediately impressed. The steep uphill drive led us pass campsites well spaced, some offering relative seclusion. We began our usual search for a site that would give us some privacy and keep us upwind from most other campers. We made our selection and I went to pay our fee.

At the pay station I perused the various posters on the two bulletin boards. On a poster warning about bears in the area, someone had written in pen “No campfires - they stink!” A kindred spirit had been here, I thought. We weren’t alone in our view on campfires.

At that moment, I wanted to add to the message “and they are toxic!”.  Stinking is one thing - implies a personal preference or something one can get over. Toxic and harmful to breathe is something we should all be concerned about and made aware of.

I thought better of defacing federal property, though. So instead I will write the words here: No campfires - they’re toxic (and they stink!).

Several people did start campfires the two days we were in the forest, which pushed us into our trailer. Rather than enjoying the fresh air and beauty of this lovely, peaceful forest, which we dearly wanted to do, we were inside protecting our lungs.

It truly is beyond my comprehension why anyone would want to pollute all the beautiful fresh air the trees are busy producing on our behalf. Unfortunately most of the time many of us take it for granted. One camper told Pat this particular campground is a cheap hotel to many who stay here. They don’t come for the sake of the forest, but its proximity to Santa Fe. We saw some activity over the weekend to support his theory.

In any case, it bears repeating: No campfires - they’re toxic - and they stink - and they can destroy forests.

The lungs of our earth deserve better.