Into The Hinterlands

I am now going to "travel" from the extreme northwest corner of my favorite state, New Mexico, to the county that occupies the state's southwest corner--Hidalgo County. I will be writing about Hidalgo County for awhile, while at the same time, on my other travel blog called "In My Travels, " I will be writing about the county at the extreme opposite end of New Mexico--Union County, in the northeast corner.
  Hidalgo County is a large county, covering 3,446 square miles. It stretches 98 miles at its longest point( north to south) and 50 miles at its widest point (east to west). The county occupies the southernwesternmost reach of New Mexico and borders Mexico on the south and southeast, Arizona on the west, Grant County on the north and east and a small portion of Luna County in the southeast, just above Mexico.
  The vast majority of Hidalgo County is unpopulated and extremely isolated. This remote area has seen very little change over the centuries and still strongly evokes the 'frontier' feel to travelers that happen to venture through this area. It is a very harsh land that requires preparation for even a casual journey through the area. The southern part of the county is even more isolated than the central and northern parts. There are large areas where there is very little traffic on the highways and no cell phone or radio reception, so a broken down vehicle would very likely spell disaster.
  The majority of Hidalgo County is desert--part of the Chihuahuan Desert that occupies most of western Texas, southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. However, there are also lush grasslands and forests in the county, depending on elevation. there is even a small portion of Coronado National Forest, which lies mostly in Arizona, that extends into Hidalgo County. It is a 'sky island' that lies in the southern part of the Peloncillo Mountains.