A Ranger stops by.
I spoke with the head Park ranger yesterday, who drove by, stopped, and asked me how everything was going and if I was enjoying myself. And that was easy for him to do since, as far as I can see, I'm the only one boondocking in the entire Park. People are camping at the regular hookup area of the park, but I can't see them since they're on the other side of the dam.
We talked for a while, and he didn't seem any happier with the way things are going with the New Mexico parks system than I am. He said they've got half the people working than they used to have, so a lot of things aren’t getting done. Without the volunteers who work just for a free camping spot, he said, the place would fall apart.
He also said that they didn't have enough people working to keep a check on what used to be the primitive camping area that I had stayed at several times before, and said the honchos are discussing whether or not to get rid of all of the first-come, first-served sites, which is what the primitive camping is, and make everything a reservation. I mentioned that many people don't like that, but he said the big shots are more interested in making money and not much else.
He also mentioned that Elephant Butte State Park, which has always been a favorite of mine, is mainly due to the endless boondocking areas that are always available. Right now, the entire beach area is boondocking, and it's being discussed to make certain areas of the beach regular paid camping and a small area of the beach as primitive camping. If that's true, guess who benefits tremendously from that happening?.......ReserveAmerica !!! That would make hundreds more campsites reservation-only, and only ReserveAmerica benefits from that.
I don't know why I worry about things like that, since I've only got about three more weeks to use my New Mexico camping pass. When that expires, I will have no more connection with New Mexico State Parks or the great and helpful folks who work here, or the greedy sleazebags that run the State Park system in Albuquerque.
Theboondork
The dam on the right, and an observation building and visitors center on the left.
This little building is where the dam workers hide out away from their boss until it's time to go back to counting the rocks on the side of the dam.
Just a tiny part of the lake.