How did Angel Fire New Mexico get its name?

Answer 1

There are two stories. It is said that Angel Fire is "named for the fiery afternoon light splashed on alpine peaks". The other story or legend is that the Moache Utes used to gather to renew their ancestral ties with the Great Spirit. During one of these autumnal celebrations, during the 1780's, the legend goes, three young braves, returned to camp from a hunting trip, and told of a strange glow at the tip of a peak called Agua Fria. The Utes were a little unsettled as the gazed at this mysterious splash of orange and red flickering in the northern sky. Then the awed silence was broken when one of the elders exclaimed, "it is an omen-the fire of the gods- blessing our annual celebration". Ever since, whenever that rosy glow is seen, it is called "fire of the gods". Because Franciscan friars were trying to spread their influence, Agua Fria became known as "the place of the fire of the angels. This is the story/legend of the way Angel Fire got it's name. Even Kit Carson said that he too had seen the angel fire at dawn and at dusk, especially in the fall and winter months. He said it was because of the sunlight hitting the icy frost on the branches of the trees.