Category Archives: Northern New Mexico

In the vicinity of northern New Mexico.

Elk Creek Trail Hike – 08/03/2025

August 10, 2025

A second day escaping the very hot weather in Albuquerque, we returned to a favorite high-altitude region – Chama, NM and trails in the area (Cumbres Pass yesterday, this day beyond the Pass to Elk Creek.

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. To drive to Elk Creek, continue beyond the summit of Cumbres Pass, beyond the Forest Road to Red Lake (a great hike), then Manga Pass, and finally to the turnoff to Elk Creek Campground (12.4 miles). Turn left onto Old Highway Road, then 1.26 miles on turn right to the Elk Creek Trailhead, where you will find ample parking and a sign for .. the trailhead.

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).

This hike has an interesting start – a very steep, rocky descent – from the trailhead down to the Elk Creek, across a bridge, then an equally very steep ascent back up to the other side of the creekway (is that a word?). From there it is a generally gradually ascent, for as far as we went. For the first half mile the trail follows close to the creek (‘tho perhaps 60 or more feet above the stream); the sound of water over rocks is quite fitting.

From that point the trail climbs up a bit, away from the creekway and continues an easy climb. At about the 1.25 mile point, the trail becomes very narrow, having been “carved” out of the steep face of the cliffs above. The surface is a bit loose sand/gravel, and falls away steeply down towards the creek. For us, having hiked the day before and by now approaching 2 miles (and we’re rebuilding strength and stamina after a year away from hiking), for reason of caution we turned back.

And to return to the trailhead, we were required to make those steep down to the river & bridge and back up again. We hiked over 4 miles, the first time since more than a year ago.

Highlight

It is always a joy to explore a new trail, and this a nice one – in a healthy forest along a burbling stream. We spoke with a few hikers on the trail, returning from an overnight and fishing. They spoke of “First Meadow” as a favorite place – perhaps we’ll return to get to it.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.42 miles
Elevation: start 8,807 ft, maximum 9,200 ft, minimum 8,756 ft
Gross gain: 444 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,050 ft, descending 1,051 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 32% descending, 6.9% average
Duration: 4:15, Average Speed: 1.0 mph

Elk Creek Trail Hike.Pat.2025-08-03 (KML)	4 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
<strong>Elk Creek Trail Hike.Pat.2025-08-03</strong> (GPX)	3 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

AllTrails: Elk Creek Trail
onX: Elk Creek
Ron Dungan: Hiking Elk Creek

Views to date: 2 views.

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:

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)	4 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike.Pat.2025-08-02 (GPX)	3 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.

Valle Vidal DriveThru – 03/29/2025

April 4, 2025

It’s been many months since we have been able to get out and about – we needed to begin a recovery from “cabin fever”. Friday evening, with a weekend of nice weather in the offing, spontaneously (no advance planning) we embarked Saturday on a Driveabout, choosing to explore a part of New Mexico that has long been on our bucket list: Valle Vidal.

The Drive In

From Albuquerque, Valle Vidal is a long drive:

Via Cimarron –
- By way of I-25 to north of Springer, then west on NM 58 – 215 miles, 3 hours
- Or by way of Santa Fe (I-25), Española (US 94/285), Taos (NM 68), and Eagle Nest (US 64) – 186 miles, 3.5 hours
- Then 7 miles north on US 64, turn west on FR 1950, 43 miles to Valle Vidal on a very well maintained gravel road
Or via Costilla, 2 miles from the border with Colorado –
- By way Santa Fe (I-25), Española (US 84/285), and Taos (NM 68) to Costilla (NM 522) – 178 miles, 3.2 hours
- Then drive east on FR 1950, ten miles on a paved road followed by for 13 miles on gravel, both not-so-well maintained
And the drive to the Valle is still many miles from the highway.

We weren’t certain that the road through Valle Vidal, FR 1950, would be open for a DriveThru. Passing through Taos, a decision point, we called the Forest Service district office. We did not get a clear answer, ranging from “it is closed” (leaving us to guess if “it” was the road itself) or if there were only restrictions from leaving the road. We decided to go for it, but stay a night in Cimarron, putting the decision about a DriveThru until the next day.

We obtained a reservation for the night at the St James Hotel, a very good choice. We stayed in the Jesse James room, enjoyed a very nice supper in their dining room/bar, and … we weren’t bothered by ghosts (for which the Hotel has quite a reputation).

The next morning we decided to try the DriveThru, risking 1) not able to get into the National Forest at all, or .. 2) finding a gate closed before exiting the other end of FR 1950 dictating that we return to Cimarron. The conclusion – the road was open .. all the way.

The DriveThru

Notes: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line). Press <back> on your browser to return to the post.

From Cimarron we entered from the East, turning off of US 65 onto FR 1950 about 7 miles north of the town. The route starts out in open plains bounded by hills on both sides – a valley passing through a portion of Ted Turner’s Vermijo Ranch. At about 21 miles we entered into the National Forest.We find the openness of this scenery to be a favorite – grass across the valley, juniper and piñon trees on the hills. There are many side canyons that drew our curiosity (but one is not allowed to leave the road’s right-of-way).
Elevation increases gradually for some 25 miles as this valley becomes narrower. And as we drove west, snow capped mountains beyond began to appear, adding greatly to the scenery.The terrain was becoming more varied – taller hills, narrower canyons interspersed with large open areas, each one drawing an exclamation of Wow – open space. About 30 miles in the road began a serious climb from 8,000 feet to Windy Pass (10,000 feet elevation), with a couple of sections with sharp switchbacks. Along the way we checked out the two campgrounds: McCrystal and Cimarron (both closed until May).

Descending from Windy Pass, we entered into the north end of Valle Vidal. We didn’t have the time (or energy) to explore roads going south into the Valle itself. But looking over our shoulder … we would like to come back; given the distances, to make the most of the visit it would best be done as part of a camping trip.

Continuing the drive west was all downhill, through the narrow canyon of the Rio Costilla. Meandering from one side of the Rio to the other, we passed under some amazing rock formations, tall cliffs 100′ to 200′ above the road. And the rocks were in many colors, patterns, shapes – not a vista but interesting scenery themselves. (This got us thinking of getting a GoPro to better document these Driveabouts, and to share some of the scenery.)

Hindsight

So the DriveThru is 67 miles. Although the road is good (for a gravel road) it makes for a very long day. Especially true as we were constantly being ‘bombarded’ by new views of the scenery – grass valleys, hills, glimpses of snow-capped mountains, and amazing rock formations (particularly on the way out from Valle Vidal itself). We also came upon a pair of Elk and a .. turkey.

After that long day of driving, we opted to stay a second night on the road, booking a night at the Hacienda del Sol in Taos. This is a quite nice BnB with much history, the buildings dating back to 1804. In the 20th century, it was the home of Mabel Dodge Luhan and her husband who entertained many notable guests such as Georgia O’Keefe, Ansel Adams, and others. Our room was most comfortable, and … guests enjoy a quite nice breakfast.

The Forest Service restricts access to much of the Valle during various times of the year, particularly during the rutting season for Elk. There are also limitations on camping outside of the Campgrounds. Be advised to check their web site or call ahead for guidance

Valle Vidal Drivethru.Pat.2025-03-29 (KML)	17 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Valle Vidal Drivethru.Pat.2025-03-29 (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

US Forest Service: Valle Vidal Unit
Sante Fe New Mexican: Valle Vidal: Discovering the wonders of the ‘Valley of Life’
National Geographic: Valle Vidal Unit – Carson National Forest
St James Hotel & on FaceBook
Hacienda del Sol

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)	49 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18 (GPX)	35 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

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.

Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/11/2023

July 16, 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

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

Red Lake Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-11 (KML)	46 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Red Lake Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-11 (GPX)	43 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

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

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

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

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:

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

Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/08/2022

July 30, 2022

Our 2nd 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

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 starts at an elevation of 11,000 feet – yes, the temperature was comfortably cool. It proceeds for 1/4 mile with not much elevation gain, through nice forest. About a half mile on we encountered our first stream crossing, easy with rocks for stepping stones. Here the trail takes on a bit more elevation gain, and we encountered more flowing water, even down the trail itself.

A bit further on (3/4 mile point) the trail begins to leave the forest behind, and at about the 1 mile point, the trail enters a wide open lush meadow with another small stream crossing. The trail continues it’s gentle climb and the meadow continues to open up ahead and around us with a few ponds off to the west.

We continue up to the top of the rise and decide we’ve come far enough so we find some rocks to use for dining. On our return trip, we heard running water. Taking a short detour from the trail we found a rocky slop with a series of small waterfalls, a nice scene to take with us as we return to the trailhead.

Highlight

The amount of water flowing across the meadow and down the streams was striking. It was such a contrast to what we encounter on trails in New Mexico. And the vista view across the meadows, with the lakes and smattering of forest made for -great- scenery. We’ll add this trail to our list for future hikes, with the goal of continuing on to Red Lake itself.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.99 miles
Elevation: start 11,003 ft, maximum 11,643 ft, minimum 10,974 ft
Gross gain: 669 ft. Aggregate ascending 819 ft, descending 818 ft
Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 23% descending, 7.3% average
Duration: 3:42

Red Lake Trail Hike.Pat.2022-07-08 (KML)	58 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Red Lake Trail Hike.Pat.2022-07-08 (GPX)	108 Downloads
Red Lake Trail Driveout.Pat.2022-07-08 (KML)	150 Downloads
Red Lake Trail Driveout.Pat.2022-07-08 (GPX)	71 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

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

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

George's Photos: 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.

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

Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike.2021-08-13 (KML)	67 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT South Hike.2021-08-13 (GPX)	68 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

GAIA GPS: Continental Divide Trail
MTB Project: CDT: Cumbres Pass to lagunitas (NM Section 31)

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

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

Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike – 08/12/2021

November 2, 2021

This 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 Drive In

NM 17 from Heron Lake goes through Chama, 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. Continuing 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, I found a parking lot on the south side of the highway with a sign introducing the CDT southbound, Crossing the highway and going under a railroad overpass, I found the trailhead for the CDT northbound.

The Hike

I was fortunate – the passenger unit of the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad just happened to reach Cumbres Pass as I was gathering up my pack for the hike.

On to the hike: Crossing to the north side of CO 17, then going under the railroad trestle, signs pointed the way to Trail 813, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. The forest hereabouts was so healthy, everything was green, and flowers were in profusion (I dedicate a photo gallery to them below). And the view, once up on a ridge, was a pretty sight, down CO 17 towards Chama.

As one might anticipate, the trail is well used (it is the CDT). The trail surface was smooth, following along the hillside, looping uphill a bit when crossing valleys coming from the right. In a couple of those places there was water flowing, in one case even a small waterfall. The trail ascends in spurts, never very steep; happily I can tolerate the elevation of 10,000 feet, since I live at 5,000 feet and hike regularly at elevations above that.

I encountered some wildlife as I approached the trailhead. And to finish the hike, I added my name to the logbook at the trailhead.

Highlight

‘Tis a beautiful trail, with a bit of adventure thrown in by the fact it is the CDT. (I did encounter another hiker, a woman setting out for Wolf Creek Pass, expecting to get there in 8 days.)

Statistics

Total Distance: 7.6 miles
Elevation: start 9,990 ft, maximum 10,543 ft, minimum 9,964 ft
Gross gain: 579 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,596 ft, descending 1,606 ft
Maximum slope: 21% ascending, 23% descending, 6.5% average
Duration: 4:40