Why no snowbird schedule in NM?

[badmotorscooter]

Newbie here planning to go on the road fulltime in the next couple of years.  I'm in the planning stages right now (probably over planning) and will be doing trips soon.  Trying to make it to the RTR but don't have a rig yet, I live in SE AZ.

Why does the general boondocking route not seem to include NM?  Tons of BLM land and national forests, lots of elevation to work with.  Carlsbad is about 2800ft and sorrounded by BLM lands, only about 10 degrees cooler than Quartzsite.  Lincoln and Gila national forests will easily get you 8000 ft for summer.  


Nothing against AZ, NV, CA and CO, just wondering why NM doesn't seem to be on the regular path?

 

[LivGolden]

I've been curious about this, too. ^All of what the OP states.^ 
Also, I believe you can get an annual Park Pass for very little, comparatively speaking. 
So beautiful in NM...

 

[Cammalu]

I had wondered about that myself off and on.

 

[AMGS3]

Perhaps it's because of the (relative) coolness of the temperatures. The following is from https://weatherspark.com/y/3672/Average-Weather-in-Carlsbad-New-Mexico-United-States-Year-Round, referring to temps in Carlsbad.

The cold season lasts for 2.8 months, from November 22 to February 16, with an average daily high temperature below 65°F. The coldest day of the year is December 31, with an average low of 31°F and high of 57°F.

For SOME snowbirds, they would rather warmer winters than that, which can be found in other parts of the desert SW that time of year.

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[badmotorscooter]

Yes, I thought of the awesome winter temps in the Yuma area could be a big factor. But with people being from all over North America, 10 degrees cooler in the winter would still seem very comfortable to many of them.

 

[Dennis]

I know Bob W. has said on this forum that there are cooler places in the summer and warmer places in the winter. Just been more discussion and activities in AZ for winter and CO.for summer. I like NM also and been thinking of buying the yearly parks pass.

 

[MrNoodly]

Those of us who go to NM tend to keep it to ourselves so it doesn't become overrun. We'd rather keep the infestation confined to AZ. 

 

[WalkaboutTed]

Mr.Noodly,
Shush! To all the rest of you, New Mexico is cold, windy, desolate, miserable. Shopping is horrible outside population centers. It's a long way to anywhere. Cell service can be an extreme challenge (we have three carriers). You really don't want to come here. Getting my vehicles registered here took four visits to the DMV. Getting my license here was pretty difficult. Please stay in AZ.
Ted

 

[LivGolden]

That's awful! We're coming to help you, Ted.

 

[bullfrog]

For me it was the isolation of living on the res and the lack of resources 30 years ago. It is much improved with the internet and communications systems being upgraded but still much behind Arizona due to lack of population. Sounds like someplace I would like to be except for colder temps which even in Yuma are still too cold for me in winter.

 

[badmotorscooter]

Mr.Noodly,
Shush! To all the rest of you, New Mexico is cold, windy, desolate, miserable. Shopping is horrible outside population centers. It's a long way to anywhere. Cell service can be an extreme challenge (we have three carriers).  You really don't want to come here. Getting my vehicles registered here took four visits to the DMV. Getting my license here was pretty difficult.  Please stay in AZ.
Ted

Yes, that's correct sir!   I lived there for 10 years before moving to AZ.  I explored many places by motorcycle and scooter just to verify how terrible NM is.  I was wondering why nobody else seemed interested in boondocking there, even though I knew it was just awful.  After 10 years of absolute misery in NM, I'm insane for even asking

Shame on me!

 

[QinReno]

Last March I was camped along the wetlands near Truth or Consequences, and 100s and 100s of friggin cranes kept flying back and forth all the time, and squawking like pigeons. Really stupid birds. They would fly one way in the morning, and the opposite way at dusk, and sometimes just go around in circles. PITN, and hard to take a nap. Plus my neck hurt from looking up in the sky so much. Friggin cranes.

 

[velojym]

Some of those disadvantages aren't so bad for some of us, but then I was born and raised in NM, so it's just home to me.

 

[tx2sturgis]

And there is that whole issue of coverting currency back and forth.

:dodgy:

 

[LivGolden]

Plus my neck hurt from looking up in the sky so much. 

I wonder if that's where the term 'craning your neck' originated?  :dodgy:

 

[tx2sturgis]

I wonder if that's where the term 'craning your neck' originated?  :dodgy:

Oh...good one! 

 

[Mechelle]

Mr.Noodly,
Shush! To all the rest of you, New Mexico is cold, windy, desolate, miserable. Shopping is horrible outside population centers. It's a long way to anywhere. Cell service can be an extreme challenge (we have three carriers).  You really don't want to come here. Getting my vehicles registered here took four visits to the DMV. Getting my license here was pretty difficult.  Please stay in AZ.
Ted

lol NM is the best kept secret.   Keep scaring them away... really its probably a little too cold

 

[wayne49]

"Why no snowbird schedule in NM?"

What is a "snowbird schedule"?

 

[Moxadox]

Last March I was camped along the wetlands near Truth or Consequences, and 100s and 100s of friggin cranes kept flying back and forth all the time, and squawking like pigeons. Really stupid birds. They would fly one way in the morning, and the opposite way at dusk, and sometimes just go around in circles. PITN, and hard to take a nap. Plus my neck hurt from looking up in the sky so much. Friggin cranes.

Now you know why the expression is "to crane one's neck."

The Dire Wolfess

 

[Mechelle]

"Why no snowbird schedule in NM?"

What is a "snowbird schedule"?

migration routes:  north in the summer, south in the winter

always avoiding snow