This hike took place during a 2-night camping trip with the primary purpose – to visit the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. After our morning tour of the Petroglyphs and lunch in the Three Rivers Campground, we set out on the Three Rivers Trail.
The trailhead is at the east end of the Three Rivers Campground. It starts out with a smooth dirt surface, in somewhat open space – typical juniper/piñon forest, with a few ponderosa. A few yards on the trail crosses to the north side of the streambed (no water here) and to the junction of the Three Rivers and Goat Canyon trails. Slope for the first mile or so, to the junction with the Dry Canyon Trail, the canyon is wide and open. Then the canyon narrows and there abouts we encountered water in the stream.
As the canyon narrowed and the trail made an “S” turn to the right, the sides of the canyon became more vertical, becoming cliffs towering above the streambed some 800 feet – awesome sights. We encountered a couple more stream crossings, easy because not a lot of water was flowing. We continued up the narrow canyon to find a “cave” and waterfall that are noted on the topo maps. Though the view of the waterfall was obscured by trees, we could see that on another day when there was a greater flow in the stream, it would be impressive.
After our mid-hike for lunch, we returned down the canyon, having enjoyed a truly great day in the mountains of New Mexico.
Postscript
We departed the Campground mid-day Sunday. Checking news Monday, we learned that the Three Rivers Fire had started 1/2 mile from the Campground Monday morning. By Tuesday the Forest Service reported it had grown to 12,000 acres and containment was only 5%. By Wednesday, after some rain and snow in the area, control was being established. But … it -must- have burned through and around the Three Rivers Canyon, -the- area through which we enjoyed such great hike on a wonderful trail. Most Unfortunate!! It will be years (decades?) before people will have such a beautiful place to hike as we enjoyed.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.90 miles Elevation: start 6,423 ft, maximum 7,516 ft, minimum 6,423 ft Gross gain: 1,093 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,398 ft, descending 1,397ft Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 37% descending, 9.0% average Duration: 3:51
If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.
This 2-night camping trip with Jay and Nancy was planned so we could visit the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. The Petroglyph Trail is just under a mile in length, so we chose to tour the Petroglyphs in the morning, then take a full hike after lunch. Visiting the Site in the cooler air of the morning was a good choice; later in the day it would become quite hot – there is no shade from the sun in New Mexico’s invariably clear blue skies.
The Drive In
We drove from Albuquerque the day before: I-25 to Moriarty, NM 41 to Willard, NM 42 to Corona, US 54 south to Carrizozo, then 13 miles further on US 54 to the Three Rivers Trading Post. Turn left onto Three Rivers Road, 15 miles to the campground which is tucked up against the Sierra Blanca mountains (total: 4 hours with the R-Pod, 192 miles). On the way to the campground, we passed the Petroglyph Site about 3 miles from the highway
The Walkabout
Three Rivers Petroglyph Trail Walkabout.PatJayNancy.2021-04-24
Parking next to the Visitors Center (closed these days), we started up a well-worn trail towards the ridge where there are some 21,000 petroglyphs. And only a few yards on we saw the first of them.
[Double-click on a photo to enlarge, use browsers <Back One Page to return to this page.>
From there the trail became a bit rocky, but we soon saw more and more of the petroglyphs. In some places we climbed off-trail to get a better look closer to them.
There are so many images among the petroglypy. We picked up a Visitors Guide which offered explanations for many of the images as well as a sketch of the history of the Site.
All of this while having a marvelous view across the Tularosa Basin to the San Andres Mountains 45 miles to the west.
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.16 miles Elevation: start 4,988 ft, maximum 5,097 ft, minimum 4,981 ft Gross gain: 116 ft. Aggregate ascending 201 ft, descending 205 ft Maximum slope: 27% ascending, 22% descending, 5.8% average Duration: 1:31
If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.
Another hike without a preconceived plan – we felt a need to get out for a few hours.
The Drive In
Oak Flats is close to our home in downtown Albuquerque, close for everyone living in Albuquerque. Go eastbound on I-40 to Tijeras, then south, up the hill on NM 337, to the turn to Oak Flat Road, continue for a mile to the Oak Flats Picnic Area.
The Walkabout
Oak Flats Walkabout.Pat.2021-04-17
There are a myriad of trails in the area around the Oak Flats Picnic Area. (check CalTopo’s map). Ample parking is available at the entrance to the Picnic Area. The trails have been given names (and numbers) and there are signs at junctions. Leaving the parking area haded north, we found ourselves at a junction of the Caida del Piño and Easy Pickin’ trails. We turn right onto the latter, a 10th of a mile on we turned left onto Mahogany (which is also a two-track). We stayed on Mahogany until Gamble Oak – turned left until turning left on Caida del Piño, heading back to parking.
Typical of the condition of the trails.
These trails are among the most pleasant and easy hiking in the area. The surface is dirt, often covered with pine needles, with occasional gravel and small rocks. The forest is quite open but the trails are mostly shaded.
The forest has generally been cleared of undergrowth.
This area is very popular for folks on mountain bikes. The -do- contribute to maintaining the trails in good condition. We encountered only one bike on this weekday; more bikers may use the area on weekends.
Highlight
Our timing for this ‘escape’ was excellent – we finished in time to have a fine lunch at Roots Farm Cafe, a favorite stop for us anytime we’re heading out that way.
Statistics
Total Distance: 2.50 miles Elevation: start 7,670 ft, maximum 7,690 ft, minimum 7,576 ft Gross gain: 134 ft. Aggregate ascending 311 ft, descending 311 ft Maximum slope: 16% ascending, 16% descending, 3.9% average Duration: 1:36
If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.
This is the 3rd post for a 5-day camping and hiking trip to the Chiricahua Mountains with our friends Jay and Nancy. Having taken a short walk on the Cave Creek Nature Trail the day we arrived at the Stewart Campground (post #1), then the Over the Ridge to Paradise Hike the next day (post #2). There are a number of trails from which to choose, but on this 3rd day in Cave Creek Canyon we chose another point-to-point hike, a portion of Basin Trail #247.
The Drive In
As for the Over the Ridge hike, we first left a car at the end-of-hike trailhead, then drove to the start-of-hike trailhead.
For the end-of-hike trailhead: From Stewart Campground, drive west on FR 42 until just past the Southwestern Research Station, where turn left onto FR 42A towards the Herb Martyr Campground. This is a primitive campground (tents only, although there was a small pop-up camper set up down a short rough road); there is ample parking for the trails that emanate from here.
For the start-of-hike trailhead: From Herb Martyr, on FR 42A return to FR 42, turn left at the Research Station and continue for 2.7 miles, 1.5 miles beyond the trailhead for the Over the Ridge hike. There is a parking are a bit off of FR 42 to the left, and a sign for the “Basin Trail No 247”.
The Hike
Basin Trail #247 Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-03-23
We chose a north-to-south hike so that we would have the ascending portion of the trail to start and the longer downhill portion to finish. Most of the trail easy easy to follow, well used. It proceeds through open piñon and juniper forest, with a a few switchbacks during the 500′ climb to the highest point on the trail (1.1 miles). Once crossing over the ridge, the trail becomes a bit more rocky (still well used, easy to follow) and one leaves the forest for more open, desert-like landscape.
The next .7 miles is an easy descent with some switchbacks, then the trail follows the contour of the terrain for 1.2 miles. From these portions of the trail, the views of this of the southeastern Chiricahuas are really great. Then the trail makes an easy descent for the next .8 miles with a wide variety of desert plants: lots of yucca, cholla, varieties of cacti, agave, manzanita, and other scrub bushes.
The maps and GPS tracks I was following tracked well the trail as we found it. However, nearing what we thought was the end, a combination of inconsistent GPS tracks and trailside signs created some confusion. At one point, where the trail intersected a two-track, there was a sign pointing down the two-track. My interpretation of the map – that would lead us to FR 42A a half mile or so from where our vehicle was parked, then nearly a half mile walk up the road. It appeared to me we could avoid the road by continuing across the two-track onto a continuation of -a- trail (which one?). After some indecisiveness, we chose the trail. The choice made for a somewhat longer hike, but it was easy ambulating and led us to the parking area. This was a great hike.
Note: After-the-fact reviews of GPS tracks that I had collected, it became apparent that we had stumbled onto another trail published widely, the the Ash Spring Loop.
Highlight
A highlight of this trail was the varied plants and especially the agave that we passed all along the descending portion of the trial. I was taken back to our visits in Oaxaca where agave abound (and are -the- ingredient in Oaxaca’s special spirit – mezcal).
The Drive Out
We enjoyed a 3rd night camping, ‘tho like the night before, it was a bit chilly and … during the night wet weather set in with drizzling rain, sometimes mixed with soft popcorn snow. Jay & Nancy needed to get home, so they headed out into iffy weather and road conditions. Not wishing to face possibly poor road conditions, Pat & I chose to remain in Stewart for another day. The weather in the area remained drizzly, and at higher elevations – snowy. That did make for some beautiful scenes, looking at snow-capped mountains, — here in extreme southeastern Arizona —.
For our lay-day, we drove back towards Rodeo and visited the Chiricahua Desert Museum – what an amazing museum to find in this remote location. It’s focus is on rattlesnakes with a few turtles, many alive. The display cases recreated the natural habitat of the snakes with a quality that I would compare to the Smithsonian’s. In addition, they have a collection of artifacts from the tribes local to the Chiricahua and Peloncillo Mountains. And the gift shop is excellent. — And next door is the Geronimo Event Center where very well done posters gave an excellent review of the history of the the Apaches in this area, especially the famous Apache leader Geronimo. These are must-see as part of a trip into this “remote” part of New Mexico.
A note here about “services” in the area.
Cell phone service is spotty, even out on the plains beyond Portal towards Rodeo, and in Rodeo as well.
WiFi service is available at the Portal Peak Lodge Store & Cafe; an ‘open’ WiFi is available, but if you eat there ask for the password for their secure WiFi – that worked quite well (even when we stopped on the way through Portal and parked in front of the Store.
“Essentials” that one might need (didn’t bring or ran out): The Portal Peak Store has a limited selection. However, a much larger inventory is available back towards Rodeo, at the Sky Island Grill and Grocery.
Eating Out: sandwiches, pizza, and a limited selection of beer are available at the Portal Peak Cafe; we had lunch there when Jay & Nancy arrived on the 1st day. A larger menu is offered by the Sky Island Grill.
After a night in Stewart Campground with rain and snow continuing, the weather cleared in the morning and we set out for home; leaving Cave Creek Canyon we looked back to see the Chiricahuas covered in snow – what a beautiful site. We planned to split the trip over 2 days, to spend a night near Truth or Consequence. After some research, we settled on the South Monticello Campground where we could make reservations. The site overlooks the northern end of Elephant Butte Lake with well designed and well kept campsites. The sites are spaced far apart, good because the surroundings are quite open – no forest here.
The next day, driving up I-25 we were surprised to see snow on all the “mountain islands” – the San Mateos, the Magdalenas, even Ladrone, and the Manzanos.
Statistics
Total Distance: 5.52 miles Elevation: start 6,246 ft, maximum 6,704 ft, minimum 5,825 ft Gross gain: 458 ft, Aggregate ascending 1,143 ft, descending 1,563 ft Maximum slope: 36% ascending, 25% descending, 7.5% average Duration: 5:17
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
Weather was beautiful this day in New Mexico, perfect for returning to the Rio Puerco, and to visit geologic formations that are a favorite of our friend and photographer Pat Barrett. We enjoyed a really good hike and the geologic formations are something to behold.
A note about the name I’m using – I haven’t found a name associated with these formations on any map. Three miles southeast are formations and a mesa dubbed La Mesita Blanca, and further south is Mesita Negra. So it seems appropriate, given the red rock outcroppings, that this should be called La Mesita Roja.
UPDATE, 11/29/2022: I’ve discovered the “proper” name for this small but amazing outcrop of hoodoos: Cañada del Ojo. See References below.
The Drive In
The drive from I-40 is paved for 6 miles, then graded and well used dirt to the parking area. There are many roads scattered in the Rio Puerco and few significant landmarks, plus the route passes through the To-Hajiilee Navaho Reservation, so it is easy to unintentionally arrive at the middle of nowhere. So here are detailed directions:
Drive west from Albuquerque to the Cañoncito turnoff, then drive north towards To-Hajiilee on Trail 56, also identified as Cañoncito School Road.
Just before the Cañoncito School, turn right off of the pavement, then immediately left to continue on Trail 56. (There are signs for Trail 56 and Trail 57 – Trail 57 angles off to the right, terminating back at I-40, at the interchange near the Route 66 Casino.)
Continue north on Trail 56. Don’t take the Y to the left two-tenths of a mile along, nor the Y to the left 3 miles along; as a guide, stay on the road that is in the better condition.
Pass through the 1st fence line (with cattle guard), the boundary between the Reservation and the Herrera Ranch (private land). Another mile along park just beyond the 2nd fence line; you are now on BLM land.
The Hike
Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos Hike.Pat.2021-01-16
Our introduction, “Red Butte”.
Not being familiar with the territory, we struck out east from the parking area on a 2-track that crossed over the southern end of a ridge. Soon the 2-track headed north, and recalling Pat Berrett’s advice, we left the 2-track and set out towards the fence line. As we crossed Cañada del Oso, we headed southeast, towards a prominent and interesting geologic feature. Along the way the red rocks that Pat B. had spoken about came into view. We continued on toward the “Red Butte” to take a closer look. The formation, maybe 30′ tall with columns and windows and amazing range of red colors and hues. Our photos don’t give it its due.
A sampling of “Mesita Roja”.
After ogling Red Butte, we headed north to Mesita Roja, the ridge of colorful red rock outcroppings. We wandered through passageways, looking at the most interesting features of color and shapes, windows and forms, passagways and dead ends. Mesita Roja is definitely the most interesting geologic features that we have visited. These photos and in the Gallery below may give you some idea of the beautiful Mesita Roja.
Finding ourselves atop the ridge of Mesita Roja, we could see clearly the Hoodoos a quarter of a mile distant. We descended off of the Mesita and across the arroyo to find ourselves in an amazing array of 20-30 foot tall Hoodoos. We wandered among them, working our way around the collection that sits below the boundary of what I will call “Hoodoo Mesa”. We worked our way
Looking down on a section of the Hoodoos
up the east side, then up onto the Mesa to look at the Hoodos from above – great views. Along the way we came across more and more interesting features and formations.
Not finding a way down the west side of Hoodoo Mesa, we circled back to the east side and circled around the Mesa to the west side to where the cañon narrowed.
Taking a direct route across Cañada del Oso to the truck.
Having thoroughly enjoyed Mesita Roja and Its Hoodoos, we took a bearing from US Topo and struck out for the truck. Taking the direct route, we found ourselves crossing Cañada del Oso through sometimes tall lumps of grass, at other times wending our way through waist to chest high bushes. That along with the soft surface made the hiking a bit more strenuous – that is, a good workout.
Highlight
‘Tis a beautiful place, with such a variety of interesting features – shapes, colors, and more. We’ve enjoyed Goblin Colony, Tent Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge, and mesas around Mesa de Cuba. But this is our favorite. And it is secluded – ‘tho a car was parked near ours when we returned, evidence (and location) suggest that it is rarely visited.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.27 miles
Elevation: start 5,943 ft, maximum 6,012 ft, minimum 5,812 ft
Gross gain: 69 ft. Aggregate ascending 645 ft, descending 648 ft
Maximum slope: 19% ascending, 26% descending, 5.0 % average
Duration: 4:33
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
References and Resources
Thanks to Pat Barrett for telling us about this amazing place, and for the directions to get there.
‘Tis our first visit to Bosque del Apache, heading south as colder temperatures conspire against hiking north of Albuquerque or in the mountains.
The Drive In
Drive south on I-25, through Socorro, exit for San Antonio (Exit 139). Continue east through “downtown” San Antonio, turn right, south on old US Hwy 85. The Visitors Center for Bosque del Apachie is 8 miles down the road (closed when visited due to Covid-19). The entrance is a quarter of a mile further south from the visitors center.
The Hike
Rio Viejo Trail Hike.Pat.2020-11-24
We started with a drive through the north half of the Preserve. The roadway is very wide, clearly to make the driving tour comfortable while one takes in the views. There are a few stopping places with viewing stands offering a good vantage point to look for wildlife. we stopped at a couple of the viewing stands to look out across the marshes. Each time we heard the sounds of sandhill cranes as they come and go in large v-shaped formations to feeding grounds (as far north as Albuquerque). Often we were unable to locate them in the large blue sky above because of the etheral sound of their call.
When we got to the northwest corner of the preserve we came across a very large flock of snow geese sitting out in the grain field. We stopped to watch their activity – each 15-20 minutes while we were there the whole flock took flight, circled around the area, and returned to land in a new location – quite a scene.
To get in a bit of hiking. we set out on the Rio Viejo Trail. This trail, well groomed with gravel end-to-end, passed through open bosque. Finishing the hike, we returned to one of the overlooks of the marsh to have lunch.
Statistics (of the hike)
Total Distance: 1.76 miles
Elevation: start 4,512 ft, maximum 4,512 ft, minimum 4,503 ft
Gross gain: 9 ft. Aggregate ascending 10 ft, descending 10 ft
Maximum slope: 2% ascending, 1% descending, 0.2 % average
Duration: 0:51
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
A friend has been describing some amazing geophysical features in the Rio Puerco valley, north from I-40 and the To’hajillee Indian Reservation. For this trip, we took our shot at finding the area.
The Drive About
Tohajiilee Driveabout.Pat.2020-10-23
To’hajiilee is a reservation of the Cañoncito Band of Navajos that occupies a large area of the Rio Puerco valley north of I-40. Westbound on I-40 from Albuquerque, we took the exit for the Route 66 Casino, and at the traffic circle turned north on Rio Puerco Road.
We continued on Rio Puerco road (also identified on our topo map as Trail 57) for 3.77 miles, then turned left onto Trail 57. This took us to Cañoncito (7.75 miles) where we turned right (north) on Trail 56 for a half mile to an intersection where we opted to bear to the left (Trail 7041) and towards what appeared to be more interesting terrain. A couple of miles further, we bore to the right onto Route 7041, turning left in 3.4 miles onto Rte 7076, climbing up onto La Mesa Quebrada. We continued for another 6.7 miles where the road became a 2-track (at a home site); we opted to turn back at this point, not having found the formations we were looking for.
We returned via the same route to Cañoncito, then chose to continue on the paved Trail 56 (Cañoncito School Road) to I-40 and home.
Highlight
As always, we enjoy so much getting out into New Mexico’s outback. Trips like this provide the opportunity explore the geography and see the topography in its various shapes and forms. In so many places the views across valleys and canyons, even arroyos, are magnificent. We realized that we had not found the geologic formations. We will return with plans for another route, possibly staying of Rio Puerco Road instead of turning right onto Trail 57.
Statistics (driveabout)
Total Distance: 42 miles (from exit off of I-40) Elevation: start 5,286 ft, maximum 6,482 ft, minimum 5,286 ft Duration: 3:15
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
This is our 2nd hike on a 3-night camping trip to the area near White Sands with friends Jay and Nancy. We camped at the Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, with campsites affording superb views of the Tularosa Basin to the west (with a glimpse of White Sands 17 miles distant) and the Sacramento Mountains rising from the campground to the east. We chose this weekend to be on hand at White Sands to see the rise of the Blue Moon.
The Drive In
For a description of the drive from Albuquerque, see the post from the 1st hike: Dog Canyon Trail Hike – 10-/31/2020. As for the drive to this day’s hike: From Oliver Lee return to Alamagordo, then continue north on US 54 – we took the bypass to avoid downtown Alamagordo. At the end of the bypass, continue straight ahead onto US 82 towards Cloudcroft. In Cloudcroft, turn right off of US 82 onto NM 130, then in 1.3 miles turn right onto NM 6563 (Sunspot Highway).
Our original plan was to hike the Upper Karr Canyon Trail, but arriving at the entrance to the Recreation Area we found it closed. So we retraced our drive towards Cloudcraft, parking at one of the 4 trailheads identified with the Rim Trail; this is about 3.1 miles from the NM130-NM6563 intersection. On the west side of the road, across the roadside ditch and behind a few trees there is parking for 4 or 5 vehicles.
The Hike
Karr Canyon Road Hike.PatJayNancy.2020-11-01
So, we started at the Rim Trail trailhead Parking 3, or so we thought. From the parking area a very nice two-track headed off into the woods. Soon we were surprised to come across snow in the shaded areas. About a mile on we came across a sign that confused us – it showed the Rim Trail going back/left and forward/right, and Karr-C Road FR 636 going left and right. Not sure, we decided to continue on the very nice two-track.
Note: Later, when I reviewed maps, etc., I concluded that we had missed the Rim Trail at the parking lot; the clue was the ‘dotted line’ on USGS Topo maps. -The- Rim Trail follows somewhat parallel to FR 636 and crosses it at this intersection, continuing north to Rim Trail trailhead #2.
The two-track, FR 636, continues for another mile through mixed conifer forest. At a couple of places we had a view across the valleys and foothills of the eastern slopes Sacramento Mountains. From the tracks it is used occasionally so is in good condition with gentle slopes, 200 feet elevation gain in the first half mile, then descending 280 feet in the next 1.5 miles. At the end of the road, where the ridge ends before descending quickly into Tucker Canyon, we discovered a large camping tent – thought it might be hunters. … On the way back to the truck we did come across a gaggle of half dozen or so deer.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.0 miles Elevation: start 8,925 ft, maximum 9,127 ft, minimum 8,837 ft Gross gain: 290 ft. Aggregate ascending 851 ft, descending 851 ft Maximum slope: 32% ascending, 29% descending, 7.2% average Duration: 2:54
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
This is our first hike on a 3-night camping trip to the area near White Sands with friends Jay and Nancy. We camped at the Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, with campsites affording superb views of the Tularosa Basin to the west (with a glimpse of White Sands 17 miles distant) and the Sacramento Mountains rising from the campground to the east. We chose this weekend to be on hand at White Sands to see the rise of the Blue Moon.
The Drive In
Malpais-Valley of Fires
The drive from Albuquerque is some 224 miles, close to 4 hours enroute. We drove south on I-25 to San Antonio, the east on US 380 to Alamagordo. Sixty miles from San Antonio, we stopped at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area for lunch and a view of this large area of malpais (lava flow).
Continuing another 5 miles, we turned south on US Hwy 54, through Alamagordo, and 11 miles further to Dog Canyon Road, turn east for 4 miles to the Oliver Lee State Park and Campground.
The Campground & Camping
Oliver Lee has a mixture of campsites, some with hookups, others with tent pads (many of which also have space enough for small campers like our 17′ R-Pod); reservations are required. The campsites are spaced nicely apart; there are water hydrants near each of them; there are a couple of pit toilets scattered about plus a building with running water (toilets and showers, ‘tho in these times of Covid the showers are closed). There is also a Visitors Center with a small museum (also closed on account of Covid) and adjoining Riparian Nature Trail and Frenchy’s Cabin.
The campground is on the gentle slope between the flat and level Tularosa Basin and the quickly-rising Sacramento Mountains. Thus the views from nearly all the campsites are really great. The area is open desert – no trees, only small shrubs (many with very nasty thorns) and cactus – no place to go bushwhacking. We enjoyed all 3 nights of camping there, starting with a nice fire on the first night (we brought our own firewood).
The Hike
Dog Canyon Trail Hike.PatJayNancy.2020-10-31
We began the hike at our campsites, proceeded to the trailhead located behind the Visitors Center. The trail starts with a quick elevation gain, steep and very rocky. When not loose rock, the trail traverses a solid rock surface with a steep slope; happily this type of rock affords a good grip for the boots – no sliding. In many places rocks form a staircase (yes, it is that steep) and in a few spots a handhold was required.
That describes the trail for the first 3/5ths of a mile and 500 feet elevation gain. This brought us to what the map at the trailhead labeled the “First Bench”. From here trail is quite level and, tho’ rocky, is much easier to ambulate, easy enough to look around and enjoy the scenery. Behind us (to the west) we had a view down Dog Canyon and across the Tularosa Basin to White Sands and the San Andres and Organ Mountains beyond. At times the trail approached the edge of the Bench providing a good look down into the canyon proper, 400′ to the bottom. And across the canyon and up towards the crest of these Sacramento Mountains, steep slopes and sheer cliff faces from the canyon floor at 5,000 feet elevation to 7,000 feet.
Having done what seemed like a lot of difficult elevation gain getting up to the Bench, at 1.7 miles into the hike we stopped for lunch, then headed back to the campground. On the ascent, because of the steep slope and rocky surface, I was concerned about the difficulties of descending on such a trail. It was no problem, easier than I thought it might be.
Jay here: I had high hopes that we could make it all the way to Frenchy’s line camp, but this was a more strenuous hike than I anticipated. Still, it was most enjoyable and far different than our hiking in the Jemez, Sandias, Sangre de Cristos, or even Ojito. The area is considered part of the Chihuahuan Desert, so the vegetation is quite different from the Northern half of New Mexico and the landscape more stark. Loads of ocotillo and more types of cactus than what we normally see. The 400′ drop of the Bench tested my vertigo and the steep portions with rocky descent has me on my butt for a while, but all in all it was a great hike.
Highlight
After the hike, we packed up fixings for supper and headed to White Sands National Park, to be there when the Blue Moon rose over the Sacramento Mountains. The ‘sand’scape is quite amazing, driving through the pure white sand dunes, 10’ to 15 feet high all around. We settled on a parking area at the west end of the loop road, then explored the nearby dunes. Not to be outdone by other groups having a good time, we picked up a couple of frisbees and tried to regain some skill in tossing them back and forth.
As sunset approached, the light began to change as the sun descended through thin clouds over the San Andres Mountains to the west. The white sand dunes created an eerie scene in the subdued light , then the red color of the sunset took over the sky all around (yes, in these open spaces sunsets are spectacular for 360 degrees around). We then waited for the Blue Moon to rise over the Sacramento Mountains (we could not stay long since the park closed at 8:00).
Statistics
Total Distance: 3.39 miles Elevation: start 4,316 ft, maximum 5,013 ft, minimum 4,316 ft Gross gain: 697 ft. Aggregate ascending 952 ft, descending 951 ft Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 38% descending, 09.1 % average Duration: 3:42
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
The 3rd day of a camping trip in the Jemez Mountains with the R-Pod at the Jemez Falls Campground. After two days of longer hikes, we planned this to be an easy one. We chose to explore the canyon of the East Fork Jemez River for which we had no references about it’s traversability.
The Drive In
We parked at the Las Conchas picnicking and fishing area, where the River crosses under the highway to the south of NM 4. (This is a quarter mile east of the Las Conchas Trailhead, and is a favorite place for rock climbers to practice climbing on the rock face just east of the parking area.)
The Hike
Las Conchas-East Hike.Pat.2020-10-15
We first headed directly the stream from the parking lot. A couple of hundred yards along we faced the end of any path in that direction on this south side of the stream, but we noticed signs of a trail on the other side. Backtracking west beyond the picnic area we discovered a way to get across and onto the trail.For some distance the canyon was wide enough for both the stream and a trail. But then we encountered rocks over which we had to climb. Soon we encountered a sheer cliff that extended down to the water. This required crossing the stream; fortunately there were a couple of ways across including a 2×8 board. After crossing, we continued on the south side of the stream until encountering another cliff-to-stream, this time without a means of crossing without wading.
Since we had not planned for a full hike (we didn’t even bring our packs), we turned back promising that we would come back here again. Upon reaching a point opposite the east end of the picnic area, we took the chance of crossing on rocks in the stream – neither of us slipped or lost our balance and succeeded in returning the the picnic/fishing area.
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.07 miles
Elevation: start 8,426 ft, maximum 8,500 ft, minimum 8,410 ft
Gross gain: 90 ft. Aggregate ascending 537 ft, descending 534 ft
Maximum slope: 66% ascending, 65% descending, 14% average
Duration: 1:10
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
The trailhead is at the east end of the Three Rivers Campground. It starts out with a smooth dirt surface, in somewhat open space – typical juniper/piñon forest, with a few ponderosa. A few yards on the trail crosses to the north side of the streambed (no water here) and to the junction of the Three Rivers and Goat Canyon trails. Slope for the first mile or so, to the junction with the Dry Canyon Trail, the canyon is wide and open. Then the canyon narrows and there abouts we encountered water in the stream.
As the canyon narrowed and the trail made an “S” turn to the right, the sides of the canyon became more vertical, becoming cliffs towering above the streambed some 800 feet – awesome sights. We encountered a couple more stream crossings, easy because not a lot of water was flowing. We continued up the narrow canyon to find a “cave” and waterfall that are noted on the topo maps. Though the view of the waterfall was obscured by trees, we could see that on another day when there was a greater flow in the stream, it would be impressive.
