NM: Lake Cabresto

[toddhunter]

Wild Rivers was closed due to "lapsed funding," but my son and I received a local recommendation in Questa to try Lake Cabresto in the Carson Nat'l Forest. After a difficult drive in a small car, we found a pretty lake nestled in the mountains at about 10,000 ft. There were camp sites and hiking trails that really made it great. Temps at night were in mid 30's but my blue pad and wings kept me toasty below. I also had a parka stuffed underneath in a poncho I rigged as a second layer, though I'm not sure what it contributed since it was under the blue pad. Above I had my 20 degree sleeping bag. It's much more comfortable using it all on top than trying to squirm around with it in the normal configuration. I also had on my down sweater. Only my head and face were challenged by the cold, but the second night I discovered that if I removed my parka's hood and put it around my head, I could keep very warm. Unfortunately it was very windy and the noise of the tarp kept me awake most of the night. Next time ear plugs. Fun road trip all the way from Chicago.

[nothermark]

looks like a nice place to hang out! thanks for sharing!!

[2eez4life]

So where is Wild Rivers then? Or Carson national forest?

[frenchycamp]

Hey Todd, i'm really sorry you couldn't go to wild Rivers, but it seems that you found a pretty good spot anyways. if you're ever back in the area, let me know and we can plan a hang.

[Taozenqi]

Whoa, quite a commute! Carson Nat'l Forest seems to have many hidden jewels due to the remote access. Glad you found a way to keep warm. How did your son fair? Catch any fish?
tzq

[toddhunter]

We had a great trip. My son was in a tent and he was fine except for the noise on the windy night. The fishing would have been better if we knew what we were doing. We're bass fisherman with minimal fly fishing skills. We did catch a cutbow with a trout spoon, but didn't have much confidence in the flies we had. Because we didn't have much time to get educated on this lake due to the abrupt change of plans, it was mostly spin fishing. We did see lots of fish moving in the inlet stream. Other anglers were fly fishing at the inlet and at the dam on the other side. They caught small brookies I guess. This was our first trip alone cooking out with stove, and he enjoyed being able to eat out of dehydrated bags. It will serve him well as he travels on in the West. We didn't have any firewood, so the nights were early, which caused us to wake early in the chill. There's a nice hike up along the stream we really enjoyed. We were very fortunate, and I would love to get up the Wild Rivers some time with Frenchy and others.

[flyhang]

thanks for sharing
a beautiful place to camp

[priller]

Nice! Love seeing new parts of NM....

[toddhunter]

So where is Wild Rivers then? Or Carson national forest?

Near Questa, NM, just north of Taos. The Wild Rivers area is on the Rio Grande gorge at the confluence of the Red River. Incredible views and access to the rivers. Carson is an expansive forest of which we were only on a tiny part.