From Roswell, NM. he grew up seeing...
...the Sierra Blanca mountain range and the Capitian Mountains(where Smokey the Bear was found).
Here is a picture I took of the Sierra Blanca mountains.
On the right is the Sierra Blanca peak. It is only peak on that side of New Mexico that is over 12,000 feet.
From Roswell, the white snowy peaks can be seen 60 miles away across the desert. Nothing can beat the sight of the snowy Rockies when you are miles away in the desert. No wonder Denver loved the mountians so much.