Category Archives: Rio Puerco

In the vicinity of the Rio Puerco, NM.

Tapia Canyon & Tower Ceremonial Site Hike – 03/28/2022

April 16, 2022

Went to the Rio Puerco to hike with Jay and Nancy, her first visit to Tapia Canyon. From the large number of visits t0 my previous posts for Tapia Canyon, this is a popular destination.

The Drive In

Not much to add this trip to the description on my most recent visit to Tapia Canyon, Tapia Canyon Hike – 04/06/2020. See the Photo Galleries below for photos and comments on our drive in this trip.

The Hike

Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike.JayNancy.2022-03-28

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

Descriptions from our previous hikes tell much the same story as for this hike. Tapia Canyon Hike – 04/06/2020 provides a good description overall, including the .gps track. And an earlier hike with Jay, Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike – 11/19/2016 (with .gpss track) describes the climb out of the canyon to see the Tower Ruins. (Note: Now I prefer to refer to “Ruins” as the “Tower Ceremonial Site”. The area is closed to the public for 2 weeks 4 times per year for “.. sacred native American traditional activities”. And there is little evidence typical of ruins at other sites that I’ve visited.)

An update, tho’, about the climb out: during this hike I had forgotten about the steps Jay and I found back in 2016. Jay had a clear memory of them, but not where they were located. As we hiked down-canyon we scrutinized the right-hand wall looking for something we recognized. Almost to the point of giving up, we checked one more suspicious break in the wall, and behind a couple of juniper trees were those footsteps (or footholds). Adding to our previous visit: this time we noticed some amazing petroglyphs on the wall at the bottom of the steps and more at the top.

So up onto the mesa we went, looked at the block building and kiva circles of rocks, then continued on to an easy descent back into the canyon.

Jay here: Funny (or not) how the memory is either crystal clear or hazy. In the case of the foothold path up to the mesa and the Tower, I remembered very specific details about the route but not how far back up the canyon it was from the arch. Only that it was on the right side of the canyon and that it was obscured somewhat by vegetation. Once you got close to the canyon wall, the route was obvious. Perseverance paid off and the path looked exactly as I remembered.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.65 miles
Elevation: start 5,959 ft, maximum 6,168 ft, minimum 5,929 ft
Gross gain: 239 ft. Aggregate ascending 753 ft, descending 753 ft
Maximum slope: 29% ascending, 25% descending, 3.6% average
Duration: 4:10

Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruins Hike.JayNancy.2022-03-28 (KML)	56 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruins Hike.JayNancy.2022-03-28 (GPX)	66 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.

Tapia Canyon Hike – 04/06/2020
Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike – 11/19/2016

References and Resources

See the other Related Posts.

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

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

The next gallery are a few of the photos of petroglyph panels that I took during this visit. Check to other posts for other photos of these and other panels.

Petroglyph Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

La Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos – 01/16/2021

January 23, 2021

Weather was beautiful this day in New Mexico, perfect for returning to the Rio Puerco, and to visit geologic formations that are a favorite of our friend and photographer Pat Barrett. We enjoyed a really good hike and the geologic formations are something to behold.

A note about the name I’m using – I haven’t found a name associated with these formations on any map. Three miles southeast are formations and a mesa dubbed La Mesita Blanca, and further south is Mesita Negra. So it seems appropriate, given the red rock outcroppings, that this should be called La Mesita Roja.

UPDATE, 11/29/2022: I’ve discovered the “proper” name for this small but amazing outcrop of hoodoos: Cañada del Ojo. See References below.

The Drive In

The drive from I-40 is paved for 6 miles, then graded and well used dirt to the parking area. There are many roads scattered in the Rio Puerco and few significant landmarks, plus the route passes through the To-Hajiilee Navaho Reservation, so it is easy to unintentionally arrive at the middle of nowhere. So here are detailed directions:

Drive west from Albuquerque to the Cañoncito turnoff, then drive north towards To-Hajiilee on Trail 56, also identified as Cañoncito School Road.
Just before the Cañoncito School, turn right off of the pavement, then immediately left to continue on Trail 56. (There are signs for Trail 56 and Trail 57 – Trail 57 angles off to the right, terminating back at I-40, at the interchange near the Route 66 Casino.)
Continue north on Trail 56. Don’t take the Y to the left two-tenths of a mile along, nor the Y to the left 3 miles along; as a guide, stay on the road that is in the better condition.
Pass through the 1st fence line (with cattle guard), the boundary between the Reservation and the Herrera Ranch (private land). Another mile along park just beyond the 2nd fence line; you are now on BLM land.

The Hike

Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos Hike.Pat.2021-01-16

Not being familiar with the territory, we struck out east from the parking area on a 2-track that crossed over the southern end of a ridge. Soon the 2-track headed north, and recalling Pat Berrett’s advice, we left the 2-track and set out towards the fence line. As we crossed Cañada del Oso, we headed southeast, towards a prominent and interesting geologic feature. Along the way the red rocks that Pat B. had spoken about came into view. We continued on toward the “Red Butte” to take a closer look. The formation, maybe 30′ tall with columns and windows and amazing range of red colors and hues. Our photos don’t give it its due.

After ogling Red Butte, we headed north to Mesita Roja, the ridge of colorful red rock outcroppings. We wandered through passageways, looking at the most interesting features of color and shapes, windows and forms, passagways and dead ends. Mesita Roja is definitely the most interesting geologic features that we have visited. These photos and in the Gallery below may give you some idea of the beautiful Mesita Roja.

Finding ourselves atop the ridge of Mesita Roja, we could see clearly the Hoodoos a quarter of a mile distant. We descended off of the Mesita and across the arroyo to find ourselves in an amazing array of 20-30 foot tall Hoodoos. We wandered among them, working our way around the collection that sits below the boundary of what I will call “Hoodoo Mesa”. We worked our way

Looking down on a section of the Hoodoos

up the east side, then up onto the Mesa to look at the Hoodos from above – great views. Along the way we came across more and more interesting features and formations.

Not finding a way down the west side of Hoodoo Mesa, we circled back to the east side and circled around the Mesa to the west side to where the cañon narrowed.

Taking a direct route across Cañada del Oso to the truck.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Mesita Roja and Its Hoodoos, we took a bearing from US Topo and struck out for the truck. Taking the direct route, we found ourselves crossing Cañada del Oso through sometimes tall lumps of grass, at other times wending our way through waist to chest high bushes. That along with the soft surface made the hiking a bit more strenuous – that is, a good workout.

Highlight

‘Tis a beautiful place, with such a variety of interesting features – shapes, colors, and more. We’ve enjoyed Goblin Colony, Tent Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge, and mesas around Mesa de Cuba. But this is our favorite. And it is secluded – ‘tho a car was parked near ours when we returned, evidence (and location) suggest that it is rarely visited.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.27 miles
Elevation: start 5,943 ft, maximum 6,012 ft, minimum 5,812 ft
Gross gain: 69 ft. Aggregate ascending 645 ft, descending 648 ft
Maximum slope: 19% ascending, 26% descending, 5.0 % average
Duration: 4:33

Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos Hike.Pat.2021-01-16 (KML)	0 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos Hike.Pat.2021-01-16 (GPX)	123 Downloads
Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos Drivein.Pat.2021-01-16 (KML)	89 Downloads
Mesita Roja & Its Hoodoos Drivein.Pat.2021-01-16 (GPX)	209 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 and Resources

Thanks to Pat Barrett for telling us about this amazing place, and for the directions to get there.

Update – links to References for Cañada del Ojo:
AllTrails: Canada del Ojo
Woman Seeks Elevation: Cañada del Ojo: An eyeful of hoodoos
The Gentle Art of Wandering: 49 Canada del Ojo
Can also find information in the book “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Albuquerque“

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

To’hajillee Driveabout – 10/23/2020

December 5, 2020

A friend has been describing some amazing geophysical features in the Rio Puerco valley, north from I-40 and the To’hajillee Indian Reservation. For this trip, we took our shot at finding the area.

The Drive About

To’hajiilee is a reservation of the Cañoncito Band of Navajos that occupies a large area of the Rio Puerco valley north of I-40. Westbound on I-40 from Albuquerque, we took the exit for the Route 66 Casino, and at the traffic circle turned north on Rio Puerco Road.

We continued on Rio Puerco road (also identified on our topo map as Trail 57) for 3.77 miles, then turned left onto Trail 57. This took us to Cañoncito (7.75 miles) where we turned right (north) on Trail 56 for a half mile to an intersection where we opted to bear to the left (Trail 7041) and towards what appeared to be more interesting terrain. A couple of miles further, we bore to the right onto Route 7041, turning left in 3.4 miles onto Rte 7076, climbing up onto La Mesa Quebrada. We continued for another 6.7 miles where the road became a 2-track (at a home site); we opted to turn back at this point, not having found the formations we were looking for.

We returned via the same route to Cañoncito, then chose to continue on the paved Trail 56 (Cañoncito School Road) to I-40 and home.

Highlight

As always, we enjoy so much getting out into New Mexico’s outback. Trips like this provide the opportunity explore the geography and see the topography in its various shapes and forms. In so many places the views across valleys and canyons, even arroyos, are magnificent. We realized that we had not found the geologic formations. We will return with plans for another route, possibly staying of Rio Puerco Road instead of turning right onto Trail 57.

Statistics (driveabout)

Total Distance: 42 miles (from exit off of I-40)
Elevation: start 5,286 ft, maximum 6,482 ft, minimum 5,286 ft
Duration: 3:15

GPS Tracks

Tohajiilee Driveabout.Pat.2020-10-23 (KML)	88 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tohajiilee Driveabout.Pat.2020-10-23 (GPX)	136 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 and Resources

Wikipedia: Tohajiilee Indian Reservation

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

Tapia Canyon Hike – 04/06/2020

April 10, 2020

I’ve been looking forward to hiking Tapia Canyon with Pat. It’s time to go there before the higher temperatures of summer.

The Drive In

Just off of US 550, heading into Rio Puerco on CR 279.

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 Hike

The first challenge is to find a path down into the wash of the canyon. Pat led the way, through the fence 50 yards from the truck, then along the sometimes narrow shelf above the wash, avoiding the sandy/rocky bottom of the wash. We passed through side ravines along the way that were too steep for us to enter the wash, until the shelf ended about a mile along. From there we alternated between hiking -in- the wash and on the margins.

An example of the many petroglyphs in Tapia Canyon.

Special features of Tapia Canyon are petroglyphs on the canyon walls. We encountered the first gallery on the left wall 1.6 miles into the hike. The first that we saw appeared to be ‘modern’, a la graffiti. But nearby were others that appeared to be genuine (Gallery #1 on the GE track). About 300 yards further we found a 2nd gallery, then 250 yards to a 3rd gallery, and another 300 yards to the 4th gallery. These last three are on walls above elevated margins on the right (north) side of the canyon. And from Gallery #3 we caught a glimpse of the Torreon on the ridge above the south side of the canyon.

We continued up the canyon for another 300 yards to the Arch, another feature of interest. On the right side of the canyon, it is the entrance to a slot canyon going north from Tapia Canyon, another feature to explore some day. We paused there to enjoy the first of our two-part lunch. While water was heating, Pat went looking for a way to get up on the mesa south of the canyon. She located a scramble that looked doable, ‘tho there was a possibility that a wall too steep was beyond view. We took the chance, she scrambled ahead and discovered – nope, no way to make the last 20′ or 30’. So it was back down into the canyon and head back to the truck. We continued to look for places where we could ascend, spotted a couple of possibilities and one that looked like an easy ascent (“Access to south Mesa” placemark on the GE track) .. we left that for our next visit.

Continuing down-canyon we detoured into a side canyon that had attracted our attention earlier, where we had our 2nd half of lunch. Than back into Tapia, choosing to stay in the wash until an easy climb out, a few yards beyond the parking area and the truck. Another great day, hiking in another fascinating place in New Mexico.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.62 miles
Elevation: start 5,961 ft, maximum 6,145 ft, minimum 5,929 ft
Gross gain: 216 ft. Aggregate ascending 925 ft, descending 927 ft
Maximum slope: 33% ascending, 38% descending, 3.9% average
Duration: 6:36

Tapia Canyon Hike.Pat.2020-04-06 (KML)	133 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tapia Canyon Hike.Pat.2020-04-06 (GPX)	110 Downloads
Tapia Canyon Drivein.Pat.2020-04-06 (KML)	95 Downloads
Tapia Canyon Drivein.Pat.2020-04-06 (GPX)	177 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 and Resources

AllTrails: Tapia Canyon Trail
ondafringe: Day Hike: Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruin
CargoVANConversions: Guadalupe Ruin & Tapia Canyon
Doug Scott Art: Cañon Tapia
Dog of the Desert (great video):
Petroglyphs of Tapia Canyon, New Mexico – YouTube
City of Dust (Facebook): Juan Córdova Store & Home
My Other Posts: Tapia Canyon

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

Mesa Prieta Expedition – 03/17/2020

March 28, 2020

‘Tis an ‘expedition’, planning to drive on roads not yet explored (DriveAbout), with intentions of hiking somewhere along the way.

The Drive In

From Albuquerque
- I-25 to Bernalillo,
- west on US 550 (20 miles)
- turn left Cabezon Road, continue through the Ojito Wilderness to Pipeline Road (Cabezon Ts into Pipeline at a pumping station (~13 mile)
- turn right (northwest) on Pipeline Road (~7.2 miles)
- turn left on a road that skirts the northern extent of Mesa Prieta to a 3-way intersection (~7 miles)
- turn right to the intersection with NM 279 (~7 miles)
- turn right on NM 279 and back to US 550 (~14 miles)

We’re familiar with the drive through Ojito, having enjoyed numerous hikes in the Wilderness. And I had been north on Pipeline some distance but was unsure what lay beyond: it proved to be a Class 4 road (graded dirt, no gravel, high clearance not required, not suitable when any of it is wet). After turning left, to the southwest, the road was much the same. And .. it brought us closer to Mesa Prieta, a place we would like to explore. Luckily, we can upon the two-track that I had spotted in GoogleEarth that appeared to end at the base of the slope up to the Mesa.

So we checked it out, only to find a gate that blocked our path not far off of the road. We turned back and continued southwest on the road. A pickup was following faster than we were driving, so I stopped to let them pass. -They- stopped and during a congenial conversation during which we told them of our interest, they invited us to go through the gate (and a 2nd one) to the tank where the two-track ended. Since this met our wishes, we returned to the two-track, through the gates, and to the tank, from which we made our hike. Note: Checking later on GoogleEarth with the “Surface Ownership” overlay, I discovered that we were on BLM land throughout.

…. Upon returning from the hike, we returned to the road and continued per our plan, through Cañon del Camino (mention in Nasario Garcia’s film “Nasario Remembers the Rio Puerco“) past Cerro Cochino to the intersection (turning left there would lead to the childhood homestead of Nasario Garcio which we visited in 2018). Then north passing other volcanic necks and west of Cabezon, onto NM 279 and on to US 550. There are so many interesting places to be explored – varying topography (per GoogleEarth), canyons, ridges and mesas, so much more. Note: After that first turn off of Pipeline Road, the land is BLM or NM State owned, as was the whole of the hike. Only when one gets near the top of this north slope of Mesa Prieta does it become private land.

The Hike

Having received clearance to pass through the gates, we turned back to the turnoff onto the two-track, an easy Class 5, and drove to the “tank”. Donning our packs, we set out .. uphill on a rocky surface (no trail here to follow). As we ascended the slope, the views from west to east across the Rio Puerco valley were stunning, even on this day with clouds and a hazy atmosphere. We could see volcanic necks all around, small and large (Cabezon), and the northern extent of Chivato Mesa to the west.

We reached a point where a route further up the slope appeared quite daunting, and we found a rock outcrop above a cliffside that would make a great place for our mid-hike break/lunch – a level ground with a great view. Then we reviewed our options for going down – retrace our steps (steep, rocky surface) or a less steep path down one of the ridges that we could see from that vantage point. We chose the latter, which proved to be an easier route. Reaching the base of the slope, we skirted a -very deep- arroyo (it amazes us to see such deep crevices created by erosion), climbed over a small ridge into another valley. From there it was an easy half mile back to the truck.

Statistics

Total Distance: 1.72 miles
Elevation: start 6,515 ft, maximum 6,882 ft, minimum 6,567 ft
Gross gain: 825 ft. Aggregate ascending 579 ft, descending 597 ft
Maximum slope: 32% ascending, 37% descending, 12.3% average
Duration: 3:29

Mesa Prieta Hike.Pat.2020-03-17 (KML)	191 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Mesa Prieta Hike.Pat.2020-03-17 (GPX)	260 Downloads
Mesa Prieta Driveabout.Pat.2020-03-17 (KML)	88 Downloads
Mesa Prieta Driveabout.Pat.2020-03-17 (GPX)	155 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.

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

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

Cerro Cuate Expedition – 03/03/2020

March 21, 2020

This time of year is the best for exploring the Rio Puerco valley. Winter brings snow which make the roads really nasty, and summer is hot (and the monsoon season in late summer often makes roads impassable). So this is the first of more visits we plan to make into this amazing space this spring.

The Drive In

This day’s plan was to take the easiest entrance into the Rio Puerco from Albuquerque: 4o miles west from Bernalillo on US 550, then south (left) on NM 279 (also known as San Louis Road). We had only general ideas for our destination – possibly visit the Guadalupe Ruins or wander west towards the remains the Azabache Stagecoach Station on the old stage line from Milan to Cuba. But as we approached the first volcanic neck, Cerro Cuate, we were intrigued by the idea of visiting it “up close”.

We turned to US Topo to see if we could identify a road or two-track that would permit us to get close enough to hike up on its slopes. We found one that might allow us to get closer. Nope, a quarter of mile off of NM 279 it ended at a corral. Back on NM 279 we were intercepted by a rancher with whom we had a nice conversation, and who wished us well in our pursuit.

We identified another two-track further along NM 279. Again about a quarter of a mile in we encountered a sign: “No Trespassing”; we turned around. Halfway back to NM 279 we were met by another rancher. During a most pleasant conversation we explained our goal and that we had honored the sign. He told us we were welcome to go further but that we would come to the end of the two-track in a mile or less. Having told him we were planning to hike from there, he advised us that we might find it difficult to cross the arroyo. (In the Rio Puerco, these arroyos are channels cut in the soft clay soil, 10 or more feet deep with sheer vertical sides, and often going for many hundreds of yards without a route to cross.) He did add that another two-track, just beyond the –third cattle guard– back on NM 279, might permit us to get closer to Cerro Cuate. We decided to check it out on another day.

The Hike

Example of an arroyo found everywhere in the Rio Puerco.

At home on GoogleEarth, I had identified an unusual feature, a dark circular area that was near our location. I thought it might be a ‘vent’ (there are such vents along US 550 just west of San Ysidro); at least it was a feature of interest. Parking the truck a bit further along NM 276, we set out across the open space with US Topo guiding us accurately to the placemark that I had recorded at home. On the way we came across a smaller of the many arroyos that can interfere with such wanders; this one we could bypass.

A nice spring out in the middle of this wide valley.

Nearing the placemark we discovered that the feature is a spring. It is some 50 feet across with surrounded by reeds (and a few of the tamarisk, an invasive shrub/tree that is present wherever the is some water). The water was quite clear, and there was a small stream flowing from it.

Sidenote: you will notice in the accompanying photos that mesas surrounded us. And you will see a few of the many volcanic necks that populate this area of the Rio Puerco. In every direction, the views of mesas, necks, and New Mexico’s -blue skies- make for great scenery.

A small adobe cabin not far from the spring.

On the way to the spring, we had noticed what appeared to be a small man-made structure closer to mesa ahead of us. To satisfy our curiosity, we continued on to find that it is a small rock structure, some walls collapsed; some doors, windows, and some of the roof beams still in place; and .. kitchen cabinets. Hhmm, a kitchen .. it looked like a good place for our mid-afternoon break.

Open kitchen welcoming us for our mid-afternoon break.

We heated water and enjoyed coffee and chocolate de agua, carrot sticks and apples, and peanut butter and jelly on bread from our favorite local baker, Bosque Bakery. We were joined by a group of young cattle, curious if we might have something for them.

Another great outing in the Land of Enchantment.

Statistics

Total Distance: 1.47 miles
Elevation: start 5,950 ft, maximum 5,971 ft, minimum 5,933 ft
Gross gain: 38 ft. Aggregate ascending 102 ft, descending 105 ft
Maximum slope: 11% ascending, 14% descending, 2.3% average
Duration: 1:36

Cerro Cuate Expedition.Pat.2020-03-03 (KML)	142 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cerro Cuate Expedition.Pat.2020-03-03 (GPX)	84 Downloads
Cerro Cuate Driveabout.Pat.2020-03-03 (KML)	88 Downloads
Cerro Cuate Driveabout.Pat.2020-03-03 (GPX)	80 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.

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

Cerro de Guadalupe Expedition – 02/03/2014

December 15, 2018

This was maybe my first visit to the Rio Puerco valley and its amazing views – the numerous volcanic necks, Cabezon being the most prominent and well known; the vista views across the valley to Mesa Chivato and Mount Taylor to the west; and … the wide open space (this video gives a truly great tour).

The Drive In

The road into the Rio Puerco valley, NM 279, is paved for a few miles off of US 550, then changes to a well maintained and traveled gravel/dirt road. Because it can seem to be trackless out in the Rio Puerco, I offer this detailed description of the route (and a link below to a GoogleEarth track):

Travel west on US 550, 53 miles from I-25; turn left onto NM 279.
Some 4 miles south on NM 279, you will cross the Rio Puerco itself, then through a small settlement and further along, the settlement of San Louis.
Pavement ends at the 8.5 mile point; continue straight ahead,
- but bear left 12.3 miles from US 550.
At 13.5 miles the road again crosses the Rio Puerco.
- In the past the road descended down a steep embankment into the bottom of the deep river bed. This was sometimes impassable due to muddy conditions or the road was simply washed out.
- I believe since then a very large culvert has been put in place improving the reliability of getting across the Rio Puerco at this point.
Vince turned to the left 16.5 miles from US 550 which took us to the east side of Cerro de Guadalupe. Continuing straight from this point would make easy access from the west side of the Cerro.
We continued down this gravel road for 1.5 miles (18 miles from US 550), then turned west on a two track, parking on the top of a ridge from where we began our walkabout.

The “Hike”

Cerro de Guadalupe Hike.Vince.2014-02-03

Vince’s objective was to look for small, clear geologic specimens (I don’t remember the name for them) that are “mined” by ants. So after leaving the car we headed towards the Cerro on the lookout for ant hills. After inspecting a couple of them, about midway up the apron of the neck we found one where, among the “tailings” of the ant hill, we found many of these specimens.

We then continued on up to apron of the neck, which is quite steep, until reaching the neck itself. Up close it is huge and sheer vertical – we were not going any further. We enjoyed a brief mid-hike break with still more wonderful views of Cabezon to the north, and Cerro Cochino and Mesa Prieta to the east. We then wandered to the southwest across the slope, then back down and to the car.

Statistics

Total Distance: 1.02 miles
Elevation: start 6,215 ft, maximum 6,543 ft, minimum 6,175 ft
Gross gain: 368 ft. Aggregate ascending 531 ft, descending 531 ft
Maximum slope: 70% ascending, 70% descending, 15% average
Duration: 2:42

Cerro de Guadalupe DriveIn (sketched) (KML)	128 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cerro de Guadalupe DriveIn (sketched) (GPX)	249 Downloads
Cerro de Guadalupe Hike.Vince.2014-02-03 (KML)	131 Downloads
Cerro de Guadalupe Hike.Vince.2014-02-03 (GPX)	107 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

SummitPost: Cerro de Guadalupe
New Mexico Museum of natural History & Science:
   Rio Puerco/Cabezon Volcanic Necks
NM Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources:
   Cabezon Peak and the Rio Puerco Necks
Youtube: Cabezon Peak and other Volcanic Plugs of the Rio Puerco Valley
                     Cerro de Guadalupe is featured 20 minutes into the video

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

Rio Puerco East Expedition – 03/14/2018

April 2, 2018

We’ve been intrigued by the stories told by Nasario Garcia, of his childhood in the Rio Puerco. This day, we embarked on an expedition (and hike) to explore the area where we thought his stories took place.

I began by using Google Earth, attempting to identify locations that seemed to be consistent with descriptions in his book “Hoe, Heaven, and Hell: My Boyhood in Rural New Mexico“. I watched again the PBS video, “Nasario Remembers the Rio Puerco – New Mexico PBS”, and found views of the horizon in the video that I could match up with views in Google Earth. Having identified a plausible location, then because the roads into the Rio Puerco aren’t marked and wind about a lot, I let Google Earth plot a route from Bernalillo to the area of interest (see the Sketch .kml file below).

The Drive In

The drive in was uneventful – the roads were dry, we won’t ever go into the Rio Puerco when they are the least bit wet. At the last turn on the Sketch we found that the road had been washed out, this about .5 miles from our destination.

The Hike

Being so close, we set out afoot, to hike from there. We soon came upon a two-track which made the going easy. We passed by buildings that we think might indeed match the descriptions in the book andvideo. As we rounded the mesa above the homesteads, we chose to climb up to its top; the view of the Rio Puerco valley was amazing – the Rio Puerco itself, the many volcano plugs, and Mesa Prieta to the east and Chivato Mesa on the horizon to the west.

We returned to the truck and had our mid-expedition coffee and snack break. Then, hoping to find a point from which we could approach the west side of Mesa Prieta, we continued on down the road towards Casa Salazar. However, the road enters private property about a mile past where we started our hike. We explored a couple of other roads but again found private property with locked gates. So we headed home.

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.03 miles
Elevation: start 5,875 ft, maximum 5,960 ft, minimum 5,849 ft
Gross gain: 111 ft. Aggregate ascending 318 ft, descending 318 ft
Maximum slope: 63% ascending, 60% descending, 5.6% average
Duration: 1:54

Rio Puerco East Hike.Pat.2018-03-14 (KML)	383 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Rio Puerco East Hike.Pat.2018-03-14 (GPX)	166 Downloads
Rio Puerco East Expedition DriveInOut.Pat.2018-03-14 (KML)	244 Downloads
Rio Puerco East Expedition DriveInOut.Pat.2018-03-14 (GPX)	76 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

New Mexico Magazine: Ghosts of the Río Puerco
City Of Dust: Nasario Garcia Remembers the Rio Puerco

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

Pat's Photos: Click on a Photo to show Gallery.

Tapia Canyon Hike – 11/02/2015

October 23, 2017

I’m posting this report -long- after we made the hike. But I have good memories, so here goes.

The Drive In

Tapia Canyon is way out in the middle of the Rio Puerco valley. From Albuquerque, US 550 to NM 276 (San Louis road), then some 30 miles on generally well maintained dirt/gravel roads. There are two -deep- arroyo crossings with steep entries; these plus the road in general make it unwise to visit Tapia Canyon (or other places along the way) until the roads have dried from rain or snow.

NOTE: Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruin Site are closed for native American traditional activities 4 times each year: Sep 15-Oct 15, Dec 15-Dec 31, Mar 1-Mar 15, and Jun 20-Jun 30.

The Hike

Since we weren’t able to climb from the canyon to the mesa top and Tower Ruins during our earlier hike for this outing our goal was to drive closer and hike to the ruins. We continued on NM 279 for 1.2 miles, then turned right on a two-track. We encountered a locked gate about 1/3 mile on. Although without a clear idea how far, we decided to hike from there hoping to reach Tower Ruins above the canyon. Following the two-track beyond the gate for 1.5 miles or so, we started looking for reference points with which we might determine our progress. In sum, not having a record of our previous track in hand, and and not recognizing our position relative to the canyon, we abandoned our effort and headed back to the car.

From the sceeen-shot above, and looking at the Google Earth track (link below), we can see we were -far- short of the ruins (1.7 miles), and even short of the starting point for our previous hike in the canyon (see the orange track line). We presume since this is a site with regular activity for Native American activities, visits are discouraged with the locked gate.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.33 miles
Elevation: start 5,922 ft, maximum 6,143 ft, minimum 5,922 ft
Gross gain: 188 ft. Aggregate ascending 438 ft, descending 477 ft
Maximum slope: 35% ascending, 32% descending, 5% average
Duration: 2:38

Tapia Canyon Hike.Vince.2015-11-02 (KML)	202 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tapia Canyon Hike.Vince.2015-11-02 (GPX)	61 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

ondafringe: Day Hike: Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruin
CargoVanConversion: Guadalupe Ruin & Tapia Canyon
DougScottArt: Canon Tapia
mjy’s blog: Tapia Canyon, Cabezon Area, New Mexico

For Guadalupe Ruins: BLM: Guadalupe Ruin
Recreation.gov: Guadalupe Ruin, NM
Four Corners Region Geotourism MapGuide: Guadalupe Ruin Chacoan Outlier
Everything Else: Guadalupe Ruins

And .. check other BLOG entries: Tapia Canyon Hike – 05/10/2015 Tapia Canyon & Tower Ruins Hike – 11/19/2016

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

Mesita Blanca Expedition – 03/08/2016

March 14, 2017

An after-the-fact post of this hike that Pat and I made before I started the BLOG.

The Hike

Statistics

Total Distance: 1.39 miles
Elevation: start 5,845 ft, maximum 5,906 ft, minimum 5,906 ft
Gross gain: 61 ft. Aggregate ascending 251 ft, descending: 251 ft
Maximum slope: 32% ascending, 37% descending, 7% average
Duration: 1:24

Mesita Blanca Expedition Walkabout.Pat.2016-3-08 (KML(	298 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Mesita Blanca Expedition Walkabout.Pat.2016-3-08 (GPX)	135 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.

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

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

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).

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