http://www.flickr.com/photos/savon19/3430799896/
The Sangre De Cristo Mountains of New Mexico have some of the world’s largest Aspen groves. They grew after massive forest fires burned hundreds of thousands or millions of acres at the end of the 19th century. I used to work as a ranger up there – it is incredible country.
They also used to have Bigtooth Maple trees, but the drought of the 1930s killed them off, and you now have to go further south or west to find them.
Real Science 
I prefer it if a river runs thru it:
http://pictures.guidesandlodges.com/Photos/Outdoors/guidesandlodges.com/rafting/River/Large1.jpg?061179jK3tIppCZ
Not a lot of rivers on steep slopes at 10,000 feet! The Pecos River has its headwaters on the other side of the ridge.
true – val kilmer has a ranch here ? who’d a thunkit
I’ve been camping up there in March when the snow was 20 feet deep.
So many beautiful places, so little time. sigh
Must have been tough cycling. 😉
About 30 years ago I rode up from Santa Fe through that Aspen grove – 14 miles and 3,000 feet elevation gain. I was very thin at the time and didn’t bring any food with me – and went totally hypoglycemic. I couldn’t ride down the hill and had to hitchhike back to town in the back of a pickup truck.