Capitan, Lincoln, area.... (Roswell, Alamogordo, Silver City: ski resort, how much, home)

[Broc Lee]

How is the weather there around this time of year and for the next month?

I am buying a new Yamaha crusier this weekend and was thinking about taking a trip down to that area but see from the website that Capitan gets snow.... Don't think I want to ride my new bike in the snow... lol. Would spring be a better time to travel the area?

I am really looking forward to visiting that area.

Thanks.

[Crackerjack]

Broc Lee, it really depends. I would check the weather in advance and if it looks clear, go. If it does snow, it is gone off the roads really quick this time of year. Again, check the weather and if clear, go for it. If not, then go later or next spring, but check then too, as it can get some spring storms sometimes too.

[james57]

familiar with the Capitan area. I am interested from the standpoint of buying a second home to spend the winters in the area. Perhaps year round.

I am thinking that Capitan has mild winters. By that I mean not big snow storms. If they just get several inches which then melts quickly, it would be fine for me. I don't mind cooler weather as long as it is sunny.

However, I want to avoid those deep snows. If Capitan gets a foot of snow in storms , then I am not interested. Don't want to be shoveling snow in my retirement.

Thanks for any info.

[catman]

I ride motorcycles myself, and I'd say it's a little late in the year to be making that trip. That wind chill will get you. I love the Capitan area, though.

[_yb]

I was down there today. Very nice, got up to 70 degrees. Lots of motorcycles out. Beutiful fall day in Lincoln county.

[Crackerjack]

James57, Capitan doesn't get the high amounts of snow they get in Ruidoso and up at the ski resort. It does get snow though. It waivers on how much they get. Sometimes it will be more and sometimes hardly any. It is high in altitude about 6350, so higher than Silver City, so it will be a little more on the colder side, but still not bad like up north. It is small and somewhat isolated so you need to be in great health, especially in winter. You wouldn't want to live there if you need medical really quick. The road to Ruidoso with snow wouldn't be fun for emergencies. If snow isn't your cup of tea, you might look at Silver City, still in the mountains and high in altitude, but a lot milder and it does have a hospital and medical.

[_yb]

Ruidoso has a nice medical center, it's about a thrity minute drive from capitan. I agree with crackerjack about emergencies in winter, at times it can be tough getting up angus hill between Capitan and Ruidoso. The state transportation dept. does a fine job in that area but you could still have some issues with road conditions.
Capitan can get pretty cold after a snow. So snowfall could last a couple of days or so.

[james57]

in the Capitan/Ruidoso area. I will still check it out, but perhaps it is best for just a summer place.

I am beginning to think that perhaps it makes sense to live down in the desert during the winter months and then up in the mountains during the summer months. After all the distance is not that great to travel.

So if one could find two lower cost places, then one would be all set. I have checked and Ruidoso has a fine hospital. Rated among the best 100 in the US. So Capitan would be fine for summer living.

For the winter, guess I would stick with the Alamogordo area. It is supposed to have a good hospital also. The distance between Alamogordo and Capitan isn't that bad. Also another alternative would be High Rolls which would be very close to Alamogordo. Not sure about housing there though.

Have checked and I could afford the Alamogordo/Capitan housing combo for winter/summer living. Best of both worlds. Also I like the idea of horse racing at Ruidoso Downs in the summer . There seems to be lots to do in the Ruidoso general area during the summer.

Again , thanks much for the comments.

[snomom2000]

Note on Ruidoso hospital...

If I remember correctly they just recently changed hands so I'd check the date of your research. My mother had a horrible experience there in January. The nurses didn't clean her room, respond to the buzzer or keep my mother clean (she was unable to get out of bed for the bathroom). My dad had to clean up my mom and handle her bedpan. She was there for 4 days like this. As soon as she could get out of bed she checked herself out. If my dad was going to have to the nurses job they might as well be comfortable at home.

People in Capitan go to Alamogordo or Roswell to the hospital. Roswell doesn't have a great hospital either though.

Just thought you should know.

[jecc]

Sorry to hear bad things about the Ruidoso hospital. I had an outpatient procedure there (also in January), and it went like clockwork. Great staff.

Funny, I have heard worse things about the Alamogordo hospital. I've heard that people in Alamo go to Ruidoso for treatment. Strange how things can vary by the person and by the day. I also had surgery in Alamo, and that experience was very good. Things were not as well organized there with paperwork and so forth, but the procedure went just as planned. My aunt was treated there for cancer, and the excellent staff saved her life. Very good care.

In any case, wherever you end up, if you are concerned about getting to a hospital in a hurry, then live in the same town.

Jim, Capitan would be a cakewalk in winter. If I recall, you are from IL, right? Most of NM would be a cakewalk for you. Just stay below about 7,500 feet.

High Rolls is very nice, but it's more expensive than any of the other places you are looking at, except maybe Ruidoso. It also has water problems. Several wells there have gone dry, so those residents have water tanks and get their water hauled in. Not a huge deal but something to be aware of. It's about the same elevation as Capitan, so winters are easy. You could see a foot of snow now and then, but it never lasts long. You should not have to bother shoveling it, as it would likely melt in a day.

High Rolls is 15-20 minutes from the Alamo hospital, and there would very rarely be enough snow to slow you down. Cloudcroft to Alamo is a different story. A friend of mine in Cloudcroft had to go to the hospital recently. From the time the ambulance was called to the time it arrived at the hospital, it was more than an hour. Good thing she was not dying.