"I left the house at 3:15 AM, June 23, 2016, knowing I would be driving longer than I would be hiking. I headed to northern New Mexico to the town of Costilla, then headed east on highway 196. It took about an hour on this road to get to my parking place. The first 10 miles is a paved road. The last 18 mile drive is on a well maintained dirt road and a 4WD vehicle is not required. Driving on highway 196, I saw a large herd of elk grazing by a stream in the early morning light. Shortly thereafter, I saw a herd of deer. There were other deer and elk along the way. Nearing my parking area I saw a funny little weasel. It almost looked like it was from a cartoon. It was skinny, about an inch in diameter. It was about a foot long from tip the of it’s nose to the end of it’s tail. It was really moving fast! Highway 196 is a beautiful drive. There are 2 camping areas near each other, Shuree Ponds Campground and Cimarron Campground. I parked just west of the Cimarron Campground. Shuree Ponds is a wonderful place to camp, especially in August. You can hardly find a square foot of space that is not covered with wildflowers in the lush green meadows near the ponds. In August it is clear almost..." — Phil-Robinson • Jun 23, 2016