Category Archives: Ruins

Places visited with Pueblo or other ruins.

Ponderosa Mesa Hike – 08/29/2017

September 28, 2017

Pat & I set out to do some reconnoitering, looking at places with easy access for folks visiting from ‘sea level’. We’ve visited Boletsakwa Ruins with family, but explorations on other visits in the vicinity suggested more interesting sites might have easy access: Goblin Colony and another set of ruins which I’ve recently learned are the Kiatsukwa Ruins). (Check out references below for past hikes into this area.)

The Drive In

Continuing on FR 10 beyond the Paliza Campground, one climbs to the top of Ponderosa Mesa – park here to go south to Boletsakwa. Today we continued further on FR 10 for about 1.7 miles, where we parked and headed south about 100 yards to the northern edge of the Kiatsukwa Ruins.

The Hike

‘Tis open forest, quite level .. easy walking. We continued south to the edge of the mesa for our mid-day break, with a great looking down Paliza Canyon and the mesas to the southeast (enticing us for future exploration). Returning on FR 10, we stopped at a wide spot in the road, halfway back to the Boletsakwa parking area. A short walk over the ridge east of the road brought us to the upper reaches of Goblin Colony. We didn’t descend into the Colony today, but it’s a great way to visit if one chooses to not hike 1.3 miles up Paliza Canyon.

Statistics

Total Distance: 1.28 miles
Elevation: 7,745 start ft, maximum 7,745 ft, minimum 7,635 ft
Gross gain: 110 ft. Aggregate ascending 227 ft, descending 228 ft
Maximum slope: 22% ascending, 45% descending, 6% average
Duration: 2:04

Ponderosa Mesa Hike.Pat.2017-08-29 (KML)	111 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Ponderosa Mesa Hike.Pat.2017-08-29 (GPX)	199 Downloads

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

ASCHG: Paliza Canyon – Goblin Colony Hike
Geology of the Jemez Area, Chapter 13: The Holocene:
   Humans settle the Jemez
      (Scroll down to the 3rd & subsequent photographs and text)
Access Genealogy: Jemez Tribe
Hiking in New Mexico:
   Paliza Canyon, Ruins, Goblin Colony Hike – 9/11/2016
   Ponderosa Mesa-Boletsakwa Ruins Hike-8/7/2016
   Paliza Canyon & Goblin Colony Hike – 09/09/2015
   Boletsakwa Ruins Hike – 07/11/2015
   Paliza Canyon & Goblin Colony Hike – 7/19/2015

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

Bandelier, Alcove House Hike – 08/08/2017

September 13, 2017

Bandelier National Monument is a great place to introduce visitors to New Mexico to Ancient Pueblo history.

The Hike

Bandelier, Alcove House Visit.PatPeyton.2017-08-08

Thus, it was time to go there with grandson Peyton.

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.85 miles
Elevation: start 6,066 ft, maximum 6,400 ft, minimum 6,066 ft
Gross gain: 336 ft. Aggregate ascending 944 ft, descending 949 ft
Maximum slope: 72% ascending, 69% descending, 11% average
Duration: 1:57

Bandelier, Alcove House Visit.PatPeyton.2017-08-08 (KML)	154 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Bandelier, Alcove House Visit.PatPeyton.2017-08-08 (GPX)	64 Downloads

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

National Park Service: Bandelier National Monument
The American Southwest: Bandelier National Monument
Google: Bandelier National Monument
YouTube Video: Bandelier National Monument (Edward Rozylowicz)
Earth Observatory: Bandelier National Monument

George's Photos: Click on Photo to show Gallery.

While Peyton visited, we went to Meow Wolf in Santa Fe.

George's Photos: Click on Photo to show Gallery.

Holiday Mesa Hike – 07/26/2015

July 11, 2017

This was a memorable hike. The goal was to visit the Kwastiyukwa (Great Footprint) Ruins on Holiday Mesa. We made a valiant try, but with the elevation gain, distance, and summer heat we gave out in the face of another hill climb and half mile distance. We’ll try again.

The Hike

The first challenge to overcome was getting across the Rio Guadalupe without soaking our boots. We searched upstream and down and finally found a logjam we could use as a bridge. Once across the Rio, we could follow a nice two-track from Canyon Cebollita up on to Holiday Mesa. On the mesa, using the GPS and topo map, noticing that the two-track took a bit swing away from our goal, we made a shortcut and rejoined the two track. Hiking was fairly on the mesa, generally level and flat, but we were getting worn out mostly from the heat, and we hadn’t hiked this distance before. When faced with crossing another arroyo and climbing back up the other side, we decided have our mid-hike break, then, short of our goal, call it a day and return to parking.

Statistics

Total Distance: 7.63 miles
Elevation: start 6,604 ft, maximum 7,668 ft, minimum 6,604 ft
Gross gain: 1,064 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,517 ft, descending 1,521 ft
Maximum slope: 30% ascending, 28% descending, 7% average
Duration: 4:46

Holiday Mesa Hike.Jay.2015-07-26 (KML)	152 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Holiday Mesa Hike.Jay.2015-07-26 (KML)	185 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:

ondafringe: Day Hike: Stable Mesa to Kiva Ruins~Jemez Mountains
Conquest and Catastrophe: Exerpt from book
OtherHand.org: Kwastiyukwa ruins
ASCHG: Holiday Mesa to Giant Footprint Ruin (added 2025)
Dennis R. Holloway, Architect: Kwastiyukwa (“Giant Footprint Ruin”) (added 2025)

Jay's Photos: Click on Photo to show Gallery.

George's Photos: Click on Photo to show Gallery.

Puye Tour – 01/25/2016

March 29, 2017

This was a day trip out of Albuquerque, with lunch in Santa Fe on the way to Puye. After checking in with the Welcome Center on NM 30, we were directed up to the Visitor’s Center below ruins site. Since there had been snow recently, we rode up to the top of the mesa with our guide in a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

The Hike

The ruins on top of the mesa are extensive, as one can see on Google Earth. The guide made the visit more interesting by relating some of the history of these ruins and the Pueblo people related to the site. We descended down the face of the cliff on ladders and a path, and visited some of the many caves carved into the pumice ejected from the Jemez volcano that forms the mesa. We found the visit to be worth the trip.

Statistics

Total Distance: 0.50 miles
Elevation: start 7,070 ft, maximum 7,070 ft, minimum 6,873ft
Gross gain: NAft. Aggregate ascending NA ft, descending 197 ft
Maximum slope: NA% ascending, 75% descending, 8% average
Duration: 0:45

The track shows only part of our tour. We got on top of the mesa with a tour bus. The track then records our tour of the mesa top and then back down to the visitor’s center.

Puye Tour - 01/25/2016 (KML)	107 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Puye Tour - 01/25/2016 (GPX)	71 Downloads

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

Puye Cliff Site: Puye Cliff Dwellings
Hanksville.org: Puye Cliff Dwellings
New Mexico Nomad: Puye Cliff Dwellings
Legends of America:
Puye Cliff Dwllings – Ancestral Home of the Santa Clara Indians

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

Las Milpas Hike – 03/19/2017

March 25, 2017

In reviewing tracks I’d collected from others, I stumbled on this hike for ASCHG. Since weather continues to be cool enough to explore further the Ojito Wilderness, we set Las Milpas as our hike for the day. Of particular interest was the presence of Pueblo Ruins here atop the mesa west of Canada las Milpas.

The Drive In

We parked at the Y of a two track a quarter of mile off of Cabezon Road, a starting place different from the ASCHG track.

The Hike

Flora for this hike: This was once a “mighty” Juniper. Now it an example of Mother Nature’s sculptures.

Thinking we’d be able to get to their track, we headed in a northerly direction, along the edge of a mesa. Having gone about .4 mile, we found ourselves at the end of the mesa with no way down into the Canada. So it was backtracking until we were able to descend and head north. We chose to follow the (lower) edge of the mesa until abreast the point where we had turned back. From there, we continued across grassland and a couple of outcrops of rock until hooking up with a two-track headed our way.

We found the first ruins about 2 miles from the end of the backtrack. I would judge this to be a medium size Pueblo ruin, maybe 20 by 50 yards. Most is rubble from the collapsed structure, but there are a few rooms evident with their walls surrounding a chamber. We looked for evidence of a kiva, but found none. From there we returned to the two-track and proceeded .6 mile to the second ruin. This one appeared to be much smaller, maybe 40 yards in length. (But inspecting the area more closely with Google Earth, there is evidence of a much larger area of rubble.) Continuing further north on the two track, using the GPS, we headed off to the west to find the third ruin. This one is very small, appearing to be no more than one or a very few rooms.

Then heading back to the truck, we stopped in some shade (and out of the wind) for our mid-hike break. We followed our outbound track until the two-track headed away from our destination, so we went “cross country” on a more direct route to the truck. This was our longest hike to date, easy enough tho’ with little change in elevation and easy ground, especailly when we were on the two-track. And if one were to start where the ASCHG track begins, the hike could be done entirely on a two-track.

Jay here: Not only was it the longest distance, it was also an impressive amount of ground covered in a short time — something like 8 miles in 3 hours and 22 minutes of actual hiking time. Factor in 15 minutes spent just looking around the first set of ruins, and you get a sense of how fast we were going. It helps to be on level ground for much of the hike but there were still some ascents to make us huff and puff. Sorry that ruins 2 and 3 were disappointing by comparison with ruin 1, but that’s the way the ruins crumble.

Statistics

Total Distance: 8.03 miles
Elevation: start 6,000 ft, maximum 6,079 ft, minimum 5,883 ft
Gross gain: 196 ft. Aggregate ascending 816 ft, descending: 817 ft
Maximum slope: 20% ascending, 27% descending, 4% average
Duration: 4:13

Las Milpas Hike.Jay.2017-03-19 (KML	129 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Las Milpas Hike.Jay.2017-03-19 (GPX)	147 Downloads

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.

Tapia Canyon Hike – 05/10/2015

March 11, 2017

Vince set us on this site for a hike, expecting to see petroglyphs, an arch, and maybe ruins. He had been stymied on past trips by the road – it crosses the Rio Puerco and tributaries 2 or 3 times. Crossings are made in a steep descent from the surrounding terrain into the river bed itself – the road must be completely dry or one -will- get stuck. For this trip, the crossings were uneventful.

The Drive In

The road in, NM 279, goes west from US 550 at milepost 41. Paved initially, it turns to dirt and does some winding and intersections on which one might go astray (See Guadalupe Ruin & Tapia Canyon for more specific directions and great interactive map).

The drive itself is quite interesting, scenic with the many volcano chimneys in view, you will pass through or near (nearly abandoned) settlements, and you will drive by Guadalupe Mesa on top of which are Pueblo ruins, identified as the easternmost outlier from Chaco Canyon. About a half mile past the Guadalupe Ruins, turn west on a two-track; park at the end of the two-track just short of a fence, about a half mile from the road.

The Hike

To begin the hike, look for a break in the embankment to descend into the stream bed; we backtracked maybe 100 yards and found an easy path down. The hike itself follows the bottom of Tapia Canyon, mostly a sandy surface but with sections of rockiness and of grass clumps and small trees. The canyon ranges from 75 to 120 yards in width, the walls over 100 ft high throughout. On the lookout for petroglyphs, we discovered our first set on the left canyon wall, under a bit of an overhang. We were impressed with the span of images, although they did not stand out from the background.

Continuing up the canyon, on the alert for more petroglyphs (courtesy ondafringe), .. we found them on a 30′ tall mound against the right hand wall of the canyon. And this is an amazing collection of very prominent petroglyphs as you will see in the photos below. A bit further up the canyon we came to the arch, and a large one it is.

The day was a bit warm, and the hiking surface challenging, so this became our turn-back point. After our mid-hike coffee and snacks, we headed back down the canyon. Although we had planned to ascend out of the canyon to visit the Tower Ruins, our stamina was running out so we returned to the car and home. I should note that the Canyon and Ruins are closed to visitors four times a year for Native American Traditional Activities each year.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.65 miles
Elevation: start 5,957 ft, maximum 6,114 ft, minimum 5,937 ft
Gross gain: 177 ft. Aggregate ascending 907 ft, descending: 910 ft
Maximum slope: 56% ascending, 51% descending, 5% average
Duration: 5:28

Tapia Canyon Hike - 05/10/2015 (KML)	297 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tapia Canyon Hike - 05/10/2015 (GPX)	331 Downloads
Tapia Canyon DriveIn- 05/10/2015 (KML)	209 Downloads
Tapia Canyon DriveIn- 05/10/2015 (GPX)	448 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:

ondafringe: Day Hike: Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruin
CargoVANConversions: Guadalupe Ruin & Tapia Canyon
Doug Scott Art: Canon Tapia
Dog of the Desert (great video): Petroglyphs of Tapia Canyon, New Mexico – YouTube

George's Photos: Click on Photo to show Gallery.

Paliza Canyon & Goblin Colony Hike – 7/19/2015

February 3, 2017

One of our early trips into the Jemez.

The Hike

Paliza Canyon to Goblin Colony, the hard way. 07/19/2015.

This hike is an easy one, leaving the parking area on a two-track, past some strip mines and what looks like the ruins of a one-room Pueblo structure. We took the wrong turn .3 miles into the hike, going to the right through a fence. After climbing to the top of the mesa/ridge, we figured out our mistake and followed a two-track down into Paliza Canyon and southwest to the Colony. The view from atop the ridge, looking south down Paliza Canyon, was amazing. As were the Goblins.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.86 miles
Elevation: 6,847 start, 7,357 maximum, 6,847 minimum
Gross gain: 510 ft. Aggregate ascending 824 ft, descending: 824 ft
Maximum slope: 27% ascending, 31% descending, 7% average
Duration: 3:03

Paliza Canyon & Goblin Colony Hike.Jay.2015-07-19 (KML)	199 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Paliza Canyon & Goblin Colony Hike.Jay.2015-07-19 (GPX)	165 Downloads

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

Boletsakwa Ruins Hike – 07/11/2015

February 3, 2017

Hike with the Leppas to Boletsakwa Ruins, 07/11/2015.This is such a great hike for visitors – this time the family from Virginia.

The Drive In

The drive from Bernalillo up US 50 to San Ysidro, then up NM 4 that follows the Jemez River, through Jemez Pueblo (honor the speed limits here) and a visit to the Visitors Center at Jemez Springs. Then we returned south, turned left on NM 290, continued past the name-place Ponderosa and further on the Paliza Campground. At the campground, we turned left onto FR 10, crossed the River and continued up the winding ascent to the top of Ponderosa Mesa. Parking at the top, we walked south, a short 1.2 miles on an easy trail to the Boletsakwa Ruins.

The Hike

The photos tell the story of this hike.

References and Resources

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.48 miles
Elevation: 7218 start, 7,263 maximum, 7,124 minimum
Gross gain: 139 ft. Aggregate ascending 560 ft, descending: 560 ft
Maximum slope: 48% ascending, 39% descending, 8% average
Duration: 1:52

Boletsakwa Ruins Hike - 07/11/2015 (KML)	316 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Boletsakwa Ruins Hike - 07/11/2015 (GPX)	260 Downloads

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

OtherHand: Boletsakwa Ruins
Dog of the Desert: Boletsakwa in the Jemez Mountains
School for Advanced Research:
Archaeology of the Jemez Pueblo Revolt, Overnight in Jemez Springs
San Juan Basin Archaeological Society, Field Trip Report:
Jemez Mountains (pdf)
Museum of New Mexico: … Archeology of the Jemez Province … (pdf)

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

Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike – 11/19/2016

November 29, 2016

Returning, this time with Jay, to one of my favorite hiking sites. It is far off the beaten path, some 30 miles from US highway 550, much of that distance on dirt roads. Although the road is well graded, one should not head out this way soon after any precipitation.

The Drive In

tapia-canyon-tower-ruins-drive-in — Drive-in route from US 550, via CR 279, through San Luis, the -old- village of Guadalupe, past the Guadalupe Mesa ruins, to Tapia Canyon.

The drive in is straightforward: US 550 to CR 279/San Louis Road. Continue through San Louis, stay on 279 as it turns from pavement to a Class 3 road (‘New Mexico pavement’), about 8 miles. Resist turns at 11.5, 16.8, and 21 miles. The road descends into the Rio Puerco valley; along the way it crosses two deep arroyos – the road to the bottom and out is -very- steep .. interesting to drive thorough. At 29 miles from US 550, the road climbs over a sharp saddle, below the Guadalupe Ruins up on the adjacent mesa. From there its .4 mile to the turnoff into Tapia Canyon on a Class 5 road (two-track). Park at the end (there is ample room to turn around).

The vistas across the Rio Puerco are or so beautiful I can’t resist including them in this post.

The Hike

This hike is through the bottom of a wide canyon with walls from 50′ to 150′ high. The surface varies from rocky through sandy to grass covered ground. “Trees” are mostly salt cedar (tamarisk) along the wash that wanders back and forth across the canyon. This is not a good place for summer hiking.

tapia-canyon-tower-ruins-jay-2016-11-19 — Track of the hike in Tapia Canyon, 11/19/2016.

Of great interest are 3 or 4 section of the canyon walls with large collections of petroglyphs, beginning about 2.2 miles or so up the canyon. There are few under an overhang on the left (south) wall (not easy to find), then a large collection 30′ to 40′ or so above the canyon wall on the right (north) wall at 2.3 miles into the hike. One can get close to the petroglypns by climbing some 30′ up on a mound that sits next to the wall (see photos below).

Further up the canyon, there is an arch on the right, an entrance to a slot side-canyon, where we began our return route. Following clues from others who hiked here previously, we found a route to ascend to the south mesa top. Although the wall seemed to have no breaks in it, we found a series of steps cut (or worn) into a 15′ section of rock leading to ‘navigable’ terrain that permitted us to get up on the mesa top. From there we visited the Tower Ruins, then back down into the canyon and returned to the parking spot.

A view from atop the mesa east of Tapia Canyon, near the Tower Ruins.

Jay here: Once again, this was a hike where George encouraged me to exceed my comfort level by climbing atop the mesa via ancient “steps” worn into the rock face of the canyon. It was worth getting to the top although I avoided any backward looks as I made my way up. Ironically, the route down would have been easier but lacked the drama.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.77 miles
Elevation: 5,957 start, 6,167 maximum, 5,929 minimum
Gross gain: 238 ft. Aggregate ascending 928 ft, descending: 928 ft
Maximum slope: 31% ascending, 29% descending, 4% average
Duration: 3:31

Route from US550 to Tapia Canyon, Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike - 11/19/2016 (KML)	235 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Route from US550 to Tapia Canyon, Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike - 11/19/2016 (GPX)	309 Downloads
Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike.Jay.11/19/2016 (KML)	188 Downloads
Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike.Jay.11/19/2016 (GPX)	376 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

ondafringe: Day Hike: Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruin
DougScottArt: Canon Tapia
mjh’s blog: Tapia Canyon, Cabezon Area, New Mexico

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

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

Tsankawi Ruins Hike – 10/12/2016

October 16, 2016

Taking a break from busy times, Pat & I headed to Taos for a couple of nights. To get in some hiking, we took a short side-trip towards Bandelier National Monument to visit an outlying site, the Tsankawi section of the monument. On this two mile hike up and around the top of a mesa, we wandered among the ruins of the home of the Ancestral Tewa Pueblo people (the NPS web page provides great detail about the ruins and its people, and about the surrounding environment).

The Hike

Tsankawi Ruins Hike - Pat — Tsankawi Ruins Hike – Pat

We hiked the loop in a clockwise direction, climbing to the mesa top via a ladder, then going south to the ruins site. Exploring the ruins, we found pottery shards scattered throughout, and encountered a couple of room-blocks with walls still standing. From the mesa top the trail descends to a ledge some 60 feet above the valley floor via another ladder and a couple of stretches on steps carved into the rock. From there the trail remains on the ledge, passing through fascinating geology from the ancient volcanic activity, a few caves in the soft, fragile rock, and with numerous walls covered with petroglyphs. Much of the trail up to and down from the mesa is a narrow, sometimes deep groove worn into the soft rock by centuries of foot traffic.

Highlight

I enjoy very much visiting these sites with remains of the Pueblo cultures from as far back as 900 AD. Tsankawi is very easy to get to, and offers an easy hike, not much elevation gain on well-traveled trails.

Statistics

Total Distance: 1.83 miles
Elevation: start 6,499 ft, maximum 6,690 ft, minimum 6,492 ft
Gross gain: 198 ft. Aggregate ascending 513 ft, descending 513 ft
Maximum slope: 55% ascending, 51% descending, 8.2% average
Duration: 2:05

Tsankawi Hike.Pat.2016-10-12 (KML)	182 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tsankawi Hike.Pat.2016-10-12 (GPX)	166 Downloads

References

National Park Service “Tsankawi”
National Park Service “Tsankawi Trail Intro”
Summit Post “Tsankawi, New Mexico“

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

The Drive In

The Hike

Statistics

References

The Hike

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The Hike

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References:

The Hike

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The Drive In

The Hike

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Related Posts (in the vicinity)

The Drive In

The Hike

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The Hike

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The Drive In

The Hike

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The Drive In

The Hike

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The Hike

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