We again drove out into the desert to visit the Valles Caldera near Santa Fe NM, a new (2016) National Reserve just opening to the public. The 100,000 acre Park encompasses an extinct volcano with a collapsed dome that has formed the largest Alpine meadow in the world. The vast 9,000 acre meadow sits at 8,700 ft elevation surrounded by almost 12,000 ft peaks, The higher peaks were recently burned off by a forest fire ( 2015) leaving bald peaks with skeletons of the old forests.
We hiked across part of the huge meadow, it’s 10 miles across, and had a picnic at an old abandoned ranch. Those are Lodgepole pines . The area abounds in Elk but they proved elusive that day. We hiked along a stretch of stream that drains the park , a rare sight in this dry land. As always we were cautious about potential predators. 
Philonthego.com 