Mountain Business Round Up: Who's Coming, Going, and Growing
Local favorites for sale, new coffee shop opening, bear sightings, and U-Pick season begins June 11. The Reader has the skinny
Cloudcroft, Mayhill, and High Rolls Mountain Park see changes, sales, closures, and new business as we enter the busy summer visitor season.
For Sales and Farewells
The Mayhill Cafe & Hotel is currently closed and on the market. The property, just off Highway 82 in Mayhill, includes a restaurant, hotel, and two short-term rental buildings.
Maggie’s Shaved Ice on Burro Avenue in Cloudcroft is for sale by owner. The property includes the petite building, attached covered patio, and a large concrete pad out back.
The Backcountry and High End Cannabis shops in Cloudcroft are currently closed. Backcountry’s retail space is part of the Village Plaza on James Canyon Highway, and according to one source, it was recently rented out. We’ll keep you posted.
The former High End space is part of the recently remodeled Osha Trail Lodging rental units, which are currently on the market.
Open Season
After a brief closure, Off the Wall, just off the highway in High Rolls Mountain Park, reopened under the same owner. The ceramics, metal, and yard-art venue is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday through Monday.
Just up the hill from Off the Wall, Cadwallader Mountain Farms opens for “U-Pick” cherry picking season on June 11th. The typical picking season lasts 1-2 weeks. Folks can pay by the pound—don’t forget your cash.
A new coffee shop is coming to Cloudcroft village, pending council approval. Located at the former location of Cloud Dogs next to Fernando’s Burritos, the new business was discussed during the May 6th Planning and Zoning meeting. Texas transplant and part-owner of Good Steward Ventures LLC Raul Flores said he hopes to have the business “open by Memorial Day weekend.”
Pool (Filling) Party
The Reader was recently invited to The Grand Cloudcroft Hotel pool-filling by co-owner Dan Hughes and manager Julie Bragg. Via email, Hughes said,
“In consideration of the community as a whole and the tight water supply we have reached out to and contracted with Oasis Enterprises to deliver one large tanker of water and the balance needed will be supplied by on site stored water. The head of maintenance for the Village of Cloudcroft has also been contacted to verify the beginning water meter reading and the after fill water meter reading.”
”This is in an effort to demonstrate that no Village of Cloudcroft water was used.”
Wednesday morning, Oasis delivered a 6,200-gallon tankard, which combined with filtered and UV-treated rainwater from the hotel’s storage tanks, filled most of the 10,000-gallon pool.
The Grand Cloudcroft Hotel has 20,000 gallons of rainwater storage capacity and a potable-use filtration system, which is accessible through the underground parking garage.
Bragg told the Reader that the pool was delayed in opening because the hotel’s “pool contractor completed the plaster yesterday,” and that the “pool will need to cure for a week” before the water can start to run through their filtration system.
She hopes the pool will be fully operational in the first week of June. For now, the heated pool will be open only to registered hotel guests and will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The article will continue after this brief message. The Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like Future Real Estate:
FireWise Village, Volunteer Efforts
Cloudcroft Volunteer Fire Department Chief Erich Wuersching, Mayor Tim King and Trustees Gail McCoy and Tabitha Foster are spearheading a volunteer and FireWise clean-up initiative in the village of Cloudcroft.
Volunteers and their families meet each Saturday in May at 9:00 a.m. at the Cloudcroft Fire Station and mobilize from there. Volunteer efforts to mitigate fuels and fire risk count towards the village’s FireWise designation, and you can log your hours through the village website's GIS dashboard.
Pro-tip: If you get an error message when submitting your hours, make sure to end the shape exactly where you began when drawing the polygon around your volunteer symbol.
Dumpsters are located throughout the village where folks can clean up their properties, dump slash, and more. Signs on the dumpsters list prohibited items like concrete.
Village officials confirmed that the containers will be hauled off and emptied by this Friday, May 16th, ready for more in the coming weeks. The containers, paid for by a New Mexico Clean and Beautiful Grant, are available for the entire month of May.
The Otero County Slash Pit is now open for the season every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. One Otero County Emergency Services source said folks are welcome to remove firewood and mulch from the site.
New Forest Fire Restrictions
As of May 7th, the Lincoln National Forest is currently under Stage Two Fire Restrictions, which prohibit the following:
Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire, including charcoal and briquettes.
Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material.
Possessing or using a motor vehicle off National Forest System roads, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway and except for parking overnight in Forest Service developed campgrounds and trailheads.
Using an explosive.
Additionally, the following acts are prohibited from 1:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M.:
Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame.
Operating a chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine.
Note that persons performing the acts listed in the second set (welding, operating internal combustion engines) during the permissible time frame (6:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.) must perform a fire watch for a minimum of 1 hour after work is completed. The full order should be reviewed for exemptions.
Reader Reels: Be ‘Bear Aware.’ And, Please, Don’t Feed the Bears.
Promote your business. We’d like to thank our sponsor, The Lodge:
Learn about sponsorship opportunities for your business in support of the Reader. Contact us for more information at sponsorship-info@cloudcroftreader.com
Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:
Tularosa Communications
Keeping you connected!The Stove and Spa Store
We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!The Lodge at Cloudcroft
Landmark Choice Among New Mexico ResortsDusty Boots Motel and Cafe
Have a beautiful, restful nightInstant Karma
Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade BoutiqueOff the Beaten Path
Eclectic gifts & original artworkFuture Real Estate
Raise your expectations.Ski Cloudcroft
You’re going to love Ski CloudcroftCloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life Improvement.High Altitude
Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro Avenue.The Elk Shed
Purveyors of Southwest Mountain Goods & FineryPeñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
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