Category Archives: 2021

Tesuque Creek and Aspen Vista Loop – 08/28/2021

September 8, 2021

I joined Jay in Santa Fe for a hike on a nearby trail. We hiked Aspen Vista back in 2018, but for this hike we chose to start where Tesuque Creek crosses SR 475.

The Drive In

Quite straightforward: drive up SR 475, also known as Hyde Park Road. Little Tesuque Creek crosses 475 4.3 miles from the Hyde memorial State Park main entrance. There is parking on the right of the road for a few cars.

The Hike

Tesuque Creek and Aspen Vista Loop.Jay.2021-08-18

The trail proceeds up the North Fork of Tesuque Creek, identified on a sign as Big Tesuque Tr 152. The trail here is well used and easy going – a couple of hundreds yards along it crosses over a nice bridge to the north side of the creek and continues uphill at about a 10% grade. Along the way we saw a number of what appeared to be shelters, lean tos of a long branch leaning against a tree with many smaller straight branches leaning into it – curious.

At .8 miles, the trail intersects a jeep trail, Forest Road 150 (which takes one to the communications facility atop the mountain). Rather than turn right on the road (and follow the route of our previous hike), we chose to continue up Tesuque Creek. Wow, that was some choice – the grade quickly became much steeper (20%, 30%) and became more rocky and with tree roots. But the forest is healthy making the surroundings quite pleasant – aspen, fir, pine, and along the way a burbling creek. The going became really tough 1.4 miles into the hike, when the grade increased to a steady 40%. Nearing the top of what appeared to be a ridge, the forest opened up to a few conifers with a blanket of small shrubs covering the area. At the top of that section (1.7 miles on) we entered a cleared area that must be part of the ski runs of Santa Fe Ski Basin. The views were great, despite the haze that has settled in over New Mexico in recent days.

At this point, we debated – turn back retracing our route down or continue up the cleared area another .3 mile, and 450 feet, where we could get on the upper end of FR 150 and have an easier although longer return to the trailhead. Being uncomfortable with descending the steep, rough trail we had taken to this point, we opted to go for FR 150 despite it being 5 miles (vs 2 miles to the trailhead if we retraced our route up). So we climbed those 450 feet, then headed down the jeep trail.

Back to easy walking, we relaxed (and recovered) from the strenuous ascent. About 3/4 of a mile on, we avoided a lengthy loop by bushwhacking downhill, thus saving about half a mile. Not far past that point we realized that we had come upon the ridge and lookout where we had our lunch break on the previous Aspen Vista hike – it brought back more memories .. of another challenging hike for us. From there it was an easy downhill hike back to the trailhead (‘tho Jay was looking for something easier).

Jay here: Holy mother of all steep trails! Following the spring that runs down to the Aspen Vista trail was a pleasure. It lulled us into thinking this was the way it was going to be all the way up. Nope. When we got to the big ski hill, we could only go about 50 feet and then stop to get our wind back. A 40% grade is challenging to say the least. This hike was a major workout.

Highlight

A highlight? Probably — that we -did- it, for us a long and strenuous hike the likes of which we haven’t done in some time.

Statistics

Total Distance: 6.95 miles
Elevation: start 9,670 ft, maximum 11,826 ft, minimum 9,670 ft
Gross gain: 2,156 ft. Aggregate ascending 2,350 ft, descending 2,346 ft
Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 30% descending, 14.0% average
Duration: 4:53

Tesuque Creek and Aspen Vista Loop.Jay.2021-08-18 (KML)	66 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Tesuque Creek and Aspen Vista Loop.Jay.2021-08-18 (GPX)	78 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.

Aspen Vista Trail

References and Resources

AllTrails: Tesuque and Aspen Vista Loop
Tesuque Peak via Tesuque Creen North Fork Trail
Hiking Project: Big Tesuque

Jay's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery View.

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

Stargaze Point Trail Hike – 07/05/2021

September 7, 2021

This is the 6th hike on a 3+ week trip to Idaho. After camping other places, we spent 3 days in the Edna Creek Campground.

The Drive In

For this, our 2nd hike out of Edna Creek, we drove 6 miles north on Idaho 21 (Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route) towards Lowman, to the Beaver Creek Summit., parked on the west side of the road, and proceeded up the two-track on FR 394 then onto FR 551C.

The Hike

Stargaze Point Trail Hike.Pat.2021-07-05l

It was summer, it was hot; we wanted a trail at a higher elevation, hopefully cooler. So we headed uphill to the Beaver Creek Summit, to hike the Stargaze Point Trail. The “trail” is a well used two-track (“Jeep Trail” on the topo) that proceeds along a ridge, climbing steadily until reaching Stargaze Point, some 500 feet in 1.5 miles. Signs and blazes along the way made it clear this trail is popular in winter, for snowshoeing or maybe cross country skiing. The area is scrub forest due to the Lowman Fire in 1983. But the openness provided great views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys, despite the smoke/haze that was prevalent throughout our stay at Edna Creek.

At about 1.2 miles into the hike, we noticed a yurt, on a promontory below the ridge with a great view across the valley of the West Fork Beaver Creek and the ridges of the Boise Mountains to the south. (Later research revealed that this is the Stargaze Yurt, available for rent from the Idaho State Parks & Recreation.)

We continued down the two-track, taking a diversion to the right to climb up on Stargaze Point, the highest point around. Having only hiked 1.5 miles at this point, and curious about what lay further on, we returned to the two-track and hiked to what seemed to be the end of this ridge, with a view down into Rock Creek. Now at about 2.5 miles, we headed back up the tw0-track and took the diversion back up on Stargaze Point for our lunch, then back to parking.

Highlight

As on so many hikes in Idaho, the array of flowers continued to amaze us. ‘Tho not as lush as on the trails around Stanley, nonetheless they made the hike more interestng.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.02 miles
Elevation: start 6,048 ft, maximum 6,679 ft, minimum 6,048 ft
Gross gain: 631 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,165 ft, descending 1,164 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 27% descending, 8.1% average
Duration: 4:14

Stargaze Point Trail Hike.Pat.2021-07-05 (KML)	90 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Stargaze Point Trail Hike.Pat.2021-07-05 (GPX)	83 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: Stargaze Point Trail via Beaver Creek Summit
Rocky Mountain Summits: Hike to Stargaze Point
It Started Outdoors: Snowshoe Stargaze Trail in Idaho City
Idaho State Parks & Recreation: Stargaze Backcountry Yurt

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

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

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

Edna Creek Ski Trails Hike – 07/03/2021

August 21, 2021

The 5th of 7 hikes during our 3+ week trip to Idaho. After camping in our R-Pod for 4 days near Stanley, we moved to the Edna Creek Campground south of Lowman for 3 days.

The Drive In

No drive in required here – the trailhead was at the boundary of the campground.

The Hike

Edna Creek Ski Trails Hike.Pat.2021-07-03

Being able to begin the hike without driving was very nice. The trail is well traveled, easy to follow with occasional blazes, we presume for cross country skiing. And there are signs with trail maps at strategic locations. From the campground, it proceeds through open forest with nice shrubs and flowers. With 1 switchback, it ascends some 250 feet to the top of a ridge, which is clean of most all plants – apparently the site of a fire sometime past. Along the way the trail picks up a 2-track, descending somewhat until a junction with other 2-tracks, adjacent to highway ID 21.

We continued around a small hill until finding ourselves again on a 2-track, well maybe more of a road considering its condition (FR 025M). Continuing thereon for 1.2 miles, the road took a downhill turn; we continued on somewhat of a ridge, finding another 2-track, until we reached an overlook, down upon the Crooked River. Here we stopped for our mid-hike break/lunch, then retraced our steps for 3/4 of a mile, then took a ‘Y’ on the road to the right and back to the junction. Here we chose to head downhill in the valley rather than retrace our track back to the campground. This was most pleasant (‘tho without a discernible trail), with green plants all around (tho’ among many dead trees).

This was a good hike, through territory new to us. ‘Tho marred by the many dead and down trees (fire and beetle kill it appeared), the views especially to the horizon were great. (Note: there are other trails starting at the Campground, most longer than this Valley Wagon Trail.

Highlight

On the way towards the overlook for our mid-hike break, we saw a yurt placed prominently on an overlook, also with a view down to the Crooked River. A bit of research: one of many available for rent from the Idaho Sate Parks, summer (fishing and hiking) and winter (skiing). It would be a great getaway.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.3 miles
Elevation: start 5,255 ft, maximum 5,512 ft, minimum 5,384 ft
Gross gain: 128 ft. Aggregate ascending 771 ft, descending 771 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 25% descending, 6.1% average
Duration: 4:19

Edna Creek Ski Trails Hike.Pat.2021-07-03 (KML)	85 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Edna Creek Ski Trails Hike.Pat.2021-07-03 (GPX)	61 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: Valley Wagon Trail
Edna Creek – Valley Wagon to Yurt
Recreation.gov: Edna Creek Campground
Idaho Campground Review: Edna Creek Campground
Idaho State Parks: Rocky Ridge Backcountry Yurt

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

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

Lady Face Falls Trail Hike – 07/01/2021

August 15, 2021

This is our 4th hike during a 3-week trip through middle Idaho and our 3rd hike with our R-Pod set up in the Casino Creek Campground, along the Salmon River five miles east of Stanley.

The Drive In

For this hike, we traveled north from Stanley to Stanley Lake. From downtown Stanley drive north on Idaho 21 for 4,6 miles, then turn left onto Stanley Lake Rd (Forest Road 641) for 3.5 miles, passing the Stanley Lake Campground, and to a parking area to your left along the lake.

The Hike

From the parking lot, we proceeded in a southerly direction on a road seemed to be the direction to go. We proceeded off of the road onto Lakeshore Trail and onto a bridge. But … the bridge ended, overlooking a very swampy area. Near the end was a sign explaining the situation. (Click on the photo for a magnified view.)

We retraced our route, back to the parking lot and northwest on a forest road until finding -the- trailhead for Trail 640 (the GPS route from AllTrails begins here). The trail is well used, even perhaps groomed, as it passes through an open meadow then through a swampy area (with a boardwalk across an area of sometime muck). There are signs along the way for this and other trails that spin off of Lady Face Falls Trail. Ahead and to the left is McGown Peak (9,860 ft) and to the right a ridge (goes up to 8,000 ft) between which lies Stanley Creek. (This trail does continue beyond Lady Face Falls to Bridal Veil Falls, 3.6 miles.)

About 2.2 miles into the hike the trail enters a more forested area and begins to climb (up to this point the elevation gain has been minimal). For the next half mile, the trail climbs some 200 feet. The trail becomes less distinct, but working our way east towards the canyon that we could make out, and the noise of falling water, we found the overlook to Lady Face Falls. The descent to the foot of the Falls was daunting, requiring one to climb down a steep incline over large rocks/boulders – we weren’t up to that this day.

From there we worked our way upstream along the rim of the canyon, finding a nice place to have our mid-hike break/lunch. It was then back down the trail until – we came to a junction, a well worn trail that branched off to the left.Curious, we followed it to a roadway from which it branched to the left, only to find we were looking at a swampy area. But ahead we could see the bridge mentioned above; with the help of some logs we were able to remain dry, crossing to the bridge and back to the truck.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.58 miles
Elevation: start 6,529 ft, maximum 6,805 ft, minimum 6,517 ft
Gross gain: 288 ft. Aggregate ascending 805 ft, descending 806 ft
Maximum slope: 27% ascending, 24% descending, 4.0% average
Duration: 4:32

Lady Face Falls Tail Hike.2021-07-01 (KML)	114 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Lady Face Falls Tail Hike.2021-07-01 (GPX)	64 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.

Fourth of July Trail Hike – 06/29/2021
Fishhook Creek-Alpine Way Trails Hike – 06/28/2021
Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail Hike – 06/26/2021

References and Resources

AllTrails: Lady Face Falls
Idaho Campground Review: Lady Face and Bridal Veil Falls hiking trip
Only In Your State: This Idaho Creek And Waterfall Will Be Your new Favorite Paradise
RV Life: Lady Face Falls: A Must-See On Your Next Trip To Central Idaho

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

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

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

Fourth of July Trail Hike – 06/29/2021

August 7, 2021

Our third hike during a 3-week trip through middle Idaho. The R-Pod was set up in the Casino Creek Campground, along the Salmon River five miles east of Stanley.

The Drive In

To get to the Fourth of July Trailhead, travel 15 miles south on ID 75. Turn left onto FR 209, a gravel road in good condition. The 1st couple of miles is across open scrub-brush range, then enters into Fourth of July Cañon. Continue for 10 miles from ID 75 through the cañon and along Fourth of July Creek, a quite pleasant drive. The trailhead is just off of FR 209, to the right, with ample parking and a quite informative sign board (see photos below).

The Hike

Fourth Of July Trail Hike.Pat.2021-06-29

We began our hike by signing in, then heading out on Trail 109 towards Fourth of July Lake. The trail passes through healthy forest and appears to be well used and maintained, making ambulation quite easy. And there are trail signs reaffirming we were on track.

Elevation gain was steady for about 1.6 miles until abreast of Fourth of July Lake (from 8,749 ft to 9,370 ft). After a mostly level section along the margin of the Lake, the trail ascends another 300 feet or so to a saddle (.4 miles), where there was a small pond below some snow up on a rock slope. Then a descent of some 300 feet (.4 miles) to Washington Lake.

This was a great hike on a beautiful trail, with mostly healthy forests (trees, “shrubs”, and flowers). A “clean” trail, steady slope, and great views of mountains left and right. Even some left-over snow. We met only a half dozen other hikers, tho’ this must be a very popular trail for hiking and backpacking further into the White Cloud Wilderness and surrounding general forest areas.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.8 miles
Elevation: start 8,749 ft, maximum 9,582 ft, minimum ft
Gross gain: 833 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,184 ft, descending 1,189 ft
Maximum slope: 20% ascending, 16% descending, 7.0% average
Duration: 5:25

Fourth Of July Trail Hike.Pat.2021-06-29 (KML)	79 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Fourth Of July Trail Hike.Pat.2021-06-29 (GPX)	61 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.

Fishhook Creek-Alpine Way Trails Hike – 06/28/2021
Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail Hike – 06/26/2021

References and Resources

AllTrails: Fourth of July Lake Trail
Washington Lake via White Clouds Trail
Idaho Campground Review: Hiking to Fourth of July Lake And Washington Lakes
Stanley CC: A Backpacker’s Dream: Whitecloud Wilderness Loop
Visit Idaho: 4 Must-Do Hikes Near Stanley

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

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

Fishhook Creek-Alpine Way Trails Hike – 06/28/2021

July 27, 2021

This is our 2nd hike on our trip to Idaho, and during our first day with the R-Pod set up in the Casino Creek Campground, along the Salmon River five miles east of Stanley.

The Drive In

I had done much research on hiking trails around Stanley – there were so many choices that it was hard to pick one, especially that we were new to the area. We started the day intending to hike the Fishhook Creek Trail, 4.5 miles with little elevation gain – an easy day. The trailhead is near a parking lot on the drive into the Redfish Lake Lodge (this is about 5 miles south of Stanley; 3 miles on US on Idaho 22 to the turnoff to Redfish Lake, then a couple of miles on the road towards Redfish Lodge).

The Hike

Fishhook Creek-Alpine Way Trails Hike.Pat.2021-06-28

From the parking lot, we followed the signs pointing us across the Lodge Road to where we found the trailhead. The start of the hike was on a well groomed trail, almost a two-track, skirting an pretty aspen grove. The trail continued through open forest but with much dead-fall. I guess we began to think this trail would be too easy because, coming upon a trail going off to the right (and uphill), we changed our course and continued on the Alpine Way trail towards Marshall Lake. (The extensive research paid off – I had imported into USTopo on my phone/GPS most of the trails that I thought we might find interesting. Alpine Way was included so the change in plan went smoothly.)

Up to that point we had gained some 150 ft elevation. But heading up Alpine Way we ascended 450 feet to the top of a ridge and continued climbing from there to our turn-around point. Along the way we had amazing views of the central portion of the Sawtooth Mountains, and could easily see how they came by that name. The trail remained well used, easy hiking.

We continued on Alpine Way, at one point entering the Sawtooth Wilderness Area (and signing in). We are most comfortable when our hikes are under 6 miles, so at 2.7 miles, we paused to enjoy our traditional mid-hike break (ramen, carrots, PB&J) and returned to the trailhead.

Highlights

Our surroundings were so very green. Clearly there is sufficient sources of water to support lush growth of trees, shrubs, and … flowers. This is such a contrast to New Mexico. Some of the flowers we see in New Mexico, but there were others that were new to us. And even the trees were so healthy, and some unfamiliar to us. Check our Flower Photos below for a sampling of what we have seen.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.29 miles
Elevation: start 6,563 ft, maximum 7,524 ft, minimum 6,563 ft
Gross gain: 961 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,076 ft, descending 1,087 ft
Maximum slope: 30% ascending, 37% descending, 7.2% average
Duration: 5:11

Fishhook Creek-Alpine Way Trails Hike.Pat.2021-06-288 (KML)	161 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Fishhook Creek-Alpine Way Trails Hike.Pat.2021-06-28 (GPX)	374 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

USFS: Fishhook Creek Trail
Alpine Way Trailhead
AllTrails: Fishhook Creek Trail
Marshall Lake via Trail 186 and Alpine Way Trail
The Outbound: Hike Fishhook Creek
Hiking Project: Alpine Way Trail
Idaho Campground Review: Hiking to Marshall Lake from Redfish Trailhead
High-Powered Planet: Alpine Way Trail

Georges's Photos (with captions): Click on a photo for gallery view.

Georges's Flowers: Click on a photo for gallery view.

Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail Hike – 06/26/2021

July 23, 2021

This is our first hike on a trip with our R-Pod camper trailer to the Sawtooth Mountains and Salmon River in Idaho. Having spent 4 days of driving, and a day in Salt Lake City, we set up camp in Mackay, Idaho for 2 nights, sort of a preface for our main attraction, hiking in the Sawtooths.

The Drive In

Mackay is situated on open desert in the Lost River Valley. But it lies between mountain ranges: the Lost River Range to the northeast and the White Knob Mountains to the southwest. These ranges, on both sides of the Canyon, rise to over 11,000 feet. The drive in from the outskirts of Mackay was straightforward – to the northeast edge of town, where Main Street turns right, becoming Bar Road.

The Hike

Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail.Pat.2021-06-26

Some intense research over the weeks prior to our departure turned up this trail right close to Mackay.

Lower Cedar Creek Canyon is quite narrow with a strong stream flowing towards the desert beyond the mouth of the canyon. But the Canyon is wide enough to allow for quite nice trail along the left bank. The slope is steady, from 6,770 to 7,140 in 1.3 miles. Then, for 2 tenths of a mile, the trail climbs steeply, alongside the waterfall, for 200 feet or so. There we encountered the source of the stream – another water fall, coming right out of the side of a cliff.

Highlight

There is so much green in the canyon – trees, “shrubs”, grasses, all manner of plants. And the flowers – so many shapes and colors. To top if off, we saw many butterflies, flitting from flower to flower (see the photo gallery below). It was difficult to keep in mind that just beyond the mouth of the canyon there is a desert environment.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.25 miles
Elevation: start 6,772 ft, maximum 7,372 ft, minimum 6,772 ft
Gross gain: 600 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,160 ft, descending 1,160 ft
Maximum slope: 38% ascending, 47% descending, 10.4% average
Duration: 3:36

Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail.Pat.2021-06-26 (KML)	69 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail.Pat.2021-06-26 (GPX)	69 Downloads
Lower Cedar Creek Falls Driveout.Pat.2021-06-26 (KML)	63 Downloads
Lower Cedar Creek Falls Driveout.Pat.2021-06-26 (GPX)	81 Downloads

If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Lower Cedar Creek Trail #4382
Only in Your State: The Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail …
AllTrails: Lower Cedar Creek Falls
Hiking Project: Lower Cedar Creek Falls Trail #4382
The Outbound: Hike to Lower Cedar Springs

Georges's Photos (with captions): Click on a photo for gallery view.

George's Flower Photos: Click on a photo for Gallery View.

Del Agua-Piedra Lisa Trails Hike – 04/27/2021

June 6, 2021

Jay and I returned to a trail we have enjoyed in the past (see Related Posts below).

The Drive In

Access to the trailheads for both trails is via the Forest Loop Rd off of NM 165 east of the Placitas Cafe. There are two entrances, not far from each other: from the Placitas Cafe the first one – .5 miles, the second one – .8 miles; the second one is preferred. The Loop Road is quite rough with rocks exposed throughout; a high-clearance vehicle isn’t required but the suspension of any vehicle will get a workout. There are two parking places, one for the Piedra Lisa trailhead (1.9 miles from NM 165), the other for Del Agua (2.0 miles from NM 165).

The Hike

Del Agua-Piedra Lisa Trails Hike.Jay.2021-04-27

We enjoyed our revisit to this loop and these two trails. The description for our hike back in 2019 covers it quite well.

Highlight

On the way down Piedra Lisa, not far from the intersection with Agua Sarca, we spotted an outcropping of white rock. It appeared to be similar to the “Quartz Outcrop” that we’ve hiked to a couple of times. If so, then we were unexpectedly close to that hike. But checking the topo map, and reviewing the tracks for the Quartz Outcrop hike, we concluded that it is another such Outcrop. And it becomes another destination, to cross the intervening arroyo from Piedra Lisa to inspect it more closely.

Jay Here: Just want to add that one of the terrific things about this hike was that on the entire way up and the way back, we did not encounter a single other hiker/biker. One of the advantages of being retired and hiking on a weekday!

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.17 miles
Elevation: start 6,005 ft, maximum 7,047 ft, minimum 6003 ft
Gross gain: 1044 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,485 ft, descending 1,486 ft
Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 51% descending, 11.0% average
Duration: 3:00

Del Agua-Piedra Lisa Trails Hike.Jay.2021-04-27 (KML)	210 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Del Agua-Piedra Lisa Trails Hike.Jay.2021-04-27 (GPX)	94 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.

Del Agua-Piedra Lisa Trails Hike – 11/17/2019
Del Agua-Piedra Lisa North Hike – 04/24/2016
Del Agua-LPiedra Lisa North Hike – 03/09/2013
Del Agua Hike – 03/22/2015
NoName-Quartz Outcrop Hike – 09/23/2018

References and Resources

USFS: Del Agua Trail #248
Piedra Lisa North Trailhead-Piedra Lisa Trail 135
AllTrails: Piedra Lisa Trail and Del Agua Trail Loop
GAIA GPS: Del Agua Trail and Piedra Lisa Trail Loop
Dog of the Desert: A note on Del Agua Trail in the northern Sandias
ondafringe: North Piedra Lisa/Del Agua Loop
Hiking Project: Piedra Lisa Trail #135

Jay's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery View.

George's Photos (with Captions): Click on a Photo for Gallery View.

Hermit Peak Trail #233 Hike – 05/21/2021

June 4, 2021

This was our first venture into the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. ‘Tis not as popular as the west side, located away from centers of population. In addition to exploring hiking trails, we were curious about the couple of campgrounds situated there.

The Drive In

From Albuquerque, find your way to Las Vegas (NM!). We exited I-25 onto US 85 at the south end of town, then turned left onto NM 329 (also identified as New Mexico Ave). Nearing the north end of town, NM 329 curves to the right – turn left immediately onto NM 65; follow it through Montezuma where you enter into the mountains. The road follows Gallinas Creek up the canyon, passing through Gallinas (a place-name, not much to identify it as a village, about 6.5 miles from Montezuma).

A mile and a half beyond Gallinas the valley (and the road) splits – Gallinas Creek to the left, Porvenir Canyon to the right. Take the fork to the right for the Hermit Peak Trail (and El Porevenir Campground), another 2.25 miles. The road is paved right up until half mile from the traihead, where one enters the National Forest. Distance from I-25: 18 miles.

The Hike

The trailhead is near the entrance to the El Porvenir campground; we took a round-about way to get on the trail. El Porvenir is a nice small campground tucked into this pleasant valley. The trail is well used, presenting a steady easy uniform grade on a nice surface through open forest. About 1.25 miles in the trail dips through a ravine, then begins climbing with a slightly steeper grade through not so open forest. We chose to stop for our mid-hike break at about 2.1 miles. From there trail becomes steeper headed for -the- Peak, not on our agenda for the day. But other reports describe the hike to the peak to be well worth it, for the views of the Sangre de Cristo from this direction.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.13 miles
Elevation: start 7,493 ft, maximum 8,607 ft, minimum 7,490 ft
Gross gain: 1,217 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,252 ft, descending 1,255 ft
Maximum slope: 36% ascending, 34% descending, 10.6% average
Duration: 3:50

Hermits Peak Trail #233.Pat.2021-05-21 (KML)	151 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Hermits Peak Trail #233.Pat.2021-05-21 (GPX)	64 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

USDA Forest Service: El Porvenir Campground
Hermits Peak Trail #223
Hiking Project: Hermit’s Peak Trail #223
New Mexico Trails: Hermits Peak Trail – Trail #223
AllTrails: Hermit Peak Trail
SummitPost: Hermit Peak (NM)
Reddit:#223 Hermit’s Peak hike report June 10,2019 (detailed report)

Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike – 05/10/2021

May 13, 2021

Pat and I have hiked up Mount Taylor, last year and 2 years ago, and we were looking forward to doing it again. Jay and Nancy were intrigued and also wanted to ‘go the distance’. So we scheduled a 2-night camping trip, giving us a day to make the climb.

The Drive In

Because Jay & Nancy are tent-campers, we planned on camping in the Coal Mine Campground. Arriving there, we discovered that is not yet open for this year, But, Pat and I provided a fallback; from the 2020 Post:

“We had an easy drive to Grants, then through Lobo Canyon on NM 547 to FR 193 and on to our target campsite. The road has fresh, deep gravel (a Class 3 road) but the Tacoma/R-Pod handled it easily. We chose the campsite closer to the trailhead; an added benefit – it is located on the edge of Lobo Canyon and thus affords better views than the other campsites. This, our first setup outside of an established campground, challenged us in maneuvering the R-Pod among trees and rocks to an area relatively level – great experience for future forays.”

The Hike

Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-05-10

The hike this year is much like Pat & I did last year, at least the ascent; I won’t repeat the description, but invite you to review that BLOG post. For the descent, we opted to follow the precedent of our first hike to the summit: descend on the trail to the tree line, then turn right to follow Gooseberry Creek down to it’s junction with the Gooseberry Spring trail.

As we continue to embrace New Mexico’s vistas and features, we very much enjoyed the views from the many vantage points on the trail up Mount Taylor. The open forest through which we pass for the first half of the hike is so very pleasant, with the healthy aspen, ponderosa, and fir trees. Then above the edge of the trees, the views of the slopes ahead and along one section to the right are breathtaking. Out on the slope of the last half of the ascent the views to the west and south are wondrous. Topping out on the summit opens more views to the south and east.

Please step through the gallery of photos below to get a sense of what I’m trying to describe, and some descriptions of the hike.

Highlight

Inspecting maps closely, I had noted that the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) passed near our campsite. Then, a half mile into the hike a young woman caught up with us. It appeared by her pack that she was backpacking. Chatting briefly we learned that she had come from Grants and was in fact a through-hiker on the CDT. A half mile later, we caught up with her as she was chatting with Cheshire Cat (his trail name). He was introduced as a Trail Angel, well known by CDT through-hikers, particularly for providing ice cream sandwiches out on the trail. After a convivial conversation, the hiker continued ahead (being new at this through-hiking universe, we didn’t think to ask her trail name), and she was soon out of sight. Cheshire Cat headed back to the trailhead and his crazy-painted car (unfortunately, we didn’t think to take a picture of the car as we began our hike). And we continued on our way.

(Cheshire Cat challenged us with a $1,000,000 bet: who has right-of-way, a hiker going uphill or one going downhill? We all posited – uphill has right-of-way. He asserted that downhill has precedence, his logic being that one going downhill has difficulty stopping, particularly on a steep, rocky slope. ‘Tho that seemed to make sense to all of us, we continued to think – uphill. So I guess we have and IOU to him.)

As we were climbing up the switchbacks on the upper half of the ascent, we noticed another hiker gaining on us. A couple of hundred yards from the top, she caught up and went ahead. Upon arriving at the peak, she was there taking photos. We exchanged cameras to get ‘selfies’ to document our arrival. We invited her to join us while we had lunch, which she graciously agreed. We enjoyed great conversation, learning that her trailname is “No-No”, that she has been on the CDT for close to a month (starting at the US-Mexico border) and plans to finish at the Canadian border come September.

As we prepared to head back down, No-No told us we might encounter another through-hiker, trailname “Beer Goddess”. And .. as we returned to -the summit, a young woman was there taking her documentary photos. We may have surprised her, asking if she was Beer Goddess. Yes, she said, as we told her No-No was just ahead, packing up to continue on the trail. After getting a picture of her on her camera, we continued on our way, back down Mount Taylor.

Postscript

During our descent, we were reminded of our first hike on Mount Taylor back in 2018. Pat & I hiked to the saddle not far above the tree line. It was a great introductory hike and gave us perspective (and confidence) that we could hike to the summit. We returned two weeks later to ‘go to the top’. Reflecting on those experiences, and in conversation with Nancy & Jay, it occurred to us that others may hike to this half-way point, a bit more than half way in distance and half way in elevation gain. Such a hike would not be so strenuous and would give one great views all around, especially the last 1/4 mile along the east side of the ridge, with a beautiful view across Rinconada Canyon. Then descend, as we did, down into Goosberry Canyon, back to the Trail and to the trailhead.

Statistics

Total Distance: 6.31 miles
Elevation: start 9,275 ft, maximum 11,309 ft, minimum 9,275 ft
Gross gain: 2,034 ft. Aggregate ascending 2,246 ft, descending 2,247 ft
Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 41% descending, 12.8% average
Duration: 6:44

Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-05-10 (KML)	68 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Gooseberry Springs Trail Hike.PatJayNancy.2021-05-10 (GPX)	59 Downloads

If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.

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

References and Resources

See References and Resources for the 2020 hike
Through-Hikers APP: GutHook Guides
Hiking Dude: Continental Divide Trail (download .kml file)

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

The Drive In

The Hike

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The Drive In

The Hike

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The Drive In

The Hike

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The Drive In

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The Drive In

The Hike

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AllTrails: Fourth of July Lake Trail Washington Lake via White Clouds TrailIdaho Campground Review: Hiking to Fourth of July Lake And Washington LakesStanley CC: A Backpacker’s Dream: Whitecloud Wilderness LoopVisit Idaho: 4 Must-Do Hikes Near Stanley

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The Drive In

The Hike

Highlights

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

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The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

Statistics

References and Resources

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The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

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The Drive In

The Hike

Statistics

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

Postscript

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

AllTrails: Fourth of July Lake Trail
Washington Lake via White Clouds Trail
Idaho Campground Review: Hiking to Fourth of July Lake And Washington Lakes
Stanley CC: A Backpacker’s Dream: Whitecloud Wilderness Loop
Visit Idaho: 4 Must-Do Hikes Near Stanley