Category Archives: CDT

Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike – 08/02/2025

August 10, 2025

Escaping the very hot weather in Albuquerque, we returned to a favorite high-altitude region – Chama, NM and trails up on Cumbers Pass.

The Drive In

We spent the weekend in Chama, lodging at the Little Rock House on Maple, a lovely cottage near the north edge of town. Drawing from a prior visit to hike the CDT from Cumbres Pass:

Chama is the southern terminus of the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, a vintage narrow gauge rail line that offers rides from Chama over Cumbres Pass to Antonito, CO. Driving from Chama north on NM 17, the tracks are never far from the highway, and if one’s timing is right one will see a steam locomotive with passenger cars (and sometimes utility cars) climbing up the 2,000 foot grade (or coasting down). Or maybe see a train pause at the small railyard at the summit of Cumbres Pass.

The drive up on the highway is scenic, especially because sufficient moisture has made the forest, pastures, even the roadside a very healthy green. At the summit, we parked in the lot on the south side of the highway a short distance prior to the summit with a sign introducing the CDT Southbound.

The Hike

Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike.Pat.2025-08-02

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

Highlight

As has been the case with other hikes, the CDT southbound is a veritable flower garden. I counted twenty different flowering plants in the first 200 yards from the trailhead. And there were flowers in bloom all along the trail. Otherwise, I can’t really add anything to the description for our hike back in 2023 – I refer you to that post: Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike – 07/12/2023, and the other hikes.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.09 miles
Elevation: start 9,965 ft, maximum 10,181 ft, minimum 9,965 ft
Gross gain: 216 ft. Aggregate ascending 703 ft, descending 703 ft
Maximum slope: 31% ascending, 30% descending, 7.4% average
Duration: 3:56, Average Speed: 0.8 mph

Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike.Pat.2025-08-02 (KML)	5 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike.Pat.2025-08-02 (GPX)	4 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.

Hikes from Cumbres Pass

References and Resources

Forest Service:
AllTrails: Flat Mountain via Continental Divide National Scenic Trail #813
GAIA: Continental Divide Trail (Cumbres Pass South)
And References and Resources on Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike – 07/12/2023

Photos

George's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George's Flower Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Views to date: 4 views.

Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike – 06/18/2024

July 13, 2024

Cumbres Pass and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) are a favorite destination and hike. You will find other posts of our visits there, one solo, another with Pat, and still another with Jay and Nancy. For this trip, we reserved Campsite 13 at the Heron Lake “Willow Creek” campground. Many of the sites in this campground are quite nice; Site 13 offered a through-drive with room for 2 vehicles, and 2 or 3 spots suitable for tent camping (since Pat didn’t make this trip, I brought a tent to sleep in).

The Drive In

I will leave it to you to find your way to the Heron Lake campgrounds, and from Heron (if you camp there) to Chama. From Chama, continue north on NM 17 for 12 miles (..uphill.. from 7,900 feet to 10,000 feet at the pass) following the tracks of the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad (a National Historic Landmark). You will leave New Mexico for Colorado about 5 miles below the pass, continue on CO 17. Maybe 200 yards before reaching the summit, use the parking area on your right; there is a sign above the parking lot for CDT Trailhead #813. (The CDT goes both north and south from here – we hiked to the north, across the highway from the sign.)

The Hike

https://nmhiking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cumbres-Pass-CDT-North-Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

From parking, we crossed the highway and under the C&TRR trestle; the trailhead is just beyond. The first quarter mile is uphill, through an area of open forest. Then across an flat open area before taking on the climb. For the next 1.4 mile or so the trail climbs, traversing a steep slope (as Jay says, FARD – Fall and Roll Downhill).

From there the trail continues on a not-so-steep slope across an open hillside. Twice the trail crosses a tiny “valley”, the 2nd at 2.2 miles which had a bit of water draining from above. We continued until encountering a flowing stream which would require wading to cross; we decided to pause here for lunch, then return to the trailhead. (As I had done on my solo hike, added our names to the logbook.

Jay here: Like finding a missing cufflink, we now have the matching set of CDT hikes: North and South. Very different in character. CDTS was mostly open along the ridge tops and with wide views of the valley below. CDTN was more confined in some ways but still had extended views to the ridges we hiked on CDTS the prior year. The steep portions were not FOAD (Fall Off And Die) but you could roll a long way down before arresting your descent. Bo did a great job for a little Westie, even jumping over logs a few times.

Highlight

The views from the beginning of this section are magnificent. Here’s an excerpt from a hike with Pat back in 2022 that will give you an idea:

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.77 miles
Elevation: start 9,976 ft, maximum 10,303 ft, minimum 9,961 ft
Gross gain: 342 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,225 ft, descending 1,239 ft
Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 23% descending, 6.1% average
Duration: 4:26, Average Speed: 1.3 mph

Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18 (KML)	50 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18 (GPX)	36 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.

Cumbres Pass Hikes

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: CDNST – Cumbres Pass North Trailhead # 813
AllTrails: Cumbres Pass CDT North
Continental Divide Trail Coalition: Cumbres Pass on the CDT, …
Taos News: Hiking in Southren Colorado: Cumbres Pass North to Wolf Creek Falls

Photos

George's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show

Jay's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show

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

July 30, 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

Old Monarch Pass Loop Trail-CDT North Hike.Pat.2023-08-28 (KML)	56 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Old Monarch Pass Loop Trail-CDT North Hike.Pat.2023-08-28 (GPX)	53 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.

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

George’s Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike – 07/12/2023

July 18, 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.

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

Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-12 (KML)	61 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-12 (GPX)	207 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.

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

Jay’s Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Jay’s Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George’s Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Gooseberry Springs Trail #77 – 05/26/2023

May 29, 2023

We returned to Mount Taylor again this year. This Gooseberry Springs Trail presents a challenging hike with great views going up, coming down, and from the peak – together they make it one of our favorite hikes. We plan to hike it each year in to the ?? future.

The Drive In

Borrowing from our visit back in 2020:

“We had an easy drive to Grants, then through Lobo Canyon on NM 547 to FR 193 and on to our target campsite. The road has fresh, deep gravel (a Class 3 road) but the Tacoma/R-Pod handled it easily. We chose the campsite closer to the trailhead; an added benefit – it is located on the edge of Lobo Canyon and thus affords better views than the other campsites. ~~This, our first setup outside of an established campground challenged us in maneuvering~~ It was still a challenge to maneuver the R-Pod among trees and rocks to an area relatively level – great experience for future forays.”
This is our new 2023 R-Pod – RP-171. We enjoyed 12 years of great camping and traveling with our 2011 RP-177, but time came for it to be retired. We miss the space of the slideout in the -177, but we are adjusting to this more compact camper – and we like very much the “picture window” in the front which “opens up” the space inside. And a new, larger 100 watt, solar panel.

The Hike

Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike.Pat.2023-05-26

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

We “trained” for this hike, walking daily in the Bosque during the winter and hiking up Three Gun Springs during the preceding weeks. This preparation no doubt served us well, but 2,000 feet elevation gain is nonetheless a challenge. The trail is well used, and descriptions of our previous hikes are still accurate.

Weather was perfect for this day’s hike, sunny and cool with some breezy and chilly conditions at the higher elevations. We stopped regularly for brief rests, especially on the steeper sections. We encountered only a couple of other hikers, ‘tho about half way up the open zig-zags approaching the peak, we noted a hiker with a dog following us; she passed us before we reached the peak. It was apparent from her pace and her pack that she was a through-hiker – she confirmed it during our brief conversation.

Approaching the peak we passed a couple of snow banks left over from this year’s heavy snow season. Reaching the peak, we took the obligatory selfie to document our arrival, then joined Brittany (trail name Dits) and Mono for lunch and pleasant conversation. As we headed back down the mountain, we wished her well on her journey as a NoBo (NOrth BOund) on the CDT.

This year we chose to return on the trail rather than the alternate routes that we chose on previous hikes. Returning to the R-Pod, we opened a beer and relaxed in the wonderful blue skies and clear air of New Mexico.

Highlight

As a bonus, during this last half of May we can anticipate meeting northbound through-hikers on the Continental Divide Trail. On the our hike in 2021 with Jay and Nancy, we met a couple of through-hikers and a Trail Angel, Cheshire Cat, and enjoyed the company of a through-hiker, trail name NoNo. And again this year, it was great to meet another CDT through-hiker, Dits and her dog Mono, and to share a mid-day meal with them atop Mount Taylor.

In 2021, No-No, gave us the link to her VLOG on YouTube, Jennifer Journeys. We continued to follow her progress up the CDT to Canada – she produced some truly great videos through which she shared her experience. She has published two other series of her adventures on YouTube: Peru 2022 and Mountains to Sea Trail. We hope that she is continuing with the life that she loves, and perhaps publishes VLOGs of more of her adventures. Thank you, Jennifer!

Statistics

Total Distance: 6.46 miles
Elevation: start 9,325 ft, maximum 11,305 ft, minimum 9,274 ft
Gross gain: 2,031 ft. Aggregate ascending 2,221 ft, descending 2,221 ft
Maximum slope: 26%% ascending, 34% descending, 12.4% average
Duration: 8:04

Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike.Pat.2023-05-26 (KML)	272 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike.Pat.2023-05-26 (GPX)	81 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.

Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike – 05/10/2021
Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike – 06/10/2020
Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike #2- 06/13/2018
Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike – 06/01/2018

References and Resources

A Note: I realize this is a long list of References and Resources, but I found many of them to be interesting, some going beyond just a hike up Mt. Taylor on the Gooseberry Springs Trail. I’ve marked with ** some that I found intriguing.

New References:
** PeakVisor: Cibola National Forest – Mt. Taylor Ranger District (East)
      A comprehensive description of Mt Taylor and the region
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Coalition:
** Day & Overnight Hikes – New Mexico (PDF)
       A compendium of descriptions of segments of the CDT in New Mexico
    Tsoodzil (Mt. Taylor), Cibola National Forest
** Hike with Gravity: CDT 2021: Day 27, Gooseberry Springs Trail …
This is a post in his BLOG of hiking the CDT – interesting reading.
SummitPost: Gooseberry Springs Trail
** Quincy Koetz: Mt Taylor, New Mexico Winter Hike
Hiking Tom: Mount Taylor – Gooseberry Springs Trail (YouTube, late winter)
Sharing my Suitcase: Mt. Taylor- The Gooseberry Springs Trail
** Overland Mama: Weekend Camping: Cabezon Peak to Mt. Taylor etc
Trip Advisor: Mount Taylor

From Previous Posts:
US Forest Service: Gooseberry Springs Trail
Gooseberry Springs Trailhead
SummitPost: Mount Taylor
AllTrails: Gooseberry Springs and Mount Taylor Loop
Mount Taylor via Gooseberry Trail
ondafring: Day Hike: Mount Taylor
ASCHG: Mount Taylor From Gooseberry Spring Hike
Stav is Lost: Hike Mt. Taylor via Gooseberry Springs Trail (great photos)
Four Corners GeoTourism: Gooseberry Springs Trail – Mt. Taylor
Outdoor Project: Gooseberry Springs Trail to Mount Taylor
Hiking Project: Gooseberry Trail

George’s Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Las Vacas Trail Hike – 08/03/2022

August 28, 2022

Our 2nd hike during a 3-day camping trip to San Pedro Parks, with Jay and Nancy and their new dog, Bo. ‘Tis a trail that we’ve hiked before, a very pleasant hike through open forest, past San Gregorio Reservoir and to the edge of Vallecito Damian. (Past posts for this trail were titled “San Gregorio Lake Hikes”. The trail is also considered part of the Clear Creek Trail.)

The Drive In

From the Rio de las Vacas Campground, drive west on NM 126 for about 2 miles, turn right onto FR 70, a good Forest Road (Class3). In about 6 miles, the trailhead will be on the left. The parking will be an area on the right.

The Hike

Vacas Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2022-08-02 (KML)

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 very easy trail, as are many on San Pedro Parks – wide, smooth path, open forest, little elevation change. From parking, San Gregorio Reservoir is a mile in. Bo, still a puppy, was tiring from the hiking the past two days, so Jay and Nancy “lounged” around the lake while Pat & I continued on up the trail.

On arriving at Clear Creek, near where it enters into the Reservoir, we came upon a group of youngsters playing in the water. (Tents and adults were nearby, suggesting that they were camping in this beautiful place.) With the boisterous Monsoon Season this year, Clear Creek was running well, but not so high that we weren’t able to cross on a pair of logs, as the youngsters watched (or continued their play).

We continued on the trail, encountering a few deadfall trees across the trail, easily overcome (over or around). Going out far enough to get in a 4 mile hike, we turned back at the edge of Vallecito Damian and met Jay, Nancy, and Bo for lunch. Then made the easy walk back to parking.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.94 miles
Elevation: start 9,223 ft, maximum 9,419 ft, minimum 9,223 ft
Gross gain: 196 ft. Aggregate ascending 654 ft, descending 663 ft
Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 18% descending, 5.2% average
Duration: 2:37

Vacas Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2022-08-02 (KML)	158 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Vacas Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2022-08-02 (GPX)	75 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.

Rio de las Vacas Walkabout – 07/31/2022
Peñas Negras Trail Hike – 08/01/2022
Hikes in San Pedro Parks

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Vacas Trail/San Gregorio Lake Trailhead #51
AllTrails:
San Gregorio Reservoir
Clear Creek Trail
Dog of the Desert: Clear Creek in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness
Only in Your State: San Gregorio Reservoir …
The Outbound: Backpack the Vacas Trail Loop
Astec NM: San Pedro Parks Wilderness Trails (pdf)

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike – 07/07/2022

July 29, 2022

Our first hike on a 3-night camping trip into northern New Mexico (actually just across the state line into Colorado). We set up the R-Pod in the USFS Trujillo Meadows campground. Reservations are not offered, but there are 41 campsites so we anticipated that we would get one. And we did – there were only a few (<10) campers in the campground on our arrival and the host told us that the campground is not heavily used. After touring the maze of roads looking for the best site, we chose one near the entrance and on the highest point in the campground. The view from there was the best.

The Drive In

Late afternoon view from the door of our RPod camper.

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. 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.)

The CDT crosses CO 17 just below the crest of Cumbres pass, to the west; from the campground we returned to CO 17, turned right, back over the crest. Less than 14 mile below the crest there is parking on the south side of CO 17. The trailhead for the CDT going south is located there. For the trailhead northbound, cross the road and continue up and under the railroad trestle.

The Hike

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

I hiked this bit of the CDT last year while Pat attended a workshop in Chama, and for some time I’ve looked forward to revisiting it with Pat. Donning our packs and crossing the road, we walked beneath the RR trestle to the trailhead, where Pat signed us in. We then headed past the trailhead sign and into the woods; we were quickly above 10,000 feet elevation.

About 1/3 mile on, we left the woods behind, entering a meadow for a few hundred yards. Then it was onto hillside slopes for most of the remainder of the hike. Here we enjoyed a great vantage point to watch the Cumbres & Toltec steam locomotive and excursion cars climb the last few hundred feet elevation to Cumbres Pass.

The trail is well used, a smooth trail surface, little worn into the ground. We passed through open forest, occasionally with fallen trees. About 1.3 miles on we came to the first of two water crossings, nice flow of water but rocks ready for us to cross on. We continued on for 2.3 miles, enjoying fabulous views of the valley and mountains to the west of the trail.

Highlight

We have puzzled over how to convey to readers of this BLOG the beauty of scenery all around us on these hikes. I think Pat has found the answer in this video.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.79 miles
Elevation: start 9,965 ft, maximum 10,299 ft, minimum 9,965 ft
Gross gain: 334 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,052 ft, descending 1,053 ft
Maximum slope: 29% ascending, 25% descending, 6.4% average
Duration: 3:37

Cumbres Pass CDT North.Pat.2022-07-07 (KML)	69 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT North.Pat.2022-07-07(GPX)	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.

Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/08/2022
Cumbres Pass/CDT North Hike – 08/12/2021
Cumbres Pass/CDT South Hike – 08/13/2021

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: CDNST – Cumbres Pass North Trailhead # 813
AllTrails: Cumbres Pass CDT North

Pat's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

CDT North Trailhead Trail Hike – 04/21/2022

May 1, 2022

Our destination for this trip was to check out Quemado Lake with the idea it would make a good destination for camping. After visiting the Lake, we went looking for a place for a hike. Checking maps closely we identified a trailhead on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) – let’s see if we can get there.

The Driveabout and Quemado Lake

We drove west on I-40, then south on NM 117 through the Narrows and onward, turning left on NM 36. After a short jog to the west in the village of Quemado, we continued south on NM 32 for 14 miles, then left (east) on NM 103 for 4 miles. The lake, damning Largo Creek, is a nice size for fishing – typical of others we’ve seen in New Mexico. The main campgrounds near the lake were closed (Cove, Juniper, and Pinon). El Caso campground up a side canyon was open for us to look at. It is somewhat primitive campground – no organized campsites and a couple of pit toilets. Quemado Lake doesn’t appeal to us: we aren’t interested in activities centered around the lake, we’ve found limited information for hiking trails, and it’s a long ways from Albuquerque.

From Quemado Lake, we went looking for adventure – see the sections below. After the adventure, we headed for Pie Town, looking forward to stopping there for a piece of their famous pies.

Example of BAe Airtanker that we watched drop its retardant.

Sadly we arrived too late – Pioneer and the nearby cave were both closed. So we continued east towards Socorro. But about half way there we encountered a road block – a small prairie/forest fire was within a half mile of the highway. After a half hour wait, during which we watched a “Fire Bomber drop it’s load of retardant on the fire.

The Drive In

So from Quemado Lake, we retraced our route back to Quemado, then drove east on US 60 through for 7 miles, then turned right onto Catron County Rd A095. From here all navigation was based on indications on the US Topo map of “roads” – parallel dotted lines (see the note below) and a note on GAIA’s map “Quemado North End (CDNST) Trailhead”.

About 4.2 miles down A095 we looked a two-track that went west towards our destination. It didn’t appear to have been used recently, so we continued on hoping to find another road or two-track in better condition. At 5.9 miles from US 60, turned right onto two-track that appeared to get some use. Tho’ the tracks were deep (requiring high-clearance vehicle) it was “serviceable” for us. Continuing to take cues from the topo map, we continued over sometimes rough and rocky tracks for 1.1 miles, then left for half a mile, again left for another half mile (these are ranch roads – no identifications). And there — we found signs for the CDT

(A note here: Published topo maps don’t reflect the -current conditions- for may “roads” in these parts. Some of them are seldom used two-tracks, which I classify as Class 6. We avoided these, but came upon more recently used Class 5 two-tracks which did lead us to our destination. GAIA’s maps portrays Class 4 and Class 5 “roads” with a solid line, which doesn’t permit distinguishing between the difference.)

The Hike

CDT North Trailhead Trail HIke.Pat.2022-04-21

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

Despite the fact that this trail is in the middle of nowhere, with no features of interest in the vicinity, it is well used. That would be a testament to the many hikers who take on the CDT, whether through hiking or doing sections at a time. The trail passes through open grassland and in places piñon and juniper forest. The surface is loose soil with a few sections with a rocky surface. In our 3.7 mile hike slope was gentle with crossings of a couple of gentle arroyos; elevation gain was a bit over 400 ft. Along the way we encountered a few CDT blazes on juniper or piñon tree trunks or on stand-alone posts.

Highlight

I suppose the highlight for me was to be hiking on the CDT, even if only part of a section. And to think that No-No may have traversed this section (“No-No” is a young woman that we met on our Mount Taylor hike last year, who we enjoyed very much following her via her BLOG on YouTube, Jennifer Journeys, as she made her through hike on the CDT.)

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.70 miles
Elevation: start 7,533 ft, maximum 7,934 ft, minimum 7,517 ft
Gross gain: 417 ft. Aggregate ascending 483 ft, descending 498 ft
Maximum slope: 18% ascending, 19% descending, 4.6% average
Duration: Approx 2.5 hrs

CDT North Trailhead Trail HIke.Pat.2022-04-21 (KML)	83 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
CDT North Trailhead Trail HIke.Pat.2022-04-21 (GPX)	75 Downloads
US 60 to North Trailhead (CDT).Pat.2022-04-21 (KML)	89 Downloads
US 60 to North Trailhead (CDT).Pat.2022-04-21 (GPX)	75 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.

References and Resources

Wings: BAe 146/AVRO RJ Airtankers Keep Putting out the Flames

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

El Malpais-Narrows Rim Trail Hike – 04/14/2022

April 17, 2022

We’ve looked forward to hiking the Narrows Rim Trail a the Malpais for some time – and doing it this time of year (spring or fall)! The trail begins at the south end of the Rim in El Malpais National Conservati0n Area. The Rim is a sheer cliff 300-500 feet above the road along the eastern border of the lava flow. The hike runs along the edge of this cliff with a great view across El Malpais National Monument (the area of the lava flow) and beyond to the Zuni Mountains.

This Rim Trail is one of the more accessible and easy trails we’ve found. ‘Tho an hour and half from home, the trip is easy and relatively quick – I-40 for 60 miles, then 20 miles on a state highway with interesting scenery along the way. The trailhead is just off of the highway, in the past a campground so there is plenty of parking and a pit toilet.

The Drive In

From Albuquerque, drive west on I-40 for 60 miles, turn left onto NM 117, continue for 21 miles. At about 18 miles the road enters The Narrows, a 3 mile narrow corridor between the lava and a 500 foot sandstone mesa. At about 17 miles you will pass La Ventana, a very large arch in the wall of the canyon. Then into The Narrows – not much notable about the view to the right (lots of lava), but the view to the left is amazing – the various layers of sediment exposed in the cliffside and the huge rocks that have detached and fallen down the face of the cliff.

The Hike

Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).

The trail begins with a short climb up a rock face (maybe 15′ with footholds).

Once past this one steep place the views south, west, and north arrested our attention – wow.

From there the trail presents a steady, shallow climb on a surface sometimes sand, or gravel/rocks, or in many places flat rock outcroppings (when among the latter, there are rock cairns that help one stay on the trail).

The view to the northwest and down the face of the Rim’s edge to the lava below. One can make out lava tubes down there on El Malpais.

For perspective, looking down at the highway from atop the Rim.

Typical rock/sand trail surface, and one of the many rock cairns that mark the trail.

Highlight

Prior to moving here from Virginia, we were once asked by a local there: “Why are you moving to New Mexico?”. It wasn’t long after our move and while exploring New Mexico’s wonderful open spaces that we started asking the rhetorical question “Why?!”. As we enjoyed another “special” place in this Land of Enchantment, I realized that we might be beyond “Why?”. As we hiked among ponderosa, piñon, and juniper trees, among fascinating rock formations, under a -clear blue- sky, and with amazing views near and far all around, a more appropriate exclamation might be “Because!”

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.87 miles
Elevation: start 7,078 ft, maximum 7,412 ft, 7,077 minimum ft
Gross gain: 335 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,318 ft, descending 1,319 ft
Maximum slope: 37% ascending, 37% descending, 8.0% average
Duration: 4:51

Narrows Rim Trail Hike.Pat.2022-04-14 (KML)	59 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Narrows Rim Trail Hike.Pat.2022-04-14 (GPX)	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.

References and Resources

Pat’s Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show

George’s Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show

Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike – 08/13/2021

November 2, 2021

This was the 2nd hike was during a 5 day camping trip to Northern New Mexico. We set up the R-Pod at Heron Lake for 4 nights. While Pat attended a 3 day workshop in Chama on dyeing wool, I drove up to Cumbres Pass for a hike on the Continental Divide Trail. The day before, I had hiked the CDT north from Cumbres Pass.

The Drive In

See the description for the CDT North Hike.

The Hike

The trail begins from the parking area on the right side of CO 17 at the top of Cumbres Pass. As yesterday for the CDT North hike, my timing was good – the Cumbres and Toltec passenger train was parked at the station, preparing to continue on to Antonito.

As it was for the CDT North, the trail is well used, smooth ground bordered by very green grasses with an abundance of flowers. From just under 10,000 feet elevation, the trail climbs a couple of hundred feet in the first half mile, then descends a bit on the top of a ridge for 3/4 mile. The views are spectacular, to the west towards Chama down the Wolf Creek valley. For the next 1.25 miles the trail climbs close to 500 feet, up to 10,469 feet elevation. Most of the distance is in open grassland with parcels of forest along the way.

Nearing the trailhead on the return, I looked down upon the Cumbres & Toltec RR siding to see a service train heading back to Chama.

Highlight

Amazing views, across green grasslands with flowers in bloom everywhere, to distant hills and mountains.

Statistics

Total Distance: 7.98 miles
Elevation: start 9,966 ft, maximum 10,469 ft, minimum 9,964 ft
Gross gain: ft. 505 Aggregate ascending 1,662 ft, descending 1,664 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 27% descending, 06.5% average
Duration: 4:41