Book Description

This book should be required reading for all who believe New Mexico is nothing but plains, mesas, and cacti. It proves in spectacular fashion that the Land of Enchantment is very much a mountain state, with at least sixty summits 12,000 feet or higher. Photographer-author Mike Butterfield has spent forty years hiking these high mountains, and his magnificent images are paired here with the chronicle of his adventures. To help readers become acquainted with his beloved mountains, Butterfield divides the high peaks of northern New Mexico into their geographical regions, each with its unique geology, history, and plants and animals. Butterfield’s primary focus, however, remains on the peaks, which have attracted generations of hikers, backpackers, climbers, hunters, and horsemen. To assist those visitors, Butterfield covers not only named summits but also the many individual points exceeding 12,000 feet. He includes valuable information about important trails and trailheads, access points, and, for car-bound visitors, places from which the mountains can be most favorably viewed.