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Cloudcroft’s Golden Hour: Fall 2026 Field Guide

Leaves are turning, lumberjacks are competing, businesses are cropping up, and something haunts the village. Here's what's next on the mountain
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Big Apple Bagels Come to Burro
After the local snowcone shop closed, a new business cropped up this summer
2:20
Debbi McCurdy Helipad: Life-Saving Dream Realized
New emergency helipad dedicated to Debbi McCurdy’s legacy and fundraising efforts
Cloudcroft’s Longest-Tenured Council Member to Step Down
Mayor Wiley to Nominate Gail McCoy's Replacement; Trustees Decide
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Lisa Adams Retires after 25 Years at Cloudcroft’s Allsup’s
After decades behind the counter at the village’s station, Lisa Adams retires having turned a gas station job into a community anchor
 • Jonny Coker
The Receipts: What Your Neighbors' Pledges Paid For This Year
Water, budgets, fire, the room where it happens. 18 Stars to go — every pledge matched through Labor Day
 • Hannah Dean
Hotel Cloudcroft Opens After Seven Years of Renovations: First-Look Photos
After years behind closed doors, Hotel Cloudcroft hopes to open up this Labor Day. Take a tour with this photo essay
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Village Council Update: Helicopter Work Starts Soon, Grants Lock In, Board Seats Open
The big picture: Wildfire mitigation, public safety resource share, board appointments and openings, new hire, and the budget
 • Hannah Dean
No Project List (Yet): Lincoln National Forest Weighs In on New 20-Year Stewardship Agreement
According to LNF, project reviews indicate a future focus on fire-fuel reduction work: thinning, prescribed burns, timber sales, and mastication. Plus…
 • Hannah Dean
Your Favorite Little Outdoor Store Turns 30
High Altitude has been getting Cloudcroft outside since 1996. Here’s how a 200-square-foot bike shop became a Burro Avenue institution.
 • Hannah Dean
Water Decades in the Making: Inside Cloudcroft’s Wells and Springs
This field report dives into current wells, springs, and water collection system for Cloudcroft
 • Hannah Dean
New Mexico Department of Wildlife Removes Aggressive Cougar Near Cloudcroft
The cougar approached people aggressively, according to the agency. Eyewitnesses confirm the lion was shot and killed.
 • Hannah Dean
VIDEO: A Second Life for Farm Animals: Little J Ranch
At a rescue ranch east of Cloudcroft, a family, with the help of volunteers, has built the Sacramento Mountains' only farm animal sanctuary, one rescue…
 • Jonny Coker
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Cloudcroft Reader
Cloudcroft Reader
The voice of the mountain. The most widely read publication serving the greater Cloudcroft community. Subscribe for free to receive our reporting.
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#top

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Cloudcroft Summer: 2026 Field Guide
What's going on in and around the village? Get in the know with the Reader's top picks.
 • Hannah Dean
Rear View: Top 2025 Stories
With this year in the rear-view mirror, what stories did Readers, well...read? Plus, the Reader team makes our picks.
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Wiley Wins Mayor Race; CHS Cross Country Goes to State; Prescribed Fire; FY24 VoC Audit Results, and More
Every trail tells a story. Stay informed with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Cloudcroft Woman Arrested in Wichita County, Texas on Murder Charges
Deana Thetford was booked into the Wichita County Jail on charges of murder and tampering with evidence
 • Hannah Dean and Drew Gaines
Two Sides of a Soured Deal: Defense Responds to Allegations in Apple Barn Lawsuit and Makes Some of Their Own
With new court filings and a judge’s receivership decision, we revisit the Old Apple Barn Lawsuit to hear what the defense has to say
 • Chris Hearne and Drew Gaines
Workshopping Cloudcroft's Water Challenges
The Village of Cloudcroft Council meets with CDM Smith engineering firm, Public Works, and concerned citizens to discuss water issues
 • Hannah Dean
54:17
Cloudcroft's Murky Accounting
Village administration discovers it's been living in a financial fog
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Cloudcroft's Fire Chief Shares Village Emergency Alert Plan
As the South Fork and Salt Fires burn to our North, and thousands of people remain evacuated, Fire and EMS Chief Wuersching reminds Cloudcroft Village…
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne

#business

View all
Big Apple Bagels Come to Burro
After the local snowcone shop closed, a new business cropped up this summer
Lisa Adams Retires after 25 Years at Cloudcroft’s Allsup’s
After decades behind the counter at the village’s station, Lisa Adams retires having turned a gas station job into a community anchor
 • Jonny Coker
Hotel Cloudcroft Opens After Seven Years of Renovations: First-Look Photos
After years behind closed doors, Hotel Cloudcroft hopes to open up this Labor Day. Take a tour with this photo essay
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Your Favorite Little Outdoor Store Turns 30
High Altitude has been getting Cloudcroft outside since 1996. Here’s how a 200-square-foot bike shop became a Burro Avenue institution.
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudy’s: The Store Cloudcroft Has Been Waiting For
Bre and Dylan Kincaid’s new market offers fresh groceries ‘up the hill,’ 7 days a week.
 • Hannah Dean
First Look: New Pawsh Pet and Expanded Elk Shed
See the boutique pet store upstairs in the former Mountain Monthly office and Elk Shed expansion next door to the Shed's flagship
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft Summer: 2026 Field Guide
What's going on in and around the village? Get in the know with the Reader's top picks.
 • Hannah Dean
Wooten Spring Park Aims to be “Park First” on 45 Acres near High Rolls
A 19th-century settlement, a Tony Lama family trout farm, and a spring that watered steam engines — the land had a backstory before it had a business…
 • Chris Hearne

#lodging

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Hotel Cloudcroft Opens After Seven Years of Renovations: First-Look Photos
After years behind closed doors, Hotel Cloudcroft hopes to open up this Labor Day. Take a tour with this photo essay
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
9:41
VIDEO * A Kitchen Reborn: One Chef’s Mission to Restore Fine Dining at The Lodge — and Train Who Comes Next
Fresh fare, elbow grease and ghost busting: How Chef Richard Lepree resurrects an iconic restaurant
 • Drew Gaines
What's Out There? Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
Take a look at the secluded haven in Sacramento, New Mexico, with the Reader
 • Hannah Dean
Village News: Lodger’s Tax and P+Z Meetings, Interim Budget
The Lodger's Tax funding ask, P+Z open seat, and the Village gets the interim budget in on time.
 • Hannah Dean
Hotel Cloudcroft on Burro ‘Closer to Opening’: Water Pressure Test Truck-In Scheduled at ‘No Cost to Village’
The newly remodeled hotel plans to open soon after passing tests and inspections, date TBA.
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft Village Trustee Gail McCoy Shares Her Journey
Trustee, fitness instructor, B&B owner, and great-grandma Gail McCoy sits down with Cloudcroft Reader Senior Editor Hannah Dean to share her life story…
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft Reader’s Lodging Guide: Part Two
Meet the owners, take a video tour, and plan your stay on the mountain with part two of our user-friendly guide.
 • Drew Gaines
Rebecca's Final Chapter
Ghost of Rebecca will no longer haunt fine dining at The Lodge as Cloudcroft resort rebrands its showcase restaurant, introduces new menu
 • Drew Gaines

#people

View all
Lisa Adams Retires after 25 Years at Cloudcroft’s Allsup’s
After decades behind the counter at the village’s station, Lisa Adams retires having turned a gas station job into a community anchor
 • Jonny Coker
Your Favorite Little Outdoor Store Turns 30
High Altitude has been getting Cloudcroft outside since 1996. Here’s how a 200-square-foot bike shop became a Burro Avenue institution.
 • Hannah Dean
VIDEO: A Second Life for Farm Animals: Little J Ranch
At a rescue ranch east of Cloudcroft, a family, with the help of volunteers, has built the Sacramento Mountains' only farm animal sanctuary, one rescue…
 • Jonny Coker
VIDEO: A Garden, and Students, Grow at Cloudcroft Schools
Rachel Alm stretched a state wellness grant into a four-week summer program where kids build, plant, water, and grow together
 • Jonny Coker
Cloudy’s: The Store Cloudcroft Has Been Waiting For
Bre and Dylan Kincaid’s new market offers fresh groceries ‘up the hill,’ 7 days a week.
 • Hannah Dean
Art From the Dark: Ayla Yarbrough at Carlsbad Caverns
Cloudcroft native Ayla Yarbrough just completed a three-week artist residency at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and the park kept one of her paintings
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft's Top-Ranked Disc Golf Course: Ray Haller Built it
Get to know Haller, the local legend behind Cloudcroft's disc golf courses
 • Jonny Coker
Trout Warriors: Finding Peace in the Rio Peñasco
A fly fishing program to heal disabled veterans. Four vets made their first trip to the Sacramentos to fish the Rio Peñasco, invited by Susan Maynard…
 • Hannah Dean

#water

View all
Water Decades in the Making: Inside Cloudcroft’s Wells and Springs
This field report dives into current wells, springs, and water collection system for Cloudcroft
 • Hannah Dean
Wastewater Treatment Plant Number One: Council Sets Five-Year Infrastructure Funding List
The council planned what Cloudcroft projects need outside financial help, and ranked each project by urgency and its odds of landing funding
 • Hannah Dean
Boil Advisories, Costs, Aging System: Timberon’s Water District Woes
Boil advisories, broken pipes, and financial burdens strain the unincorporated community 31 miles south of Cloudcroft
 • Jonny Coker
Village of Cloudcroft Releases Annual Water Quality Report
Required and relevant, here's the local Consumer Confidence Report
 • Reader Staff
Council Approves Water Rate COL Hike, Dormant Solar Panels Begin Paying Off
Highway closed during meeting due to vehicle fire. Village increases water rates 3.3% across the board, eyes tiered rate structure, finds electric…
 • Hannah Dean
Water Coverage
Dive into our years-long reporting of Cloudcroft's water woes
 • Chris Hearne
Failing WWTP; Meet Greg Crinklaw and Scott Powell; Spring Updates, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
The Man, The Operations Manual
Scott Powell has spent more than 30 years keeping Cloudcroft's wastewater treatment plant running. He retires at the end of this year
 • Hannah Dean

#fire

View all
Council Approves Water Rate COL Hike, Dormant Solar Panels Begin Paying Off
Highway closed during meeting due to vehicle fire. Village increases water rates 3.3% across the board, eyes tiered rate structure, finds electric…
 • Hannah Dean
Seven Cabins Fire Grows; Local First Responders Plan to Honor Flight Nurse Killed in Crash
Seven Cabins Fire blaze grows to 16,443 acres; Sarah Clark is among four killed in a med-plane crash that sparked the wildfire. Local law enforcement…
 • Jonny Coker
Fire Restrictions; Rain; Cloudy's; Easter, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Making Firefighters; Unmasked: Fugitive Arrested in Cloudcroft; New Rules for Shed Hunting, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Where Firefighters Are Made: Sacramento Mountains Wildfire Academy
Cloudcroft Fire Department Volunteer Hilary Kitzman and SMWA graduate Dakota Moon give an inside look at the Academy
Village Meeting Recap; Insider Look: 1899; Pickleball Court Repairs; FireWise, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Village Approves Returning PD Hire; Fire Risk Moved to HIGH; Egg Hunt Announced, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Cloudcroft Firefighter Takes Antarctica Assignment
Harry Crinklaw will spend eight months at McMurdo Station
 • Hannah Dean

#school

View all
VIDEO: A Garden, and Students, Grow at Cloudcroft Schools
Rachel Alm stretched a state wellness grant into a four-week summer program where kids build, plant, water, and grow together
 • Jonny Coker
Cloudcroft Schools' June Board Meeting: Balanced Budget
Cloudcroft Municipal Schools approved a $10 million budget for 2026-27, directing the majority of spending toward classrooms and students despite rising…
 • Hannah Dean
Real-World Impact: Senior Capstones
Cloudcroft High School Seniors recently presented their work--organizing blood draws, community projects, archives, and more. CHS Junior and Mountain…
Taking Aim: Cloudcroft Schools Launch New Archery Program
NM Game & Fish Officer Anthony Chavez introduces NASP-- the National Archery in the Schools Program--to Cloudcroft
 • Hannah Dean
Sunspot Closed Indefinitely; Bears Continue in Playoffs; Crinklaw in Antarctica; Meet Beth Merrell, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Cloudcroft’s December School Board Meeting: Takeaways
What'd you miss at last night's Board of Education meeting?
 • Hannah Dean
Basketball and Bonfires: A Cloudcroft December Weekend
Photos of the Mountain Top Tournament and annual winter Ullr Fest at the ice rink
 • Hannah Dean
Wiklund Talks Ice Rink; Your Council-Elect; Phone-Free School; Veterans Day; Cool Investment in Cloudcroft, and More
Every trail tells a story. Stay informed with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff

#villageCouncil

View all
Village Council Update: Helicopter Work Starts Soon, Grants Lock In, Board Seats Open
The big picture: Wildfire mitigation, public safety resource share, board appointments and openings, new hire, and the budget
 • Hannah Dean
Board Openings, Police Updates, and More at a Full Village Meeting
Hires, promotions, a new Planning and Zoning Clerk/Code Enforcement Officer position, plus, at the July 14 Cloudcroft Village Council meeting
 • Hannah Dean
Wastewater Treatment Plant Number One: Council Sets Five-Year Infrastructure Funding List
The council planned what Cloudcroft projects need outside financial help, and ranked each project by urgency and its odds of landing funding
 • Hannah Dean
Council Approves Water Rate COL Hike, Dormant Solar Panels Begin Paying Off
Highway closed during meeting due to vehicle fire. Village increases water rates 3.3% across the board, eyes tiered rate structure, finds electric…
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft Clears State Filing Backlog, Submits Two Budgets Ahead of Deadline
The village met a key state deadline a day early by submitting both the final FY 2025-26 and the interim FY 2026-27 budgets.
 • Hannah Dean
Making Headway: Books, Budget, Courts, Tourism, Hires, Sunspot
Cloudcroft Council clears a packed May agenda as clerk targets December for full state compliance
 • Hannah Dean
Down to the Brass Tacks: Cloudcroft’s FY 2026–27 Budget Workshops
Due by the end of May, the council and Clerk Jini Turri mapped out the village's projected revenues and expenditures for the upcoming year. Plus, a new…
 • Hannah Dean
Department Heads Make Their Case at Cloudcroft’s Budget Workshop
The Village met Tuesday, April 28, for the first of several planned public budget workshops ahead of the July 1 fiscal year start — and department heads…
 • Hannah Dean
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