Vietnam Veteran's Memorial

ANGEL FIRE is located in the majestic Moreno Valley in Colfax County, New Mexico, 23 miles east of Taos via US Hwy 64 and 152 miles northeast of Albuquerque. The Moreno Valley is a 15 mile long, 3 mile wide, high alpine valley with an 8,382' base elevation. 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

DISTANCE TO MAJOR CITIES MILES AVERAGE DRIVE TIME
ALBUQUERQUE 152 3 HOURS
SANTA FE 94 2 HOURS
AMARILLO 260 5 HOURS
DALLAS/FORTH WORTH 625 12 HOURS
HOUSTON 933 17 HOURS
OKLAHOMA CITY 520 8 HOURS
TULSA 622 9 HOURS
WICHITA 500 9 HOURS
COLORADO SPRINGS 174 3.5 HOURS
DENVER 262 5 HOURS
NEW ORLEANS 1,043 20 HOURS
PHOENIX 618 12 HOURS

CLIMATE: Angel Fire's climate is anyone's dream. 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" 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. Summer requires a sweater or light jacket for cool evenings and maybe an umbrella for occasional mountain showers. Fall is brisk and dry.

Click for Angel Fire, New Mexico Forecast Temperature observed at Taos, NM

 TEMPERATURES: HIGH/LOW (FAHRENHEIT)
JANUARY 44/10 JULY 78/45
FEBRUARY 40/5 AUGUST 78/45
MARCH 50/15 SEPTEMBER 72/30
APRIL 55/18 OCTOBER 65/25
MAY 60/30 NOVEMBER 50/20
JUNE 70/35 DECEMBER 45/15

 AVERAGE SNOWFALL BY MONTH
OCTOBER 8.7" FEBRUARY 22.2"
NOVEMBER 15.3" MARCH 30.8"
DECEMBER 20.0" APRIL 16.1"
JANUARY 20.2" MAY 7.0"

THE AURA OF ANGEL FIRE
The Moache Utes, a nomadic people, gathered in the Moreno Valley in the summer and fall. According to legend, they called the glow against Agua Fria Peak the "fire of the gods." When traveling Franciscan friars came through the area, they transposed the name into " the place of the fire of angels." Some believe in this legend. Some claim it's a story made up by a local twentieth century mountain man


HISTORY: THE LAST 150 YEARS

133 years ago, the narrow Moreno Valley was pasture and hunting land occupied by the Moache Utes and Jicarilla Apaches. It was part of an enormous 1.7 million acre land grant owned by one man, Lucien B. Maxwell. In 1867, however, everything changed. Gold was discovered on Baldy Mountain, overlooking the Valley. Within a year, 7000 fortune hunters flooded the area. They established Elizabethtown, a typical wild west venue salted by vigilante justice and a 17 year county war between land owners and squatters.

In 1918, Charles and Frank Springer, owners of the CS Ranch, completed Eagle Nest Dam, taming the Cimarron River and conserving water for Colfax County. On the edge of the lake, the town of Therma was built, later changing its name to Eagle Nest.

In 1954, Roy and George LeBus of Wichita Falls, Texas, bought the 9,000 acre Monte Verde Ranch and later added the 14,000 acre Cieneguilla Ranch to their holdings. Ten years after the initial purchase, they decided to develop the property into a resort community. They called the new development "Angel Fire", a name which Indian lore attached to the area. Its origin is obscure, but may refer to the reddish glow sometimes seen on the winter mountains at sunset.

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