Having attended the Open House and Fly-In at the Los Alamos airport (KLAM), I took advantage of continuing west on NM 4 for a bit of a walkabout near Valles Caldera. We’ve hiked to the top of Cerro Grande, so I was familiar with the first half mile – an easy trail as I work towards getting back in hiking shape after nearly a year of “limited duty”.
The Drive In
To get there, from either direction on NM 4:
East 5 miles from the entrance to Valles Caldera
West 5 miles from the intersection of NM 4 and NM 501 (the road through Los Alamos)
Parking is on the north side of NM 4.
The walkabout
Cerro Grande Trails Walk.Solo.2025-06-28
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
The plan was to hike as far as the slope of the trail remained gradual, knowing from experience (and checking past hikes), that at a point it would take a significant turn -up-. And I was not ready for any significant climbing. So … at half a mile, encountering an abrupt change in slow, and then a rocky surface, I turned around.
One of the great enjoyments of hiking in these mountains during the summer – flowers. I counted 14 different flowering plants during this ~mile walk; pictures of a few are above.
Wanting more, and being curious, I chose to explore a “trail” that is marked on GAIA (and on other maps). A few hundred yards from the trailhead approcimately where the map indicated, I found no sign of any trail. Curious enough, I proceeded to follow the track as it went northeast towards a canyon that goes up to a crest just north of Cerro Grande. The terrain is easy – generally flat, a few areas of small rocks, covered in tufts of calf-high grass. I continued on to the entrance to the small canyon where I found the first sign of a “trail” – evidence typical of an access road put in place decades ago. It might be worth exploring further some day.
Statistics
Total Distance: 2.18 miles
Elevation: start 8,959 ft, maximum 9,157 ft, 8,958 minimum ft
Gross gain: 199 ft. Aggregate ascending 336 ft, descending 335 ft
Maximum slope: 25% ascending, 25% descending, 05.2% average
Duration: 2:11, Average Speed: 1.0 mph
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.
This, a day trip to Valles Caldera to enjoy some beautiful scenery, and to get out on the trail. Hidden Valley meets both of those goals exceptionally well.
The Drive In
The trail begins at a two-track to the left of the main road driving into Valles Caldera, about .6 mile from NM 4. Park alongside the road, near the two-track with a cable blocking vehicle traffic. ‘Tho it isn’t visible from the parking place, the Missing Cabin is just over the ridge at the end of the two-track.
The Hike
Valles Caldera-Hidden Valley Trail Hike.Pat.2023-09-26
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
This trail is ideal for an easy hike into a beautiful part of Valles Caldera. Unlike going into the back country of the Caldera, an entrance reservation and permit is not required (reservations and permits are now required to go beyond the cabin district, a procedure instituted this summer).
I could not write a better description of a hike on this trail than I wrote back on 2021: Hidden Valley Trail Hike – 10/22/2021. After you read that, then read the notes that I’m adding from this hike.
There is now way photos can do justice to the beauty of Valles Caldera The scale of the scale of the scenery is huge especially across the very wide and flat valley itself – we could see black specks in the middle Valle, a herd of elk. The colors and shapes of the Valle and the mountains in and around it , set off against a clear blue sky is beautiful.
Closer in on our hike, Hidden Valley itself presents such a wide range of colors, patterns, and shapes, with the grasses along the East Fork Jemez River and Douglas fir and blue spruce trees up the sides of the Valley.
From parking, we took a trail (not the gravel road) up the hill through knee high grass. Topping the hill we passed the Cabin and proceeded back down into Hidden Valley and the trail paralleling the East Fork Jemez River. The trail presents clumps of worn-down grass. Once into the Valley, it is mostly smooth ground with a few yards of rocks scattered along the way. In a couple of places the trail is right up against the River – passable at this time of year but likely inundated when there is more water in the River. There is one river crossing – a couple of boards on rocks made it easy.
Highlight
The abundant grasses along the stream create a colorful scene, ranging from green to yellow and some orange, true Autumn colors. At one point, Pat said “the scenery just follows along with us”. Then, approaching some deep grass, Pat flushed a great horned owl who flew off accompanied by a raven that had been perched in a tree above. The owl taking flight made virtually no noise.
Statistics
Total Distance: 3.86 miles Elevation: start 8,545 ft, maximum 8,568 ft, minimum 8,464 ft Gross gain: 104 ft. Aggregate ascending 646 ft, descending 647 ft Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 27% descending, 4.2% average Duration: 3:25 , Average Speed: 1.1 mph
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.
We looked forward to returning to the hike up to Cerro de la Garita from the north. First, to try to find a route more direct than our hike last fall for future visits with friends, and second to again enjoy the amazing view into the north half of Valles Caldera.
The Drive In
We made the same route as for our previous visit – I-25, US 550 (and a stop at Chaco Grill in Cuba), NM 96 to Youngsville, then FR 100 and FR 96 to the intersection with FR 144. ‘Tis a 3 hour drive which makes for along day, but we enjoy the hike very much.
The Hike
Cerro de la Garita North Side Hike.Pat.2023-09-07
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
The mountainside from FR 144 up to the peak is laced with old logging trails, none of which offer much of a direct route. I viewed the area closely on GoogleEarth and sketched a route from one logging trail to another, as direct a route as I could devine. As we attempted to follow my sketch, and using the Satellite overlay on GAIA, there was just enough discrepancy between the image on GAIA and ‘ground truth’ (our track) to keep us uncertain about our position. As we gained experience (perspective), we began to recognize the openings and gained some skill in orienteering.
Anyhow, we were able to follow the openings/logging trails for a nice hike up, and back down (which didn’t diverge far from our track on the previous visit). And at the top, following along the edge of the south side of la Garita we again enjoyed the fabulous view from 2,000 feet above the ‘T’ in the road into northern area of Valles Caldera and Valle Santa Rosa and Valle San Antonio, and in the distance Valle jaramillo and Valles Caldera.
Highlight
Clearly, the view of Valles Caldera from 2,000 feet above the floor – it is spectacular.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.07 miles Elevation: start 10,228 ft, maximum 10,601 ft, minimum 10,198 ft Gross gain: 403 ft. Aggregate ascending 856 ft, descending 856 ft Maximum slope: 6.2% ascending, 21.8% descending, 7.9% average Duration: 3:35, Average Speed: 1.1 mph
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.
During a two-night camping trip in Jemez Falls Campground, Jay and I headed into Valles Caldera for a mid-distance hike. Pat and Nancy (with Bo) remained at the campground, “chilling out”.
The Drive In
From the Campground, head east on NM 4 to the entrance to Valles Caldera National Preserve, then down into Valle Grande to the Entrance Station (the Visitor Center has been moved to the Cabin District). We had read that a daily limit of the number of visitors allowed into the Back Country was being implemented. Visitors are premitted to continue beyond the Entrance Station to visit the Cabin District, but cannot go further into the Caldera.
On our visit, we learned that … reservations are now required to obtain one of the limited number of daily passes. Reservations are made via Recreation.gov, just has has been the case for campgrounds in recent. Fortunately, Internet service is good in the Caldera; for those who don’t have a “device”, a computer is available in the Visitor Center. It appears Backcouintry Vehicle Passes can be reserved for the day of visit or dates into the future. There is presently no charge for private vehicles, although there is a $2.00 “Reservation Fee” for each pass.
The Hike We’ve hiked this route before – check out the links in Related Posts below.
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
We chose to limit our drive into the Caldera by hiking in the “front country” (it is a long drive into the “back country”). We started out thinking we would hike from the Cabin District to El Cajete, a “recent” crater that created a most pleasant open meadow. Parking on the south end of the Cabin District, we headed off down, VC-01 – a two-track – easy walking, lush grasses, and a great view across the Valle. Along the way we crossed 3 or 4 streams coming down from the mountainside to the west – a real treat here in New Mexico.
About 1.25 miles on, we began a climb, passing the cutoff for the trail to the top of South Mountain, continuing on the two-track. We continued up the two-track, climbing to the top of the ridge where we could see ahead/down hill towards El Cajete. We decided we weren’t up for that long a hike (for me particularly since Pat & I planned two days later to drive to Grants and hike to the top of Mount Taylor: 2,000 feet elevation gain, to the top at 11,003). So Jay and I continued on an old two-track to the left, to a bit higher elevation and saddle from which we enjoyed more of a view to the south and east.
Heading downhill, we decided to hang a left and return via VC0201, a two-track that paralleled VC02 at higher up on the mountainside. Misreading the topo lines for VC0201 running parallel, we found the trail ascended more than anticipated. But we avoided some of the rocky trail of VC-02. We also anticipated that we would need to bushwhack downhill to VC-02 at some point to return to parking. We entered into an old burn area with many fallen trunks, but saw a path with fewer trunks to climb over. So we headed downhill, entered again into an area of open forest, and VC-02. >>>> A good hike.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.84 miles Elevation: start 8,748 ft, maximum 9,242 ft, minimum 8,725 ft Gross gain: 517 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,043 ft, descending 1,043 ft Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 22% descending, 7.2% average Duration: 3:11
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.
During past visits to Valles Caldera, we’ve thought the view would be great from atop the mountains on the north boundary of the Caldera. A trail leads from the road that crosses the north end of the Preserve, but it entails nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain to a spot -near- the peak of Cerro de la Garita.
Also, we have been curious about the Jemez Mountains north of the Preserve, between San Valles Caldera and NM 96. Checking maps and GoogleEarth, we identified Forest Roads that 1) would take us to the north slopes of those mountains, and 2) would give us an edge of 1,400 feet for the ascent to the peak. And this would also give us a chance to explore that territory.
The Drive In
The distance from Albuquerque to Youngsville is about the same, whether going up US 550 to just beyond Cuba and then NM 96 north and east to Youngsville. Or I-25 and US 285 to Abuquiu, then NM 96 west to Youngsville. We opted for Cuba on the way out (so we could grab a burrito for breakfast at the Chaco Grill in Cuba), then returned by US 285 and I-25. Either way, it is about 124 miles.
A short distance east of Youngsville, we turned south on FR 100 for 12 miles, then turned left onto FR 99. Both roads are good Class 3s, generally through flat terrain with only a couple of narrow, steep hillside sections. And along the way they climb from 6,800 feet to 10,229 feet elevation. FR 99 tee’s into FR 144 not far from the peak of Cerro de la Garita; we parked off of the road, donned our packs, and set out for the peak.
The Hike
Cerro de la Garita North Side Hike.Pat.2022-09-27
Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line).
An example of a “2-track opening”, a corridor cleared of trees and with faint vehicle tracks..
With no marked trail to follow (or GPS track), set set out to go uphill in a general southerly direction. After crossing the edge of a gravel pit and into open forest, we came across what appeared to be an old 2-track, an open corridor in the forest – we followed it for some distance until we realized we were not on a track towards the peak. Getting better oriented with the help of the GPS and USTopo, we turned left onto another “2-track opening” that was at least going up hill.
At some point, we decided to take a bearing (using USTopo) and set our course towards the peak. So we continued at times along a 2-track opening, at other times proceeding through the open forest, aiming for the peak. That worked – we found ourselves on the edge of the mountain, on –the peak– of Cerro de la Garita at 10,612 feet elevation.
Our first view into Valles Caldera, the northeast area – Valle Toledo.
We were looking down upon what proved to be Valle Toledo in the northeast corner of the Caldera. What a view it was.
The view of the northwest corner – Valle San Antonio.And the view down the middle of this northern area of the Caldera – the road coming from Valle Grande through Valle Jaramillo and into Valle San Antonio.
Thinking we might get a view that included the northwest area of the Caldera, we proceeded southwest along the edge of this mountain. We soon found ourselves on somewhat of a promontory, still at 10,570, looking down upon the whole north end of the Caldera. Wow, it was the view we were looking for.
A note about the photos: This was a very hazy day, and we were looking into the sun. So, then, the photos are hazy and the colors are not accurate, for either Pat’s iPhone or my Samsun phone. (Click on the photos to see them full-screen.)
Setting out to return to the Tacoma, we followed one of the 2-track openings downhill for some distance, then realized that we needed to turn north to the parking place. We were able to follow a sequence of the 2-track openings at generally the same elevation back to “our trailhead”.
A note about those “2-track openings”: As you can see from the GoogleEarth screen shot above (and your own view when you review our GPS track on GoogleEarth), thsese openings criss-cross the whole of the north side of La Garita. For a return visit in the future, I will do some pre-trip planning to lay out a GPS track that uses the openings to best advantage.
Highlight
Pat drove in from NM 96 and out as well; she expanded her experience driving on Forest Roads and I could give more time to the scenery and surroundings. And the hike proved to be an easy way to get to amazing views of Valles Caldera
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.07 miles Elevation: start 10,228 ft, maximum 10,601 ft, minimum 10,198 ft Gross gain: 403 ft. Aggregate ascending 860 ft, descending 860 ft Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 21% descending, 6.9% average Duration: 3:35
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.
One of the best places to introduce visitors is the Valles Caldera National Preserve. So when Pat’s brother Bob came to visit, we showed him some of the sights New Mexico has to offer: a drive up the Jemez River valley and around to the Valles Caldera, to hike the Hidden Valley trail.
The Drive In
A thorough description of driving to and into Valles Caldera is included in a previous post: Valles Caldera DriveAbout – 07/14/2019. Upon turning off of NM 4 and into the Preserve, drive .6 miles, park near the two-track on the left which has a cable across it.
The Hike
Hidden Valley Trail Hike.PatBob.2021-06-07
The trail proceeds uphill on a two-track from the road to the top of a knoll. There we enjoyed an expansive view across the Valles, with the Missing Cabin just downhill. (Missing Cabin was constructed for the movie “The Missing” (Ron Howard) in 2003.
From there, the trail leaves the two-track and heads downhill across healthy grassland towards the canyon of the East Fork Jemez River. Rounding a rock outcrop, it parallels a forested area on the left and to the right the wetlands of the River. A bit further along, the trail follows closely the course of the River. Some 500 yards further, one must cross over to the north side of the River; it was running high enough that we chose not to risk getting feet wet, so we turned back to finish the hike.
Statistics
Total Distance: 2.12 miles Elevation: start 8,576 ft, maximum 8,592 ft, minimum 8,470 ft Gross gain: 122 ft. Aggregate ascending 397 ft, descending 429 ft Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 35% descending, 6.0% average Duration: 2:10
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.
This was our 2nd hike on a 3-night camping trip to Jemez Falls Campground. This hike is a favorite of ours in Valles Caldera. It is an easy hike in a wonderful setting, ideal for introducing people to the Caldera without having to drive a half hour or more to get into the Preserve’s back country.
The Drive In
The trailhead for this hike is halfway down the road from the entrance to the Valles Grande National Preserve. From the Jemez Falls Campground, drive east on NM 4 for 7.5 miles. Turn into the Preserve, drive .6 miles, park near the two-track on the left which has a cable across it.
The Hike
Hidden Valley Trail Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-10-22
The trail begins as a two-track up the hill. Cresting the hill, the Missing Cabin comes into view. The cabin was built for Ron Howard’s movie “The Missing” in 2003 (re: FineArtAmerica); it adds a nice touch to the beautiful vista view across the Caldera. (While atop this hill, we scanned the Caldera for a herd of elk which frequent the area. We didn’t see any at the start of our hike, but did pick out a dark area indicating a herd way out in the middle, some two miles away.)
Abreast of the Cabin, the trail heads off to the left (westerly) through knee-high grass. Descending into the East Fork River valley, 300 yards ahead the trail rounds a rock outcrop. In another 300 yards the trail comes abreast of the river and follows it for the remainder of the trail. In another 600 yards the trail crosses to the north side and continues .8 mile to a point where, to go further, one would need to wade between rock walls that go right up to the edge of the river.
On the way back out, the view out of the canyon, across the Caldera, is breath taking (the featured image above).
Highlight
In a nutshell: The Views. Views of the Caldera, the forest, the cliff sides on both left and right, the burbling stream, the varied colors and textures of grasses and the autumn remains of summer flowers.
Statistics
Total Distance: 3.97 miles Elevation: start 8,545 ft, maximum 8,592 ft, minimum 8,464 ft Gross gain: 128 ft. Aggregate ascending 925 ft, descending 927 ft Maximum slope: 44% ascending, 40% descending, 6.1% average Duration: 3:02
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.
We returned to the Jemez Mountains for 3 nights of camping and 2 days of hiking in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. After setting up camp in the Jemez Falls Campground by early afternoon on the first day, we drove over the Fenton Lake to enjoy the autumn scenery – clear water, blue sky, and gold and brown grasses and trees.
For the big hike on this trip, set for the 2nd day, we planned a point-to-point hike from the Cabin District in Valles Caldera via VC02, into El Cajete, down El Cajete Canyon, and ending at the west end of Jemez East River Slot Canyon, where the East Fork Jemez River crosses NM 4.
The Drive In
For this point-to-point hike, we planned to go from within the Valles Caldera to where the East Fork Jemez River crosses NM 4:
First we parked a car on NM 4: drive east from the entrance to the Jemez Falls Campground for .3 miles. At the bottom of the hill, where the East Fork Jemez River crosses NM 4, park alongside the road. (In spite of the No Parking signs, there are almost always cars parked here, to collect obsidian just uphill, or to hike along the East Fork.)
To get to the trailhead in the Cabin District, we drove further east on NM 4 to the entrance to Valles Grande National Preserve (7.2 miles), then down the road to the Entrance Station (1.9 miles on nice New Mexico Pavement). We picked up our pass for entrance into the Preserve and received the standard warning that the gate closes at 1700 – we must be out of the Preserve by then. The road to the Cabin District (1.8 miles) is a bit rough but suitable for “highway” vehicles. Turning left at the ‘T’, we parked a bit south of the Visitors Center, just shy of a cable blocking further vehicle access to VC02.
The Hike
El Cajete Thru Hike Planning Track.2021-10-21
Advanced Planning: Pat & I had hiked a large part of this route earlier this year, ‘tho in two separate hikes. We made a loop hike from the cabin district covering 1.4 miles of the initial part of this day’s plan, the upper half of the blue line above (VC09-VC0201 Trail Hike – 09/31/2021). And we made an out-and-back hike from the west end into El Cajete itself, the lower half of the blue line (El Cajete Canyon Trail Hike – 08/30/2021). For this hike, using a combination of GPS tools, I was able to delete some of each track (keeping the portion of those hikes that were in the direction for this hike), and was able to connect the GPS fixes of each track segment closest to each other (the straight line in the middle of the blue line). The result was an end-to-end track that we could use for navigation for this El Cajete Through Hike.
El Cajete Through Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-10-21
The Hike: The hike began on a well used two-track across level ground on the edge of an open forest with a view across a valley and to South Mountain beyond. About 1.3 miles, we left the open valley behind and began a steady ‘tho gentle climb with open forest to the left, and to the right an extensive burn area with the typical downfall (more on downfall later). About 1.8 miles on, we crested the saddle between the valley of VC02 behind us and El Cajete Canyon ahead. We paused here for a mid-hike break, then began a steady descent towards a planned turn to the right that would take us over a ridge into the large open meadow – El Cajete.
After descending 1.8 miles and foreseeing more descent, and anticipating a climb up over the ridge to the right and into El Cajete, I was ready to stop going further downhill. Consulting the topo maps (USGS National Map Topo in the US Topo app), I proposed we turn to go more directly towards El Cajete. (I think) there was consensus – let’s go for it. So we climbed 150 feet onto a ridge, where we were faced with a steep descent into a small canyon and steep ascent to cross another ridge. Hoping to find an easier crossing of this small canyon, or to follow topo lines to the top of the next ridge, we headed up hill.
I mentioned downfall? Downed tree trunks from a fire some years ago covered this ridge. They covered the ground, having fallen at various angles so there was no place where we could walk for even a dozen steps before having to climb over one (or 2 or 3 lying side by side). When we saw what seemed to be an open path for a few yards, we encountered trees that we didn’t see initially. And often stepping over one trunk, there was another hiding behind the first ready to trap our foot or twist an ankle. Finally .5 miles up the ridge, we were able to cross over to the 2nd ridge where we had our first view of El Cajete. It was still .3 mile distant, downhill but … more downfall the whole distance. Adding to the stress of this strenuous track over downfall , uphill and downhill, we became concerned that we might be running short of time to get back to the Caldera before the gate was closed.
After the grueling hike up hill and down hill through all that downfall , we took a well earned break for lunch at the edge of El Cajete. Then, back on trail, what a relief it was to be on open, level ground, walking through only tufts of grass. Reaching the west end of El Cajete, we picked up the track of our earlier out-and-back hike. Back again on a decent two-track, it was a steady downhill 2.4 miles to NM 4. And we had time to spare, getting to the Entrance Station in time to fetch the vehicle at the Cabin District and leave the Caldera at 1630.
Jay here: Did someone say downfall? Or was that downhill? You could say it was an upper, but once we got going up hill, it felt like a downer. I lost count of how many trees we were stepping over/hurdling, but it was a lot. The hill was our enemy, but so was the clock. Anyhoo, we made it and can chalk this hike up to the unforgettable list. See Lessons Learned below!!
Highlight Lessons Learned
Stick to the Plan: In reviewing the GPS tracks, the planned track (blue) was only a couple hundred yards from our actual track (yellow), first from where we turned uphill, and again when were atop the 1st ridge. Aargh! Had we followed the plan, we would have shortened the hike by a half mile and … we would have avoided all the downfall.
Avoid Burn Areas: A downfall area dense with downed tree trunks requires -much more- energy than hiking, even uphill hiking. Stepping over trunks 1, 1.5, even 2 feet or more in diameter demands effort from almost every muscle in the body (including the brain – decision after decision). And larger trunks require sitting on them and swinging each leg over. I became so weary that I turned to a hiking pole to assist me in maintaining balance (the 1st time that I’ve came to depend on a pole. Because of the downed trees, this was the most strenuous hiking that any of us have done. Avoid!
Statistics
Total Distance: 7.08 miles Elevation: start 8,744 ft, maximum 9,144 ft, minimum 7,937 ft Gross gain: 1,207 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,273 ft, descending 2,068 ft Maximum slope: 36% ascending, 48% descending, 7.8% average Duration: 5:34
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.
Our 2nd day camping in our R-Pod in Jemez Falls Campground. Having been curious about the trail to the top of South Mountain in Valles Caldera, we set out to hike from the Cabin District down to the starting point for the climb up South Mountain.
The Drive In
We start this hike at the south end of the Cabin District. From NM 4, go north to the Visitor’s Center where we pick up our pass that is required to go further into the Caldera. Drop the cable barring further entry, and drive west to where the road turns north; turn left and park about 100 yards where a barrier prevents vehicle traffic from going further.
The track going southwest from parking is a well used two-track – easy going – no elevation gain for the first mile, then slight for another .2 miles. The track is along the southwest slope of South Mountain; using GPS tracks for hikes up the mountain, we found the trailhead – ready for a hike in the future.
We also noticed a sign “inviting” us to head back to parking via VC0201 – why not? We had done this on a previous hike (VC02 South Mountain Hike – 05/27/2019), so – let’s do it. Due to recent monsoon rains, the grasses and flowers were in thick and “full green”, so pleasant compared to other times of year. VC0201 is an old two track, ascending up some 400 feet, then running parallel to the topo lines. It passes through sections of healthy forest, other sections of forest that were burned back in 1987. The elevation and the openness (except for the burned trunks still standing) afforded a great view across Valles Caldera.
The tracks published by other showed a descent back to the Cabin District some 2.0 miles from the start of VC0201, running downslope parallel to La Jara creek. Reaching the creek, we didn’t see a trail in evidence, but did see blue blazes on many tree trunks. So we figured – that must be the track. With no trail, we were bushwhacking, although it was easy going since the forest was quite open – the only impediments were the many downed tree trunks.
Post hike note: we set out on VC0201 with the idea we would retrace our earlier hike. Later, checking the GPS track for that hike, I found that we had turned off of VC0201 within .25 miles of it’s starting point. We had followed what appeared to be an old two-track that had made for a shorter hike, 3.06 miles. VC0201 proved to be a quite a bit longer, more than we anticipated, but we were pleased to have done the 4.29 miles.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.29 miles Elevation: start 8,747 ft, maximum 9,127 ft, minimum 8,724 ft Gross gain: 403 ft. Aggregate ascending 710 ft, descending 701 ft Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 20% descending, 5.2% average Duration: 2:26
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.
With beautiful August weather, ‘tho hot in Albuquerque, we retreated to the Jemez Falls Campground for a couple of days to go hiking. We got the R-Pod set up in the early afternoon, leaving time to make a short hike on the Las Conchas Trail, more of a stroll in a beautiful setting (only .86 miles; see the Related Posts below for details of previous hikes on Las Conchas).
El Cajete has been on our ‘target list’ for some time, but the trails we’d found were longer than we wanted to tackle. Last week I came upon an article suggesting another, shorter path to get into El Cajete (‘bowl’ in Spanish).
The Drive In
For the Las Conchas “walkabout”, drive east on NM 4 from the entrance to the Jemez Falls Campground for 4.5 miles to the Las Conchas Trailhead. There is limited parking on the north side of the road – full when we arrived.
For the El Cajete hike, drive east on NM 4 from the entrance to the Jemez Falls Campground for .3 miles. At the bottom of the hill, where the East Fork Jemez River crosses NM 4, park alongside the road. (In spite of the No Parking signs, there are almost always cars parked here, some to collect obsidian just uphill, or to hike along the East Fork.)
The Hike
El Cajete Canyon Trail Hike.Pat.2021-08-30
Crossing the road from where we parked, we found a driveway descending very steeply from the north side of the road into a small parking area – interesting we thought, maybe for a trail that proceeded up the East Fork Jemez River. But information we for this hike directed us up onto the ridge to the left of this driveway. We saw a two-track heading up through a barbed wire gate. So, up we went, finding ourselves on a nice, -old- two track. For some distance, the track was a bit rocky and steep, but soon changed to a gently sloping smooth two-track, overgrown with grass (courtesy, we suspect, of the this year’s recent and regular monsoon rains).
The trail proceeded up El Cajete Canyon on the old two-track which remained grass covered, into and out of forested areas. With the USTopo, following a sketch track I had created from the map that I found in El Cajete Three Ways, and indications on topo charts, we were on the lookout for that two-track. It proved easy to identify at 1.9 miles into the hike.
From there it was a bit of a climb to get up on the ridge that overlooks El Cajete – 8,450 to 8,650 in half a mile. Up on the ridge the large flat meadow of El Cajete came into view. Rather than follow the two-track around, descending to the meadow itself, we “bushwhacked” down a moderately steep slope to the edge of the meadow. There we had a snack, then wandered out into El Cajete, enjoying the open space with green grasses with areas of yellow, flowering plants in their last days before dropping their seeds. And in the est end of El Cajete was a pond (‘tank’ in these parts) left over from years before the Preserve when huge herds of cattle grazed throughout Valles Caldera.
El Cajete measured up to what we anticipated – a beautiful, quiet, open space with mountains and forest all around. And the hike in, and out, was the pleasant. We’re looking forward to returning, maybe by way of one of the other approaches (there are 4 by my count: from the east via VC02, from the west across Banco Bonito, or from the west from Redondo Meadow, plus this one – El Cajete Canyon).
Statistics
Total Distance: 5.81 miles Elevation: start 7,981 ft, maximum 8,666 ft, minimum 7,938 ft Gross gain: 728 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,153 ft, descending 1,185 ft Maximum slope: 31% ascending, 37% descending, 6.3% average Duration: 5:02
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.
