Category Archives: Activities

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FR 144-San Antonio Hot Springs Hike – 10/13/2023

‘Tis the time of year when autumn colors fill the bosques (the cottonwood trees) and the mountainsides (aspen). Hoping to catch the time right, we headed for the Jemez Mountains for, a drive on a forest road we haven’t seen in along time, and a hike we haven’t done before.

The Drive In

I will start the description at La Cueva on NM 4 – turn onto NM 126. proceed past the San Antonio Campground, then up-up-up the hill until just past the top, 5.8 miles. Turn right onto FR 144 – it is rough in spots so not suitable for a low-clearance vehicle but high-clearance isn’t required – for 6.4 miles. In a dip in the road, turn right to a parking area maybe 50 yards from FR 144.

The Hike

FR 144-San Antonio Hot Springs Hike 2023-10-13
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

This hike began by passing through a pedestrian gate (typical pasture barbed wire gate, it may be closed) and proceeds down a seldom used 2-track. At the bottom of the slope, now in the San Antonio Creek valley (soon to become a cañon), we bore to the right to follow the two-track (this happens to be FR 376).

The trail/2-track proceeds just above the western side of the cañon with nice views across the Creek to the steep slopes of the eastern side of the cañon. And above us the vertical rock outcroppings to prevalent in these Jemez Mountain, formed by the Valles Caldera volcano.

 

About 2.5 miles into the hike we were abreast of the San Antonio Hot Spring. We crossed the Creek (on a bridge, for our convenience and dry feet) and climbed up a -well used-, steep trail to the Hot Spring, ~200 feet, 2/10th of a mile. There were a handful of people already there enjoying the 3 or 4 pools – the hotest pool at the top, the other pools progressively less hot. We chose the 3rd pool down to soak our feet (we didn’t have appropriate attire to make it a full soak; all the other people were appropriately attired). Then it was a hike back to the truck (including an uphill finish which we normally avoid).

A Note: In talking with a couple of the others who were there, we learned that FR 276 is open and offers a drive in that is closer than our drive/hike; in the past it hasn’t always been open. They also reported that it, like FR 144, is a bit rough.

Highlight

It was great to be back in the Jemez, and ‘tho not yet in full “bloom”, to see the colors of autumn.

 

 

And to top off the highlights of this hike, we were encountered by a pair of (real) cowboys rounding up their cattle before winter sets in. We had exchanged greetings with them as we started the hike at the trailhead, and as they mounted their horses and headed into the cañon. But along the trail towards the Spring they came up behind us, and … asked us to get off the trail – we climbed into a crevice in the cañon wall as they passed us by.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.32 miles
Elevation: start  8,713 ft, maximum  8,713 ft,  minimum  8,258 ft
Gross gain:  455 ft.  Aggregate ascending  1,353ft, descending  1,352 ft
Maximum slope: 43% ascending, 36% descending, 7.2% average
Duration: 4:19, Average Speed: 1.2 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
45 Downloads
45 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Off of FR 144
Road Canyon Hike – 11/19/2017
San Antonio Canyon North Hike, 11/12/2017
Pony Canyon Hike, 09/04/2017
Pony Canyon Hike, 06/04/2017
  And there are other hikes in cañons off of FR 144
From within Valles Caldera
Valle de San Antonio Hike, 09/22/2020
Valle de San Antonio Hike, 09/11/2019
Hikes in Valles Caldera
Hikes in the Jemez Mountains

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: San Antonio Hot Springs
All Trails: San Antonio Hot Springs
Trip Advisor: San Antonio Hot Springs
Ultimate Hot Springs Guide: San Antonio Hot Springs
Traxplorio: San Antonio Hot Springs – A Little Slice of Heaven Deep in the Santa Fe National Forest

Photos

Atalaya Trail Hike – 10/10/2023

Atalaya Mountain Trail has been on the list for both of us; it is a good hike this time of year (hot in summer, icy and snowy in winter).

The Drive In

The Atalaya – Upper Trailhead is uphill from St John’s College. (There is an Atalaya -Lower Trailhead.) From Old Santa Fe Trail in front of the National Park Service offices, go north on Camino Del Monte Sol, the right (east) on Camino De Cruz Blanca. Just past where it makes a hard right turn onto Wilderness Gate Road, you will find a small parking area on the left; part there. Or, retrace back on Camino De Cruz Blanca; perhaps there will be a parking space at the Dorothy Stewart Trailhead. Otherwise, ????.

The Hike

Atalaya Trail Hike.Jay.2023-10-10
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

From the parking spaces, walk down Wilderness Gate Road, turn left and pass around a gate into the residential neighborhood. From there .. this hike “gets right to it”.. continue up Camino De Cruze Blanca. A third of a mile on climb the Steep Steps onto the Atalaya Trail #170. The first few hundred yards of the trail is a nice wide sand trail, a steady but easy climb. But further on the trail gets quite steep, often with a very rocky surface – quite challenging.

Just short of a mile from parking, we encountered a sign: STEEPER ROUTE to the left, EASIER ROUTE to the right. Looking at the tracks we chose the shorter  route, the STEEPER ROUTE. And was it STEEPER, over rocks and tree roots most of the way to where the EASIER ROUTE rejoined the main trail. We planned to take the latter on the way down.

From there the trail continued to be steep with a rocky surface with only a few respites of not-so-steep-and-rocky surface until the 2 mile point in the hike. Here we attained the ridge; after a sharp turn to the left, the trail led to the peak of Atalaya Mountain (continuing to climb though not so steep).

There were great views to the north, south, and west as we climbed up the trail. But the view from near the top was the best, with Santa Fe laid out below and the Jemez Mountains in the distance. After a break for a snack lunch, we headed back down, choosing to take the EASIER ROUTE – although longer by 3/4 mile, it was a much better (EASIER) trail.

Jay here: The first time I attempted this hike was about 3 years ago. We started down at the St. Johns Campus which is the longer route for this hike. You walk up a wide arroyo before getting to where we started on this most recent hike. Naj and I made it all the way up to where the signs are for Steeper and Easier, but the trail was icy and snow covered, forcing us to turn back. Having now experienced the narrow and rocky switchbacks up near the summit, I’m glad we did not try to do this hike in icy conditions. Just to emphasize, by steeper they mean STEEP. When the hike was completed, George said he did it because he thought I could do it. To which I said, “really? I did it because I thought you could do it.” That’s hiking in New Mexico for you.

Statistics

Total Distance:   5.09 miles
Elevation: start  7,554 ft, maximum  8,992 ft,  minimum  7,553 ft
Gross gain:  1,438 ft.  Aggregate ascending  1,753 ft, descending  1,753 ft
Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 34% descending, 12.0% average
Duration: 3:55 , Average Speed: 1.3 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
364 Downloads
157 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Hikes Around Santa Fe

References and Resources

AllTrails: Atalaya Mountain Trail (starts at the Lower Trailhead)
GAIA GPS
      Atalaya Mountain Via Atalaya Trail
      Atalaya Mountain LoopVia Atalaya Trail And Dale Ball Trails
Hiking Project: Atalaya Mountain Trail (#170)
SummitPost: Atalaya Mountain
Fatmap: Atalaya Mountain Loop
Only in Your State: Atalaya Mountain Trail Is An Easy Hike …

 

Hidden Valley Trail Hike – 09/26/2023

This, a day trip to Valles Caldera to enjoy some beautiful scenery, and to get out on the trail. Hidden Valley meets both of those goals exceptionally well.

The Drive In

The trail begins at a two-track to the left of the main road driving into Valles Caldera, about .6 mile from NM 4. Park alongside the road, near the two-track with a cable blocking vehicle traffic. ‘Tho it isn’t visible from the parking place, the Missing Cabin is just over the ridge at the end of the two-track.

The Hike

Valles Caldera-Hidden Valley Trail Hike.Pat.2023-09-26
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

This trail is ideal for an easy hike into a beautiful part of Valles Caldera. Unlike going into the back country of the Caldera, an entrance reservation and permit is not required (reservations and permits are now required to go beyond the cabin district, a procedure instituted this summer).

I could not write a better description of a hike on this trail than I wrote back on 2021: Hidden Valley Trail Hike – 10/22/2021. After you read that, then read the notes that I’m adding from this hike.

There is now way photos can do justice to the beauty of Valles Caldera The scale of the scale of the scenery is huge especially across the very wide and flat valley itself – we could see black specks in the middle Valle, a herd of elk. The colors and shapes of the Valle and the mountains in and around it , set off against a clear blue sky is beautiful.

Closer in on our hike, Hidden Valley itself presents such a wide range of colors, patterns, and shapes, with the grasses along the East Fork Jemez River and Douglas fir and blue spruce trees up the sides of the Valley.

From parking, we took a trail (not the gravel road) up the hill through knee high grass. Topping the hill we passed the Cabin and proceeded back down into Hidden Valley and the trail paralleling the East Fork Jemez River. The trail presents clumps of worn-down grass. Once into the Valley, it is mostly smooth ground with a few yards of rocks scattered along the way. In a couple of places the trail is right up against the River – passable at this time of year but likely inundated when there is more water in the River. There is one river crossing – a couple of boards on rocks made it easy.

Highlight

The abundant grasses along the stream create a colorful scene, ranging from green to yellow and some orange, true Autumn colors. At one point, Pat said “the scenery just follows along with us”. Then, approaching some deep grass, Pat flushed a great horned owl who flew off accompanied by a raven that had been perched in a tree above. The owl taking flight made virtually no noise.

Statistics

Total Distance:   3.86 miles
Elevation: start  8,545 ft, maximum  8,568 ft,  minimum  8,464 ft
Gross gain:  104 ft.  Aggregate ascending  646 ft, descending  647 ft
Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 27% descending, 4.2% average
Duration: 3:25 , Average Speed: 1.1 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
20 Downloads
0 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Other Hikes in Hidden Valley
Hikes in Valles Caldera

References and Resources

National Park Service:
      Valles Caldera – A Diverse Landscape Born from an Explosive Past
      Hike the Missing Cabin Trail
      Hike the Hidden Valley Trail
AllTrails: Hidden Valley Trail
Prime Passages (“Beerhiker”): Hidden Valley – Hidden Valley Beer Hike
Western Regional Climate Cener: Hidden Valley, New Mexico Weather Station

Cerro de la Garita North Side Hike – 11/09/2023

We looked forward to returning to the hike up to Cerro de la Garita from the north. First, to try to find a route more direct than our hike last fall for future visits with friends, and second to again enjoy the amazing view into the north half of Valles Caldera.

The Drive In

We made the same route as for our previous visit – I-25, US 550 (and a stop at Chaco Grill in Cuba), NM 96 to Youngsville, then FR 100 and FR 96 to the intersection with FR 144. ‘Tis a 3 hour drive which makes for along day, but we enjoy the hike very much.

The Hike

Cerro de la Garita North Side Hike.Pat.2023-09-07
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

The mountainside from FR 144 up to the peak is laced with old logging trails, none of which offer much of a direct route. I viewed the area closely on GoogleEarth and sketched a route from one logging trail to another, as direct a route as I could devine. As we attempted to follow my sketch, and using the Satellite overlay on GAIA, there was just enough discrepancy between the image on GAIA and ‘ground truth’ (our track) to keep us uncertain about our position. As we gained experience (perspective), we began to recognize the openings and gained some skill in orienteering.

Anyhow, we were able to follow the openings/logging trails for a nice hike up, and back down (which didn’t diverge far from our track on the previous visit). And at the top, following along the edge of the south side of la Garita we again enjoyed the fabulous view from 2,000 feet above the ‘T’ in the road into northern area of Valles Caldera and Valle Santa Rosa  and Valle San Antonio, and in the distance Valle jaramillo and Valles Caldera.

Highlight

Clearly, the view of Valles Caldera from 2,000 feet above the floor – it is spectacular.

Statistics

Total Distance:   4.07 miles
Elevation: start  10,228 ft, maximum  10,601 ft,  minimum  10,198 ft
Gross gain:  403 ft.  Aggregate ascending  856 ft, descending  856 ft
Maximum slope: 6.2% ascending, 21.8% descending, 7.9% average
Duration: 3:35, Average Speed: 1.1 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
0 Downloads
0 Downloads
55 Downloads
50 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Cerro de la Garita North Side Hike – 09/27/2022
Other Hikes in Valles Caldera

References and Resources

AllTrails: Cerro La Garita
Peak Advisor: Cerro de la Garita
Discover Abiquiu: Abiquiu’s Neighbor – The Village of Youngsville
(Great stories and photos)

Old Monarch Pass Loop Trail-CDT North Hike – 08/29/2023

This hike was near the end of a road trip through Kansas to visit my home town and cousins in eastern Kansas. After 8 days of driving and visiting, it was really good to get out on a trail. And a trail as beautiful as this one.

The Drive In

Not much to say here: drive to the summit of Monarch Pass on US Highway 50, 18 miles west of Poncha Springs, CO. Park in the very large parking area at the Visitor Center. The trailhead is 500 yards west (downhill) and across the highway.

The Hike

Old Monarch Pass Loop Trail-CDT North Hike.Pat.2023-08-28
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

Reading reviews on AllTrails, I found a discussion about taking the loop clockwise or counterclockwise. We recommend counterclockwise, as Pat observed the best views will be ahead of you, those during the early part of the hike.

The trail is quite well used which makes for an easy hike. Whether going clockwise or counterclockwise, the first 300 yards will be steep, steeper going counterclockwise for about 150 ft elevation gain. Gaining the top of the ascent the view to the north is spectacular – the -big- peaks of the Sawatch Range and the Presidential Range, some of them among Colorado’s “Fourteeners” (over 14,000 feet elevation at the summit).

Two thirds of a mile into the hike the trail rounds the end of the ridge above the highway and proceeds northwest, now on the north face of the ridge and through nice spruce and fir forest (although many of the fir are dead, having been killed by the bark beetle that infested these mountains some years back).

The “top end” of the loop is the Old Monarch Pass Summit, a dirt road and a sign to mark the spot. The trail then turns southeast then south back towards the highway. It passes through open and shaded sections, rounding the other end of the aforementioned ridge. It then descends down, not so steep, back to the road. And back at the trailhead, a signpost notes that this is part of the Continental Divide Trail (and we saw quite a few backpackers in the visitors center and a few seeking a ride to Poncha Springs).

Highlight

The views to the north, looking across the many high peaks of this central part of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Statistics

Total Distance:   3.33 miles
Elevation: start  11,308 ft, maximum  11,490 ft,  minimum  11,233 ft
Gross gain:  257 ft.  Aggregate ascending  868 ft, descending  868 ft
Maximum slope: 32% ascending, 30% descending, 7.8% average
Duration: 2:39, Average Speed: 1.3 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
52 Downloads
46 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Other Colorado Hikes
Other Colorado Hikes on CDT

References and Resources

AllTrails: Old Monarch Pass Loop
GAIA GPS: Monarch Pass via CDT
Wikipedia:
     Monarch Pass    
     Sawatch Range
     Presidential Range
dangerousroads: Driving through the scenic Monarch Pass in Colorado

Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike – 07/12/2023

This post is for a 2nd hike that we made with Jay, Nancy, and Bo during a camping trip to Cumbres Pass and the Trujillo Meadows campground (10,000 feet elevation and above). Check out the 1st hike, Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/11/2023.

The Drive In

Repeating here The Drive In from the post for the 1st hike:

We chose to avoid I-25 and US 84, both busy roadways, and instead chose a route through Cuba (I-25 to Bernalillo, then US 550). Four miles beyond Cuba we turned right on NM 96. Upon reaching the sharp right turn of NM 96, we turned left to continue north on NM 112. The first 27 miles is paved; from there to El Vado dam (19 miles) the road is well maintained gravel; we kicked up quite a plume of dust behind us at 35-45 MPH. Tho’ a  sign warned us of the possibility of a delay of up to 2 hours, we took our chances – and won – no delay at the El Vado dam.

The road to cross El Vado dam is interesting. It is one lane down a very steep incline, then very narrow lane across the dam itself. We were OK with the R-Pod but would not attempt to cross here with anything larger. From there, NM 96 is paved to the intersection with US-84; then it was on to Chama. Borrowing the remainder of The Drive In from the post for last year’s trip:

“We drove from Albuquerque to Chama and continued on NM 17 up to the crest of Cumbres Pass (the highway becomes CO 17 as it passes into Colorado). For a good part of the way, Hwy 17 follows the tracks of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, aka Cumbres and Toltec Railroad to the crest where there is a small railyard.

Our campsite in Trujillo Meadows Campground. Atop a hill in the middle of the campground, we had great views in all directions.

 

Continuing past the crest for 1/4 mile, we turned left onto FR 118 (a good Class 3 road, tho’ there are some sections of serious washboard); in 2.5 miles turn right at the entrance to the campground. (Adjacent to the campground is Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. There are some sites that look down upon the reservoir and there is a road from the campground entrance to a boating ramp; we did not investigate either.) (We met Jay and Nancy in the same campsite that we used last year.)

The Red Lake trail is a bit further north on CO 17 — 6.4 miles from the turnoff to the Trujillo Meadows Campground. Turn left onto FR 113, a Class 3 road towards Red Lake — 3.5 miles. The road makes a sharp 180° turn to the left — parking is on the right up a short rise.”

The Hike

Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-12
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

All of us agreed – this was among the most spectacular hikes that we’ve taken. I had hiked this trail in 2021 while Pat was attending a workshop in Chama. But I didn’t remember just how spectacular it is; Pat, Jay, and Nancy to brought it into focus for me.

The trail begins from the parking area on the right side of CO 17 at the top of Cumbres Pass, just below (west of) the Cumbres and Toltec train station. The trailhead is well marked and well used – smooth ground through pine and fir forest bordered by grass and many varieties of flowers. It presents easy ascent for about 200 feet of elevation gain (with switchbacks) to get atop a long ridge (about half a mile).

Along the ridge the views are amazing: to the west down the valley with the C&T tracks twisting their way to the top of Cumbres Pass, mountains in the distance to the north, and down the valley of Rio de los Piños and the railroad tracks.

The trail continues on the ridge for 8/10ths of a mile, descending 100 feet or so. It then enters a somewhat dense forest and begins to climb again, an easy ascent in and out of forest with a great overlook 2.2 miles into the hike. This was our plan for the day, 4+ miles – we turned back.

As we hiked along the ridge we kept our eyes on the railroad tracks. Our timing was good – the 10 o’clock train was on its way from Chama. We watched it stop at a water tank, then continue up to the station at Cumbres Pass. What a sight, especially as it rounded the steep end of a ridge on an embankment that must have been a marvel of engineering a 100+ years ago.

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Highlight

It was unanimous – this is among the best trails we’ve hiked – easy with marvelous, spectacular views. And Bo is getting his trail legs.

Jay here: Yep, they don’t say Bo is a Westie for nothing. Terriers are diggers but so far, Bo just digs coming along on the trail. Views from this hike were much better than average for sure, and the train going up the valley was a bonus.

 

Statistics

Total Distance:   4.54
Elevation: start  9,964 ft, maximum  10,342 ft,  minimum  9,964 ft
Gross gain:  378 ft.  Aggregate ascending  997 ft, descending  995 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 27% descending, 7.0% average
Duration: 3:27, Average Speed: 1.3 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
59 Downloads
204 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Hikes around Cumbres Pass

References and Resources

TrailForks: Continental Divide Trail (CDT) Complete
GAIA GPS:  Continental Divide Trail
MTB Project: CDT: Cumbres Pass to lagunitas (NM Section 31)
Mountain Photography: Continental Divide Trail through the South San Juans
Wikipedia: Cumbres Pass
Cumbres & Toltec Railroad: The Ride of a Lifetime

Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/11/2023

It has been -hot- in Albuquerque (and in Santa Fe). Even hotter than we anticipated when a few months ago we planned this camping and hiking trip to Cumbres Pass and the Trujillo Meadows campground (10,000 feet elevation and above). This post is for our first hike during this trip: the Red Lake Trail which Pat & I hiked a year ago.

The Drive In

We chose to avoid I-25 and US 84, both busy roadways, and instead chose a route through Cuba (I-25 to Bernalillo, then US 550). Four miles beyond Cuba we turned right on NM 96. Upon reaching the sharp right turn of NM 96, we turned left to continue north on NM 112. The first 27 miles is paved; from there to El Vado dam (19 miles) the road is well maintained gravel; we kicked up quite a plume of dust behind us at 35-45 MPH. Tho’ a  sign warned us of the possibility of a delay of up to 2 hours, we took our chances – and won – no delay at the El Vado dam.

The road to cross El Vado dam is interesting. It is one lane down a very steep incline, then very narrow lane across the dam itself. We were OK with the R-Pod but would not attempt to cross here with anything larger. From there, NM 96 is paved to the intersection with US-84; then it was on to Chama. Borrowing the remainder of The Drive In from the post for last year’s trip:

“We drove from Albuquerque to Chama and continued on NM 17 up to the crest of Cumbres Pass (the highway becomes CO 17 as it passes into Colorado). For a good part of the way, Hwy 17 follows the tracks of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, aka Cumbres and Toltec Railroad to the crest where there is a small railyard.

Our campsite in Trujillo Meadows Campground. Atop a hill in the middle of the campground, we had great views in all directions.

Continuing past the crest for 1/4 mile, we turned left onto FR 118 (a good Class 3 road, tho’ there are some sections of serious washboard); in 2.5 miles turn right at the entrance to the campground. (Adjacent to the campground is Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. There are some sites that look down upon the reservoir and there is a road from the campground entrance to a boating ramp; we did not investigate either.) (We met Jay and Nancy in the same campsite that we used last year.)

The Red Lake trail is a bit further north on CO 17 — 6.4 miles from the turnoff to the Trujillo Meadows Campground. Turn left onto FR 113, a Class 3 road towards Red Lake — 3.5 miles. The road makes a sharp 180° turn to the left — parking is on the right up a short rise.”

The Hike

Red Lake Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-11
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

There is little that I can add to the description from last year’s Post. There was however more snow this year as in a large depression we passed and against embankments where it must have been deep. We also had more stream crossings (some small, some large). And there were more wildflowers in bloom this year courtesy the late arrival of spring.

  

Highlight

This is a beautiful trail with amazing vistas across a verdant meadow to the mountains all a around. It is an easy trail with a few challenges crossing runoff and streams. Although we cut short the hike again this year and didn’t go as far as Red Lake itself, it remains on our list of hikes to complete in the future.

Jay here: Snow! Snow? It seemed like such a warm day, you had to ask yourself why there was still snow on the ground. But then you remember you’re at 11,000 + feet. It was a great hike that somehow brought us just a little closer to some magnificent clouds.

Statistics

Total Distance:   4.2 miles
Elevation: start  11,004 ft, maximum  11,656 ft,  minimum  10,981 ft
Gross gain:  675 ft,  Aggregate ascending  831 ft, descending  831 ft
Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 22% descending, 6.9% average
Duration: 3:47, Average Speed: 1.1 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
43 Downloads
37 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Hikes around Cumbres Pass

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Red Lake Trailhead, Trail 733
AllTrails: Red Lake Trail
GAIA GPS: Red Lake
Alamosa.org: 5 Trails You Need To Be On
Oh Ranger.com: Rio Grande National Forest, Red Lake Trail

If you have viewed many of my other posts, you no doubt have noticed that I’ve included many photos and galleries of flowers. And you’ve seen repetition – the same flowers show up on posts for many hikes. That observation having occurred to me, I questioned why I would include flowers .. again. Well .. because they always attract my attention – there are so many colors, shapes, and settings. They exist often in environments that would be drab without them, sometimes in locations that appear to be quite inhospitable. So, again, I include in this post a “bouquet” of flowers:

South Crest Trail Hike – 07/04/2023

With aspirations to go backpacking when I’m 80 (this year!), I assembled my tent, sleeping gear, some food and water, packed it all into my 38 liter pack, and ‘hit the trail’. I chose to hike on the South Crest Trail in the Sandia Mountains, then spend the night on the hill above our cabin, Cerrito del Llano, near Manzano.

The Drive In

The South Crest Trail begins at the Cañon Estates – Grand Enchantment Trailhead. The Trailhead is uphill from the main intersection in Tijeras; from that intersection go north as ‘tho you are getting onto I-40. But … don’t turn left; instead continue beyond the westbound entrance ramp, then turn to the right and follow Arrowhead Trail to the end where you will find a loop parking area for the Trailhead.

The Hike

South Crest Trail Hike.Solo.2023-07-04
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

This is a well used trail – some rocky areas but generally easy treading. The slope is quite uniform, a decent workout without being strenuous. It passes through the typical juniper/piñon forest. About .6 miles from the trailhead it comes to Travertine Falls. One can go directly to the “falls”, a travertine cliff with a rivulet of water falling, then climb a steep incline up to the Crest Trail, or take a hard right below the falls, -on- the Crest Trail, to a falls overlook.

Nearing 2 miles, the trail enters ponderosa and piñon pine forest (above 7,000 feet), where the trail becomes quite easy – dirt/pine needle surface and gentler slope. Then beyond 3 miles it again becomes steeper and more rocky. At 4 miles, 3 o’clock, beginning to become weary, and knowing it was -4 miles- back to the trailhead, I made the adult choice to turn around and head downhill. ‘Twas a good choice; when I reached the trailhead I was beat.

The Camping

Since this was sort of a backpacking tryout, I planned to camp somewhere. Rather than a location along some trail (e.g. South Crest), I chose to drive to El Cerrito (our cabin site) and camp atop the hill above the cabin, Cerrito del Llano. From the cabin I navigated through the juniper forest to the hilltop, then wandered around until I found a flat, level tent site free of rocks. I set up the tent, fixed myself a ramen/chicken supper, and retired for a good nights sleep. Packed up the next morning, checked on things in the cabin, and headed to Mountainair for lunch with a good friend.

What I learned? I -can- get sufficient gear, food, and water into my pack for at least a short backpacking expedition. And I was comfortable with that load. The nearly 3 liters of water was barely sufficient, especially using half a liter for the ramen. The airpad and sleeping bag made for a good nights sleep.

Highlight

I normally carry an 18#-20# pack on our day hikes – water, stove, lunch or snacks, and miscellaneous gear: first aid kit, knife, inReach EPIRB, … With the added gear for an overnight, the pack came in at 28#. I was pleasantly surprised that once I had the pack settled, I didn’t really feel the extra weight … except that I did get more tired by the end of the hike.

Statistics

Total Distance:   7.97 miles
Elevation: start  6,553 ft, maximum  8,221 ft,  minimum  6,553 ft
Gross gain:  1,668 ft.  Aggregate ascending  2,022 ft, descending  2,022 ft
Maximum slope: 27% ascending, 24% descending, 8.2% average
Duration: 6:53, Average Speed: 1.2 mph

GPS Track Files for Download
122 Downloads
117 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Carlito Springs-Travertine Falls-SouthCrest Trails Hike – 06/30/2023
South Crest Trail Hike – 04/02/2017
Travertine Falls-South Crest Trails Hike – 04/30/2016
South Crest Trail Hike – 08/12/2014
South Crest Trail – Faulty Loop Trail Hike – 05/05/2013
Faulty Loop Hike – 02/13/2013

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Crest Trail 130 – North & South
AllTrails: South Crest Trail
Dog of the Desert: South End of the Crest Trail and CCC Trail …
Hiking Project: South Crest Trail #130
Summit Post: South Crest Trail NO. 130S
Backpacker: Albuquerque, NM: Sandia Creast Trail (South)

 

Carlito Springs-Travertine Falls-South Crest Trails Hike – 06/30/2023

Carlito Springs was opened just this spring after having been closed for many years. Our friend Chris, who we meet most mornings at Java Joes, recently visited there and told us of a trail leading from the parking lot to the Travertine Trail and on to the South Crest Trail. I went to check it out.

Addenda: Another friend at Java Joes, Craig, added information about another trail. It proceeds from the road near the 2nd parking area, follows a ridge to meet up with the South Crest trail, a shorter distance than this hike. As he said, it shows up as a thin dashed line on AllTrails, and I also found it on GAIS as “Old South Crest Trail”. We will check that out one day soon.

The Drive In

Travel east on I-40 to the Tijeras exit, NM 337 southbound. Turn right at the light; 1/2 mile turn right under the I-40 overpass; a small sign will direct you to the right; 100 yards on will be another small sign directing you to turn left, up a gravel road. Continue for 1/4 mile to the first of two parking lots; I parked and hiked from here, will return another time and continue to the upper parking lot.

The Hike

Carlito Springs-Travertine Falls-South Crest Trails Hike.Solo.2023-06-30
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

The trailhead is an opening in the fence at the head of the parking lot – easy to find. Not far from the trailhead is a trail junction – I was headed toward the South Crest trail so opted for the turn to the right, the eastern part of the Carlito Springs Loop Trail. The trail surface is generally packed dirt with a few embedded rock, and in places loose rock with a gentle climb. This is piñon/juniper territory, so not much shade.

At about 1/2 mile, the Carlito Springs Loop breaks off to the left; another 200 yards beyond there is a very short connector that dips into a ravine and up the other side to the Travertine Falls/South Crest Trail. This is a very short thin dashed line on GAIA that I missed on the way out; I continued up an “Unmaintained Trail” until, realizing my oversight, I bushwhacked back to the Travertine Falls/South Crest trail.

From there I continued up past -the- Travertine Falls (only a trickle of water flowing this day) and onto the South Crest Trail. This trail appears be used more than the Carlito Springs Loop, so it has more packed earth with again some sections of loos rock. And ‘tho still in piñon/juniper, more trees along the trail, perhaps 50%, provided some shade.

Note: At the Travertine Falls I met the nicest group of young ladies; we shared notes on trails around Albuquerque. One of them, from Portland, spoke of some day hiking the Oregon Coast Trail; that sounds like it would be a great hike, through or segments.

Some 1.8 miles into the hike, climbing above 6,800 or 7,000 feet, the trail enters the piñon/ponderosa forest where there is significantly more shade. Then 2.8 miles into the hike is the junction with the Upper Faulty trail. (We made the Crest/Faulty loop hike back in 2013 and 2014.) I continued on the Crest Trail, now a lessor slope on mostly packed earth with some ponderosa pine needles as a carpet. It became so easy going that I felt that I could go on to the top; I had hiked as far as South Sandia with Marlin back in 2014. But … realizing that today returning to the trailhead would stretch my endurance, I made the adult decision and headed back down, making it 10 miles that day.

We’ve enjoyed a wonderful spring with every kind of plant aflowering. With no rain this time of year and temperatures into the high 90s, ’tis only the cacti that are blooming: prickly pear and cholla.

Statistics

Total Distance:   6.8 miles
Elevation: start  6,439 ft, maximum  7,756 ft,  minimum  6,423 ft
Gross gain:  1,333 ft.  Aggregate ascending  1.721 ft, descending  1.736 ft
Maximum slope: 25% ascending, 24% descending, 8.4% average
Duration: 4:29

GPS Track Files for Download
173 Downloads
100 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Tijeras Canyon Hikes
South Crest Trail Hikes
Faulty Trail Hikes

References and Resources

Bernalillo County: Carlito Springs Open Space
Dog of the Desert: Carlito Springs Open Space
ASCHG: Carlito Springs Open Space Hike
AllTrails: Carlito Springs Loop
Yelp: Carlito Springs

Manzano Campground Trails Walk – 04/20/2023

Our first camping trip with our new R-Pod 171, to the Manzano Mountains State Park campground. The RP-171 is like our old RP-171, but has no slideout. So this was our first opportunity to face the challenge of figuring out how to store the essentials for camping trips.

The Drive In

Manzano Mountains State Park is just south of the Land Grant village of Manzano, on the eastern slopes of the Manzano Mountains. From Albuquerque, drive east on I-40, then at Tijeras go south on NM 337, 29 miles. At the ‘T’ turn right onto NM 55, pass through the other Land Grant villages of Tajique and Torreon, and Manzano (12 miles). Before leaving Manzano, turn right onto NM 131 (may also be identified as CR BO64);  signs will direct you to the State Park. Remain on the paved road (requires a right turn onto CO BO62) to the park entrance (about 3.1 miles), onto dirt/gravel road to the campground ahead.

The Hike

Manzano Campground Trails Walk.Pat.2023-04-20
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

Since our main goal was to spend a couple of nights in the new RP-171, we didn’t set our sites on hiking. We did make a  short drive past the radio tower and into the National Forest on FR 253, to check out the Red Canyon Campground. While there, we made a short hike (‘walk’) on the Spruce Spring trail to stretch our legs after the drive from Albuquerque. 

The next day, to get in more than a short hike, we opted to check out the trails within the State Campground. We were pleasantly surprised by the extent of the trails. They are well maintained (used?) as they pass through the  pine/juniper forest typical of this area. We ended up walking nearly the 3 miles, which is our norm each day that we aren’t doing a more serious ‘hike’.

Statistics

Total Distance:   2.86 miles
Elevation: start  7,291 ft, maximum  7,374 ft,  minimum  7,241 ft
Gross gain:  133 ft.  Aggregate ascending  314 ft, descending  314 ft
Maximum slope: 14% ascending, 18% descending, 3.6% average
Duration: 1:46

GPS Track Files for Download
47 Downloads
56 Downloads
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.

Related Posts

Manzano Mountain Activities

References and Resources

New Mexico MNRD: Manzano Mountains State Park (maps, reservations, photos, etc.)
USDA Forest Service: Red Canyon Campground