Contributors

Editor of the Mountain Monthly and Senior Editor of the Cloudcroft Reader, Hannah Dean and her family have called the village home since 2018.

A former art professor for Texas Tech and Lubbock Christian Universities, Hannah is also a painter whose work is collected around the globe, with prints available at Anthropologie.

She writes about art and travel for Glasstire and Southwest Contemporary magazines. Still, her favorite gig is conducting interviews with the locals for the Reader and Monthly, where she is part-owner.

The newest player in the Cloudcroft Reader and Mountain Monthly jam band, Jonny Coker grew up in Cloudcroft and has spent much of his journalism career covering local issues across southern New Mexico.

His work has appeared on NPR, KRWG Public Media, KUNM, The Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative, and others.

Recently, he’s reported on the Sunspot solar observatory’s planned demolition and the advocates against it, the Seven Cabins Fire, and local disc golf legend Ray Haller.

Rand Carlson first came to Cloudcroft in the early ’80s when he was Graphics Editor for the El Paso Herald-Post. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1979 with a degree in philosophy. “My favorite joke about that is: How do you get the philosophy grad off your porch? You pay for the pizza.” After graduation he became an art director for newspapers and magazines.

In 1986 he started Random Arts, an illustration and graphic design studio. Rand was also a cartoonist for the Tucson Weekly for 35 years. “I not only did observations on the political scene, but everyday life in the Southwest as well. When I retired, I remembered my time here, so I revisited this place and knew Cloudcroft was the place for me. I bought the old Kemp family cabin in 2023 and totally restored and winterized it.”

Rand draws the village maps and Switchbacks cartoon for the Mountain Monthly.

Bobby Moberly is a wildlife and landscape photographer. He has lived here in the Sacramento Mountains most of his life.

Bobby enjoys being in the outdoors as much as possible whether he is backpacking for a week at a time or trail running. He is always in pursuit of the unique shot not seen by many others. Bobby loves being able to share photos of these places and animals with people who may not be able to get out and see them for themselves.

He spends most of his time in New Mexico and Colorado but is always ready to see and photograph different wild places. His work has been featured in Epic Outdoors magazine and also on the cover of Backcountry Journal. Some of his prints are carried by the Highland Store in Cloudcroft and he also participates in art shows throughout the year with the help of his wife Tammy.

bobbymoberlyphotography.com

Bre Kincaid is a Cloudcroft-based photographer and cinematographer with 14 years of experience capturing the world through her lens. When she’s not shooting stills or video, you can find her behind the counter at Cloudy’s Market, the neighborhood grocery store she runs with her husband, Dylan. A lover of dogs, an occasional baker and runner, Bre is deeply grateful to call this mountain paradise home.

www.brehope.com

Christina Olvera has lived in Mayhill with her husband, Fernando, and their three children since 2022. She’s originally from El Paso, and spent a few years in Washington before moving back to the Southwest. Olvera graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and Sustainability. She currently attends the University of Idaho, where she’s pursuing a master’s in Environmental Sciences and a Fire Ecology graduate certificate. She currently works for the U.S. Forest Service and enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with her family, and contributing to the community.

Dwight Raulerson began his photography journey in grade school with a Polaroid Swinger camera. Over the years, he worked extensively with 35mm film and a variety of photographic formats before purchasing his first digital camera in 2011.

After retiring in 2019, Dwight relocated to New Mexico to be closer to his children and grandchildren. With more time to devote to his craft, he expanded his passion for photography into a professional business.

Today, Dwight specializes in family portraits, nature and wildlife photography, landscapes, and architectural imagery. He also provides professional photography services for small businesses and real estate clients.

His work has been featured in The Mountain Monthly and in calendars produced by several local businesses. Dwight is the owner of Southwest Pro Photography and can be reached at 720-429-2787.

Meet Paula Finch, Cloudcroft High School junior and new Mountain Monthly contributor:

Finch is an active member of the Technology Student Association (TSA), a national nonprofit organization that encourages students to explore their creativity and technical skills through competition. She currently serves as Chapter Secretary and will serve as a New Mexico State Officer next school year.

After graduation, she plans to attend college to study Business Administration in Marketing and Journalism. Her ultimate goal is to build a career in professional sports as a Multimedia Marketing Manager.

“I’ve always been passionate about journalism and marketing, especially when it comes to telling meaningful stories and spotlighting people who deserve to be seen and heard,” Finch says.

Long-time solver, first-time puzzler Wells Vaiana has lived in Cloudcroft since 2018, and his love for this village is clearly expressed in each puzzle, which is created without AI or any kind of online assistance. Wells is proud to be contributing these puzzles, and plans to continue doing so until they eventually drive him insane.

Lyn Canham arrived in New Mexico from the Midwest at age 23. She had fallen for the Rocky Mountains during a childhood vacation.

She made her career in the cognitive sciences in northern NM, while hiking, boating, camping and skiing led to a deep love of the landscapes around the state.

Lyn and her husband found retirement in the Sacramento Mountains, and she found herself re-creating mountains, mesas and rivers in paintings instead of just recreating in them. She added a life-long love of writing to her love of the arts through her contributions to the paper these last six years.

Lynn Melton taught chemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas for forty-two years. Before retiring in 2013, he moved to the Science and Mathematics Education Department and worked to assist middle school science teachers.

In the Sacramento Mountains, he became the current author of the Trail Guide to the Lincoln National Forest and in 2014-19, he served as Project Coordinator for the reconstruction of Bonnie’s Trestle by New Mexico Rails-to-Trails.

His curiosity pushed him to hike and map old railbed and roads, and – always a teacher – to share that information with others. Over the years he has written many history pieces, some light, for the Mountain Monthly. He also has a keen interest in the Sacramento Mountains Historical Society and its museum.