Guadalupe Mountains National Park Superintendent Dennis A. Vásquez announced that for the second year in row, the park will host a mescal roast, and invites the public to come to the park for the opening of the mescal pit and sharing of roasted mescal on Sunday, May 4, at 9 am. Visitors should plan on arriving at the mescal pit by 8:30 am. The earthen hearth used for roasting mescal is located near the picnic area across the main parking lot from the Pine Springs Visitor Center. This free event is open to the public.
This year’s Mescal Roast is in conjunction with a Mescalero Apache Heritage Day event, sponsored by Friends of Living Desert, at the Living Desert Zoo and Garden State Park on Saturday, May 3, from 9 am until 4 pm. Saturday’s activities will include speakers, storytelling, book readings and signings, crafts vendors, children’s activities and PowerPoint presentations. For more information about this event contact Living Desert Zoo and Garden State Park at 575-887-5516.
Vásquez says, “We estimate that this is only the second mescal roast in Pine Springs in at least 100 years, so we are excited to once again partner with the Mescalero Apache people, the Mescalero Apache Tribal Historic Preservation Office and the Mescalero Apache School to facilitate the return of this important traditional cultural practice to the Guadalupe Mountains for a second straight year. We look forward to even greater collaboration with the Mescalero Apache Tribe and other tribal groups who have long-standing historical, cultural, spiritual and traditional ties to the Guadalupe Mountains going forward.”
Mescalero Apache Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Holly Houghten stated “We greatly appreciate Guadalupe Mountains National Park in aiding the Tribe in the harvesting and roasting of the mescal (agave) again this year. We hope that this event will continue and in future years the Tribe will be able to offer more events for public participation and education at Guadalupe Mountains National
Park. Prior to being placed on the Reservation, the Mescalero people lived, hunted, and gathered in the Guadalupe Mountains. The Mescalero Apache School and tribal members look forward to the spring harvesting of the mescal as a way to reconnect with the Tribe’s traditional homelands and passing the cultural traditions on to the youth of the Tribe.”
Mescal is a type of agave plant which is native to the Chihuahuan Desert. The mescal was an important staple for the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and the mescal roast is an important part of a longer coming of age rite for Mescalero Apache girls. Mescal heads are harvested and placed in the earthen hearth, covered with soaked bear grass and burlap bags, covered with dirt and left to roast. The earthen hearth will be opened on Sunday, May 4, 2013 at 9:00 AM and the roasted mescal heads will be removed at that time. The roasted mescal will be shared with park visitors who wish to sample it. Seating will be limited, so visitors are encouraged to bring a folding lawn or camp chair.
Weather may change quickly so dress appropriately. Make sure to fill your tank and bring plenty of food, water (at least one gallon per person per day, if you are hiking), snacks and sunscreen as there are no gasoline stations, lodging, groceries or food services available in the park. The nearest are 35 miles northeast of Pine Springs in White’s City, 55 miles northeast in Carlsbad, 45 miles to the west in Dell City or 65 miles south in Van Horn. There is no public transportation to the park. Motorists traveling past the park along U.S. Hwy 62/180 may tune in to the park’s Traveler Information Station at 1610 AM for up-to-date park information.
For more information about the 2014 Mescal Roast on Sunday, May 4 at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, contact the Pine Springs Visitor Center at Guadalupe Mountains National Park at tel. (915) 828-3251 x2124, visit the park website (www.nps.gov/GUMO/), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Guadalupe.Mountains), Meetup page (www.meetup.com/Guadalupe-Mountains-National-Park-Meetup-Group/) or Twitter feed (@GuadalupeMtnsNP), or contact the Mescalero Apache Tribal Historic Preservation Office at tel. (575) 464-3005. For information about the Mescalero Apache Heritage Day event on Saturday, May 3, contact Living Desert Zoo and Garden State Park at tel. (575) 887-5516.
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