Our second hike during a 3-day camping trip in the Jemez Mountains, at the Jemez Falls Campground. After a longer hike the day before, we chose this easier hike from Coco Rae’s book “Hiking Trails in Valles Caldera National Preserve”. We were not disappointed – it was a great trail.
The Drive In
The trail begins at a two-track to the left of the main road into Valles Caldera, about half way to the Visitors Center. Parking is 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.2020-10-14
The hike begins with a climb over a cable (or go around it) that blocks vehicle access, and a gentle ascent to the top of a ridge. Nearing the top Missing Cabin comes into view, to further accent the views all around – the grasses of the slope east into Valle Grande and across the Valle, and north and west to the East Fork Jemez River that is flowing out the the Valle into it’s canyon and South Mountain beyond. Then skirting a grove of fir on the left, one intercepts the River and continues along the flowing stream. The trail since the two-track is a well worn path through knee high grass – easy walking.
For the next half mile the trail follows the river, crossing to the north side on a log nicely locate there for our use. At about a 1.5 miles into the hike the trail enters the East Fork canyon with rocks forming the edge of the canyon on one side or the other. The trail continues to be -easy walking- in a beautiful surrounding. And stream burbling along over rocky sections adding to the ambience.
After a stop for our mid-hike break we headed back to the Tacoma with wonderful memories of the Hidden Valley Trail.
Highlight
First, the view across Valles Grande as the trail tops the ridge and passes the Missing Cabin, is truly awesome, the nearly 4 miles across the totally open space of Valles Grande to the far edge of the Valle. And 5 miles beyond that to the eastern rim of the Caldera.
Second, the lush valley of the East Fork Jemez River even in dry time of autumn. The stream continues to flow, the grasses tho’ in their autumn brown are lush, and the fir and ponderosa trees are so healthy. This -is- a gem of a hike!
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.15 miles
Elevation: start 8,544 ft, maximum 8,592 ft, minimum 8,463 ft
Gross gain: 129 ft. Aggregate ascending 848 ft, descending 848 ft
Maximum slope: 45% ascending, 52% descending, 5.2% average
Duration: 4:43
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 have enjoyed very much hiking in and around Valles Caldera this year. With more research, and in particular Coco Rae’s recently published book, “Hiking Trails in Valles Caldera National Preserve”,we are finding places “off the beaten path”. For our first hike during this 3-night camping trip (R-Pod to Jemez Falls Campground), we were intrigued by the description of “.. otherworldly sulfur fields to pretty creek-lined meadows ..” in the Sulphur and Alamo Canyons.
The Drive In
Sulphur Creek-Alamo Canyon Drivein.Pat.2020-10-13
The drive to the trailhead, also the western boundary of the Valles Caldera Preserve, turn north off of NM 4 at milepost 27, onto Sulphur Creek Road. The trailhead is about 2.25 miles from the turn off of NM 4 on a decent Class 3-4 road. (A sign at the turnoff points the way to Forest Road 105.) Some 200 yards from NM 4, at a ‘Y’ in the road, take the leg to the right; another sign points you along to FR 105. (For the first 3+ miles the road passes through an area of private property – Sulphur Creek Road. Once entering Forest Service property the road becomes FR 105.) A gate closes the road where it enters into the Valles Caldera National Preserve. There is sufficient parking alongside the road for up to a half dozen cars.
The Hike
Sulphur Creek-Alamo Canyon Hike.Pat.2020-10-13
This hike is on a two-track for its full length. Through Sulphur Canyon it presents a steady moderate ascent. The surface is gravel and rock typical of a two-track in active use – it has seen heavy use recently as a crew has been thinning the forest along the road. After turning into Alamo Canyon the road is less used, in some places covered over with grass.
A place of interest to us was an area a half a mile into the hike: an area with “.. geothermal features like mud-pots and fumaroles ..”. It was a sulfur mine early in the 20th century, then a health spa through 1970, and in the 1980s a site experimenting with geothermal wells for energy production.
Bath house and Office for Sulphur Canyon Spa.
We knew we were approaching the area because of the smell of hydrogen sulfide. We explored the area with its numerous mud-pots and fumaroles, intrigued by the bubbling “froth” in a half dozen small mud-pots. And scattered around the area were relics from those past activities.
Our hike continued up the two-track following Sulphur Creek; we flushed a turkey from deep grass a half mile on. This part of the hike was very pleasant until, that is, we neared the turn into Alamo Canyon – the noise from the chain saws of thinning crews disturbed the quiet of the wilderness.
Turning right into Alamo Canyon, we passed another area of geothermal activity. It opened up into a wide valley for the first mile with great view of Redondo Border to the southeast. About half a mile on we came to the first of 3 ponds in the canyon. These are quite interesting with geothermal activity in one corner of the ponds. Most of the water in the pond was crystal clear revealing a shallow muddy bottom. Large areas of the ponds were covered with a purple “scum”, a plant we suppose that thrives on the sulfur content of water from the geothermal activity. In one corner or along one edge of each pond the water was a milky white with bubbling gas scattered about.
And such was the situation for each of the 3 ponds. This was such a pleasant hike that we discovered we had gone beyond our usual distance without realizing it. We found some shade, enjoyed our lunch, and returned to the Tacoma continuing to enjoy the autumn colors.
Statistics
Total Distance: 7.18 miles Elevation: start 8,143 ft, maximum 8,879 ft, 8,112 minimum ft Gross 767 gain: ft. Aggregate ascending 1,381 ft, descending 1,394 ft Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 43% descending, 5.5% average Duration: 5:32
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.
Our 2nd hike on a 5-day camping trip to the Jemez Mountains with Jay and Nancy. We set up camp in the Jemez Falls Campground, a very nice Forest Service campground in the middle of the Jemez Mountains and close to Valles Caldera. Nearby are great hiking opportunities – for all skill levels, any distances.
The Drive In
From the campground, drive east to the entrance to the Valles Caldera National Preserve. There is only one road into the Preserve which takes one to the Visitor Center. To proceed beyond this point one must register (and may be required to pay an access fee, ‘tho in recent months the fees have been waived). After receiving your Pass, you will be allowed to lower the entrance cable and proceed into the Preserve.
The trailhead for this hike is in the northwestern corner of Valles Caldera. Within the Preserve, vehicles must remain on the two roads. From the Visitors Center, VC01 goes northwest between Valle Grande the lava domes Cerro La Jara and South Mountain to the Cabin District. (Among the buildings there is the ranch house featured in the series “Longmire”.) From there, VC02 proceeds northeast, about 10 miles to a T intersection with VC09. To continue for hiking downstream on San Antonio Creek, turn left on VC09 – 4 miles to park at the end of allowed access.
The Hike
Valle De San Antonio Hike.PatJayNancy.2020-09-22
This is may be the most beautiful area of Valles Caldera. We parked at the end of access on VC-09, then continued on foot in the wide valley of San Antonio Creek. We enjouyed magnificent views of the surrounding lava domes: to the south Cerro Seco and San Antonio Mountain, and to the north and west the rim of the Caldera. About a mile along the old roadbed of VC-09 we crossed the bridge over San Antonio Creek, and then .. the rain showers that had sprung up around the area caught up with us. We repaired up the slope and found a ponderosa pine that gave us some protection from the rain and popcorn hail shower.
After about 45 minutes pinned down by the shower, we returned to VC-09 to continue our hike. A quarter of a mile on we passed out of the Preserve and onto FR 376 which followed the contour of the caldera rim 60 feet or so above the floor of the valley. The view of the Creek from this vantage point is beautiful. In another half mile we found ourselves at the base of the road Jay and I had taken down from FR 144 for the San Antonio Canyon North Hike back in 2017. We chose to turn back here, but take a route along the Creek itself.
Of interest to us in the creek were the artificial “beaver dams” that were being constructed when Pat & I hiked here back in 2019 (Valle de San Antonio Hike – 09/11/2019). Work had been completed and the posts with willow woven between them were intact .. but no sign of beaver (yet).
The track along the river is most pleasant, with the green grasses, recently planted willows (within exclosures for protection), and the gently flowing stream. The trail is easy walking, ‘tho with one place where the artificial dam had backed up water over the trail necessitating a detour up the slope a bit. About midway back towards the parking area, the trail returns to the road and across the bridge. Proceeding north on VC-09, the view across the wide valley of San Antonio Creek is splendid. All in all, this hike easily makes it worth the extra drive from the Valles Caldera entrance.
Jay here: Wouldn’t you know it. Hail storm again. Nancy and I had been partway on the road into the caldera but never to the end where this hike began. It’s a long ride. Seems longer on the way out after a long hike. A lot of downed trees throughout which is a bit sad but the regeneration is already underway so that’s a positive sign. Nancy found some rusty gems to take back, so it was worth the trek.
Highlight
A slide show of the beautiful vista views of the Valle de San Antonio.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.35 miles
Elevation: start 8,390 ft, maximum 8,474 ft, minimum 8,326 ft
Gross gain: 148 ft. Aggregate ascending 618 ft, descending 618 ft
Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 42% descending, 04.8% average
Duration: 3:35
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.
This is our first hike on a 5-day camping trip to the Jemez Mountains with friends Jay and Nancy. We set up camp in the Jemez Falls Campground, a very nice Forest Service campground in the middle of the Jemez Mountains and close to Valles Caldera. Nearby are great hiking opportunities, for all skill levels, any distanc
The Drive In
The trailhead is 13 miles east of the Jemez Falls Campground on NM 4. There is a large parking area on the north side of the road at the trailhead. (Across the road are trailheads for other trails going south into the upper reaches of Bandelier, also good hiking.)
The Hike
Cerro Grande Trail Hike.PatJayNancy.2020-09-21
This is a favorite trail for Pat & me, and we were pleased to bring Jay and Nancy here. On the way to the trailhead, we stopped to enjoy the tremendous view across Valle Grande, the main valley yet comprising less than 10% of the Caldera as a whole. — We did not see any elk in the Valle this morning, although often one can see one or many herds in the distance (a couple of miles – the Valle is so huge they are only dots on the valley floor.)
The first half mile of the trail is a gentle slope through open forest; like all of the trail, it is well used, makes for easy walking. From there on the slope is a bit greater but I would never classify it as steep, although at times it is on a hillside with a 50° slope. Topping the saddle (about 2/3rd to the summit) we paused to enjoy a great view west across the Valle to the far rim of the volcano and mountains south and west.
From here the trail is in open grassland except for 300 or 400 yards of open forest on the east slope of Cerro Grande. We had been watching the formation of rain cells coming from the northwest. Some went around us, but our luck ran out and precipitation began with small, soft hailstones (or were they large popcorn snow). We sought shelter in what appeared to be the last ponderosa pine on the way to the summit; it was just large enough to keep us almost dry.
The shower cells were moving slowly – some 50 minutes later that cell passed on and we headed down, foregoing those last yards to the summit (it is, after all, not a peak but a gentle mountain top). Though it remained cloudy, the hike back down was dry.
Highlight
The best I can do here is — the snow/rain quit after about 50 minutes while we huddled under a tree. We were able to return to the trailhead in dry conditions and enjoy our mid-hike break a couple of hundred yards from the parking area.
Jay here: Well, highlight is one word for it. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here, under a tree. What the heck do we care? It’s small comfort that hail storms are typical this time of year at 9k feet. You still wait for the lightning to hit the tree you are standing under. Now that’s a highlight. The sunshine at the start and the super saturated light at the end of the hike are all you have to see to experience the contrast. Great hike, great company. It’s like the analogy of who you would want to share a foxhole with…and not get killed.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.24 miles
Elevation: start 8,959 ft, maximum 10,110 ft, minimum 8,956 ft
Gross gain: 1,154 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,325 ft, descending 1,327 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 26% descending, 10.7% average
Duration: 4:47
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.
This was a reconnoitering trip into the Jemez Mountains, to check out the status of campgrounds and reconnect with Valles Grande, both in advance of a camping trip with friends in September. First the campgrounds: San Antonio is open (reservations only thru Sep 14) ; Redondo is closed until next spring; and Jemez Falls is open (reservations thru Sep 14, First Come after that through November, but check by phone at (575)829-3535).
As for hiking? Our first choice was to go to the northeastern part of the reserve, to the Cerro de la Garitas Trail. But .. we’d arrived at the Visitor Center at 11:00, but must return by 4:30. The drive to the northern part of the Caldera takes nearly an hour, which meant we didn’t have time to make Cerro de la Garita hike. So .. we stopped halfway and hiked the Jaramillo Creek 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. Parking for this hike is near the top of a knoll as one leaves Valley Jaramillo, at the intersection of VC02 (the main road) and VC03.
The Hike
Upper Jaramillo Creek Hike.Pat.2020-08-27
The trail is a two-track that runs above Jaramillo Creek, in open grassland that is so characteristic of Valle Grande and the other valleys in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Much of the Creek itself has been fenced in to protect the new growth of willow and other native plants from elk that are so prevalent in the area. The Preserve has an intense effort to restore the wildland to the condition before extensive logging and cattle grazing changed the environment.
We hiked out about 2.5 miles, then climbed onto a hill for the view and our mid-hike break. The weather was a bit on the warm side with almost no shade, but occasional clouds and breezes allowed us to stay cool most of the time. On the return we watched a red tail hawk ride a thermal above the valley and we came upon this Northern Goshawk that posed for us.
And as on nearly all our hikes around New Mexico, colors in abundance.
Highlight
A signature feature of Valles Caldera is the sheer immensity of the place. The valleys, like Valle Jaramillo above, are large open grasslands bordered by slopes of volcanic domes with ponderosa and fir forests. The central valley, Valle Grande, is even more immense, 5 miles of unobstructed view from west to east. And ever present are the -big- domes like Redondo Peak in the background.
Wildlife abounds as well. As mentioned above, we watched a red tail hawk ride a thermal and came upon a Northern Goshawk perched in a tree alongside the trail. We also saw flickers with their white backs, a form of bluebird, chipmunks of course, and on the drive out a small herd of elk in the distance. ‘Tis such an amazing place.
Statistics
Total Distance: 5.08 miles
Elevation: start 8,792 ft, maximum 8,996 ft, minimum 8,749 ft
Gross gain: 247 ft. Aggregate ascending 599 ft, descending 598 ft
Maximum slope: 16% ascending, 23% descending, 03.2% average
Duration: 3:31
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.
This is our 2nd hike on this camping trip into the Jemez Mountains, camping in the Redondo Campground (see notes from the hike the day before). We ventured again into the southwestern corner of Valles Caldera, with a plan to explore the canyon that goes east out of Redondo Meadow. Without published trails to guide us, we went a-orienteering.
The Hike
Valles Caldera-Banco Bonito Hike.Pat.2020-07-22
The 2-track descent from Banco Bonito into Redondo Meadow.
Using our lesson from yesterday about orienteering, we set placemarks on USTopo, ready to read (and follow) bearings. We planned to descend into Redondo Meadow on the same 2-track we used the day before – a bearing of 130° from the campsite. Again with yesterday’s experience regarding the topography, we worked our way around the steeper mounds/ridges (see the featured image above). Soon enough found ourselves on a 2-track that took us to the descent. Along the way we came across the last remains of two log structures, presumably from the days of the Baca Ranch (see the references below for more on the Baca Ranch and the history of Valles Grande).
Thick grass on the edge between forest and meadow.
On reaching the Meadow, we skirted its southern boundary where we had some shade, then continued on into the canyon. We looked for the coyote of yesterday, but didn’t see him. However … not far from yesterday’s encounter, we startled a coyote pup; he scampered in front of us up and over a mound. I dashed up to the top of the mound to find a large tunnel and no sign of the pup; it must have gone into its den.
Entering the canyon we found ourselves near a Class 4 2-track, identified as VC-02. We remained in the open forest for half a mile or so. As the ground started rising and the canyon was narrowing, we hiked on the 2-track itself. We didn’t have a specific destination, only the length of the hike ..and.. a plan to return to the campground before the rain showers that were forecast for the afternoon. Thus, a mile up, where we found the first sign of any running water in this canyon, we stopped for our first mid-hike break.
2-track back up onto Banco Bonito.
We had kept an eye out as we came from our descent 2-track for any other 2-tracks that would take us back up on Banco Bonito. We had seen one across the canyon, so headed for it. But … just a few yards from our break spot, we spotted a 2-track that traversed the edge back up onto Banco. We took it – a 130′ easy climb. Back on top, we returned to orienteering – bearing and compass. In a quarter of a mile, we found ourselves on a nice Class 4 2-track. As we suspected, it generally followed the edge of Banco, with intersections to other descending 2-tracks. At one point we did take a couple of right turns to keep our course along that edge. After the 2nd turn, we intercepted the 2-track we had taken outbound; from there we generally retracedthat track. And, BTW, no more than a few seconds after we got back in the R-Pod, the rain started and it rained hard for 15-20 minutes.
Our Experience
We learned a lot the day before on our Redondo Meadow Hike. Our navigating (reconnoitering) was much better getting to our chosen destinations, and the increased confidence in finding our down into Redondo Meadow and back up onto Banco Bonito made the day more relaxed. A new focus was figuring out the identifications of the various 2-tracks that we came across. At most of the intersections there were somewhat newer signs identifying roads, and in 2 instances older signs announcing trail names (and for 1 there were turn and straight ahead arrows). It will be for a future update to his post to report on these sighs.
Statistics
Total Distance: 6.39 miles
Elevation: start 8,153 ft, maximum 8,650 ft, minimum 8,054 ft
Gross gain: 596 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,253 ft, descending 1,255 ft
Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 28% descending, 5.8% average
Duration: 5:32
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.
This is our first hike during four days of camping in the Redondo Campground near the Valles Caldera. There aren’t any published trails in this area (that I can find), so this hike is based on planning using topo maps (primarily the US Topo Maps app on my Android smartphone).
Camping
First, some comments about the Redondo Campground. In the previous years Redondo was closed, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that it has been reopened. That was especially welcome information since there were no campsites available in the nearby Jemez Falls Campground. All campsites in Redondo are FF (First come-First serve), 62 of them. We are fortunate to be able to go camping during the week, and as hoped when we arrived there were many campsites available. In fact, during our three nights, only 3 other campsites occupied in the south loop were occupied.
The Hike
Valles Caldera-Redondo Meadow Hike.Pat.2020-07-21
This hike was an experience in orienteering since there are no published trails and few reports of hiking in the Valles Caldera, especially in this southwest corner of the Preserve. We set out to visit Redondo Meadow, starting from the Redondo Campground. The topography of Banco Bonito is interesting – 20′-50′ mounds and ridges with small valleys (vales?) between, with no discernible drainage pattern. That left us with hiking over the ridges and mounds or around them. The ground is even, often covered with pine needles or with wood chips from recent forest thinning – nice.
Stump and roots burned out.
All across Banco there was evidence of fire, some areas from long ago, other instances more recent. Indications of recent burns coupled with large areas of wood chips led us to suspect this was from a recent thinning project. Some trees were cut down, chipped, and chips were spread about particularly on 2-tracks. In other examples, the trees and their stumps must have been selectively burned; there was no evidence of fire beyond a few feet from the stump or trunk. For many of the burned cases, there were tunnels where roots must have completely burned out. This all seemed strange.
The greatest challenge, from looking at the topo maps, appeared to be getting down from Banco Bonito to the floor of Redondo Meadow. We identified a place where the topo lines were further apart and set that for our first waypoint. Approaching it, we came across a 2-track going down the slope giving us an easy descent.
We avoided going directly across the Meadow – it appeared to be a marshy area. Taking a bit of a detour, we crossed in deep but dry grass and headed up Redondo Creek on level and flat ground through open forest. ‘Tho we crossed a 2-track going in our direction, we kept our course, crossing Redondo Creek 2 or 3 times, then hiked along the stream until scrub oak and other bush-type plants made further progress difficult. We stopped for our mid-hike break, then “whacked” our way to the 2-track and started back towards the campground.
Lightning struck tree?
We proceeded on the 2-track, including a portion that was elevated above the Meadow – shaded and offered a great view down into the Meadow. From that vantage point we spotted an interesting feature, a circular area of burned grass, in the center a burned tree trunk. Looked to us like a lightning strike.
We remained on the 2-track into Redondo Creek canyon below the Meadow. As earlier, from the topo map we had identified a place where ascent back onto Banco Bonito would be easier; it proved to be a good choice. Back on the Banco, it was the same sort of hiking, mounds and ridges interspersed among small valleys, to return to the campsite.
Our Experience
What We Planned
A Plan for descending into Redondo Meadow.
For our first hike during this camping trip, we were attracted to the open space of Redondo Meadow and the upper reach of Redondo Creek. Looking at the topography, it appeared we would need to find a way to descend from Banco Bonito (where the campground is located) to the meadow floor; that became an “anchor point” for our track. From our campground site, we plotted a track that would take us ESE to a hook in the steep edge of Banco where it appeared the slope would be less than other places. Then our track would proceed across the meadow and up the creek as far as a Geothermal Well identified on the map. For the return, we planned to hike downstream anticipating we would find a way back up onto Banco.
What We Did
The plan vs actual.
This was truthfully our first attempt at “orienteering” and we learned a lot – particularly how important it is to use compass headings. We began by setting a course based on the topography, believing that between the topographic lines on USTopo and what we could see around us. We anticipated that we could follow the ridges and valleys of Banco Bonito and be going the right direction. Ooops .. as you see from our GoogleEarth track, we went northeast for nearly half a mile before realizing we weren’t going in the right direction. We then got out our compasses, set a waypoint for our destination, got it’s bearing from USTopo, and proceeded with compass in hand. Things went smoothly after that.
Following the bearing towards our intended descent, working our way around steep climbs onto mounds or ridges in the topography of Banco Bonito, we soon came across a 2-track (Class 5), likely an old logging road. We followed it for some distance, but when it turned away from the bearing to our waypoint, we were again bushwhacking. (Note: Bushwhacking is not an accurate description for transiting this forest; the forest is open, likely thinned in recent years with virtually no undergrowth – very easy hiking.)
Nearing our waypoint, we came upon another 2-track leading towards the edge of Banco Bonito. Upon investigation, we found that descended to the floor of Redondo Meadow; very nice. At the base of the descent we found trail signs, a couple of yellow-topped posts with arrows and on a tree, “Duke Trail”, and information that this is an equestrian and bike trail going up the 2-track.
Redondo Meadow, from ground level, Redondo Peak in the background.
Looking to cross the Meadow, we saw tall, very green grass, an indication that it might be marshy. To avoid a wet crossing, we worked our way to the right where the apparent marshy area was narrower. That proved to be dry and easy to cross. (As we started across the Meadow, we spotted a coyote near a pair of ponderosa pines. As we approached, it moved off 100 yards or so and began barking. Concerned that it was protecting something nearby, we skirted away from it and went about our business. More on this in the post for the next day’s hike.)
On the far side of the Meadow we hiked through more open forest, level ground, easy walking, generally following Redondo Creek. We crossed the Creek 2 or 3 times, working our way upstream until we found ourselves in -real- bushwhacking – thick growth of scrub oak and other plants, including one with thorns that seemed to reach out to grab us. With this, plus having been out for 3 miles, we chose to stop for our first mid-hike break, then start back to make this it our usual 6 mile hike.
After our break, we out ourselves onto the 2-track (Class 4) headed back towards the Meadow. Encountering a Y, we chose the ‘high road’ to the right which was parallel to the ‘low road’ and which gave us a great view of the Meadow below. Returning to the ‘low road’ at the western end of the Meadow, we continued on the Class 4 2-track towards a section of the edge of the Banco that appeared to be less steep slope and not so high. It proved to be a good choice – 100 feet of elevation gain, 17% average slope, easy.
Once back on Banco Bonito, using our newly learned orienteering approach we had successful return to the campground. But .. not before that day’s afternoon shower showed up. We were pelted by pea-sized hail with very few raindrops, which meant we didn’t get so wet; the hail shower subsided by the time we arrived at the camper.
Flowers
Many descriptions of hiking in New Mexico advertise the many flowers that can be encountered on the trails, particularly in the mountains. As you may have already discerned from other posts in the BLOG, I am entranced by them. And so, again during this trip, I captured photos of some beauties. You will find a collection in the gallery below.
Statistics
Total Distance: 6.18 miles Elevation: start 8,145 ft, maximum 8,338 ft, minimum 7,933 ft Gross gain: 405 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,098 ft, descending 1,099 ft Maximum slope: 38% ascending, 30% descending, 5.3% average Duration: 5:15
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.
Another 3 night camping trip to the Jemez, setting up the R-Pod in the Jemez Falls Campground. This is truly a great time of year to go camping and hiking in the Jemez Mountains. We’re fortunate that we can go during the week (weekends can be crowded); there are many good campsites to choose from whether with camper or tent camping. Days are warm, nights cool; we enjoyed 80s daytime, around 50 at night. This year the monsoon season seems to be lasting longer so we did have some rain in the afternoon and evening.
The Drive In
For our first day’s hiking we returned to Valles Caldera National Preserve – destination: the end of the road in northwest corner and a hike into the upper section of San Antonio Cañon. After getting our pass/permit at the Visitors Center, we drove the 17 miles through this beautiful scenery – the 4 mile view across Valle Grande, the mountains all around, the drive through Valle Jaramillo and into the wide open Valle de San Antonio. This itself is worth our visit every time we go. A gate blocks further travel onto a two-track, where we parked to begin the hike.
The Hike
Valle de San Antonio Hike.Pat.2019-09-11
The beginning of the hike is on an old two-track. Topping a couple ridges, we enjoyed views of San Antonio Creek to our right, and looking ahead we could see the cliffs that form the western edge of San Antonio Cañon.
A mile on we crossed the Creek on the berm over a large culvert and continued on the two track with a great view of the Creek and the Cañon ahead of us. The two-track continued on the western slope of this upper end of the Cañon, and from maps we could see that it is identified as FR 376 which continues all the way to NM 4 (‘tho it may be not passable, and I recall there is a closed gate at NM 4).
Two miles on we encountered folks with a tracked machine down along the river, and a most pleasant young woman driving a fork lift loaded with 10-12 foot long poles. She took time from her work to answer questions, and explained that she was a “wetlands restoration engineer”.
Our first question: what is the purpose of the 10′ tall fences around sections of the river? She explained that they are “exclosures”, to keep elk and other grazing animals from the marsh and grass land along the stream, thus giving the native plants protection so they may recover. She went on to say that they are planting willow and cottonwood trees (protected further with ‘chicken fence’ around the young plants), with the goal of restoring the wetlands to their natural state.
A BDA – beaver dam analogue.
Next, we asked – what is the “construction” work they are performing? She explained that they are building “beaver dam analogues” (BDAs) with the goal of attracting beaver back to the creek. These BDAs are constructed by driving the poles in the creek bottom, across the creek, then weaving willow boughs through the poles to create a dam. This will give the beaver a head start on -their- dam, and over time they will make it their home. We saw more than half a dozen such BDAs along this 1 mile stretch of San Antonio Creek.
From here we descended down to creekside and entered a couple of the exclosures where we enjoyed the ambience of the running water, lush marsh grass, and recently planted willow saplings. And .. having been alerted to the fact, we saw a -real- beaver dam further upstream. This valley will look quite different in coming years.
Returning to the two-track from a nice walk along the creek, to return to the truck.
Finding it a bit challenging to walk ‘off trail’, we returned to the two-track and headed back to the truck; it was getting late and one must return to the Visitor’s Center by 5:30 (17 miles, at least a half hour). We drove part way where we stopped at the turnoff to Obsidian Valley for lunch, then checked in at the Visitor’s Center and to returned to Jemez Falls Campground for the night.
Footnote: When we encountered the restoration crew, we noticed that access to the creek was afforded by a two-track descending from the western side of the cañon. Reviewing maps and previous hikes, I realized that it descends from FR 144 and was used by Jay and me on a hike back in 2017. (Further note: from here, it is only a 2 mile hike downstream to the San Antonio Hot Springs.)
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.49 miles Elevation: start 8,390 ft, maximum 8,474 ft, minimum 8,316 ft Gross gain: 158 ft. Aggregate ascending 602 ft, descending 602 ft Maximum slope: 16% ascending, 17% descending, 04.3% average Duration: 2:47
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.
We’ve been looking forward to visiting the northern part of Valles Caldera; we visited it a few days before – Valles Caldera Driveabout – which piqued our interest. Because I was dealing with a sore foot, we chose an easy hike in the northwest corner of the Caldera, following VC-09 in Valle San Antonio.
The Drive In
The drive in to Valle San Antonio is described in my earlier post, Valles Caldera Driveabout. For this hike, we turned left (west) on VC08, parked where VC09/the pipeline intersects 08.
The Hike
VC09 Valle San Antonio Hike.Pat.2019-07-25
Then we headed west on a very easy two-track, up and over a couple of small hills. As we proceeded, we watched cumulus clouds congeal into rain showers, with just a bit of lightning, some 3-5 miles to the west. When another cell began to form to the south, we decided to turn back, avoiding getting caught in a rain shower (and away from the lightning). We did take the opportunity as we turned back to climb a small hill which afforded a great view of the valley.
Statistics
Total Distance: 2.7 miles Elevation: start 8,506ft, maximum 8,518 ft, minimum 8,402 ft Gross gain: 116 ft. Aggregate ascending 357 ft, descending 357 ft “Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 25% descending, 4.8% average Duration: 1:47
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.
My brother, Garth, came to visit us for a week. After a few days of working together on the cabin (the usual excuse for him to come to New Mexico), on Sunday with Pat we headed to the Jemez Mountains and Valles Caldera for some cooler temperatures and the scenery. Checking in at the Visitors Center of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, we learned that the culvert that was washed out this past winter had been repaired and we could drive further into the Caldera – just what we were hoping for.
The Drive from Albuquerque to Valles Caldera
For those who haven’t visited this territory, here is a screenshot of the drive from home in Albuquerque to the entrance to the Valles Caldera National Preserve. It is an 81 mile drive, via I-25 northbound to Bernalillo (19 miles), then US 550 northwest bound to San Ysidro (23 miles). From there north on NM 4, through Jemez Pueblo, Jemez Springs, and La Cueva (26 miles), then to the entrance to Valles Caldera National Preserve (13 miles). To explore it further, download the GoogleEarth .KML file from the link below. [A note: don’t exceed the 30 mph speed limit in the Jemez Pueblo; their police are serious and enforce the limit.]
Valles Caldera Driveabout.PatGarth.2019-07-14
This drive itself is worth a day trip. After Bernalillo, the scenery is interesting ‘tho distant – White Mesa ahead, the red and rugged Mesa Cuchilla a bit to the right, and the Jemez Mountains off to the north. A few miles up NM 4 you will pass through the Jemez Pueblo (keep your speed below 30 mph), then a few more miles through Walatowa where the red cliffs dominate the view; the Walatowa Visitors Center is worth a visit. Along the way NM 4 follows the Jemez River with numerous parking areas for fishing (and a Forest Service campground – Vista Linda).
Leaving Walatowa and passing the Jemez Valley High School you will enter the narrow Cañon de San Diego with Mesa de Guadelupe and then Virgin Mesa on your left, and Mesa de las Casas and then Cat Mesa on your right, rising vertically from the Jemez River. NM 4 winds its way up the cañon to Jemez Springs, an interesting small village with restaurants, a truly old-time bar (Los Ojos), and a new tap room (Second Alarm Brewhouse, a “new-time” bar?). Continuing on NM 4 you will be climbing to higher elevations (and cooler temperatures), passing Soda Dam, more fishing spots, Battle Ship Rock, and … then on your right the tallest cliffs so far. Shortly you will reach La Cueva, really just a crossroad with a general store, and .. Nomad Mountain Pizza, where you will find a really great pizza (check online for their days and hours of business).
From La Cueva the climb continues – the road is ascending the southwest rim of Valles Caldera (La Cueva 7,800 ft, . About 5.5 miles from La Cueva you will make the first crossing of the East Fork Jemez River (in Cajete Cañon), and a half mile further trailheads for the East Fork Trail; the trail goes west towards McCauley Warm Springs, and east to the Jemez River Box – both make great hikes. From there the road takes you along the southern section of the rim and then down into into the Caldera. As you break out into the open, you will enjoy a grand view of Valle Grande – it is awesome. (Beware: the space of Valle Grande is so open and vast that it thoroughly confounds one’s sense of distances.)
(A note: I overheard a Forest Service Ranger at the Visitors Center point out that this Valle Grande -is only a small part the the Caldera. From NM 4 the distance to the far side of the Valle is only 4.3 miles to the north, 5.5 miles to the northeast. The diameter of the Caldera is more that 12 miles.)
The DriveAbout in Valles Caldera
As noted above, on our previous visits we weren’t able to drive past a washed-out culvert. Since then, repairs had been completed so we could drive into Valle San Antonio, the northern portion of the Caldera (screenshot below). Driving beyond the Visitors Center requires a pass and .. a promise to be back at the Center 30 minutes before closing (5:30 during regular summer hours). The road, VC01 from the Center then VC02 heading north, is well maintained (for a graded gravel road in New Mexico). It is certainly suitable for ‘street vehicles’ (high-clearance not required – just take it slow on the rocky and washboard sections). Again – distances are hard to judge – the drive from the Visitors Center to the junction with VC09 in Valle San Antonio will require 45 minutes or longer (important for planning, to as to be sure to return to the Center by 5:30).
The drive from NM4 is downhill all the way, but the view across the Valle is stunning. From here one can often see herds of elk out in the Valle – they appear so small because they are so far away. As you approach the Visitors Center, slow down for the Prairie Dogs.
Driving west from the Visitors Center (again, drive slow, watch for the prairie dogs) you will enter the Cabin District, a collection of ranch buildings from the days when this was a working ranch. The Caldera has been the set for many movies and TV series, notable among them The Lone Ranger (2013) and Longmire (2012-2017). Garth is standing in front of the cabin that was the centerpiece for Longmire.
Proceeding north on VC02, the road gains elevation and the full extent of Valles Grande becomes apparent. The Visitors Center shrinks in the distance. Some 2 miles from the Cabin District, you will pass a road down to the Horse Corral. Then around a curve into Valle Jaramillo and across the Creek (same name); this was the washed out culvert.
Continuing on VC02 north in Valle Jaramillo between smaller mountains in the reserve, the view opens up again to the west. Jaramill Creek is bounded by lush grasses (and we have seen people fishing for trout in the creek. Some 6 miles further on you will enter into Valle San Antonio, much larger than Valle Jaramillo. Another mile or so you will come to a T in the road, with VC09 going east and west from this junction. We opted to go east, for just a short distance – time was approaching when we needed to head back to the Visitors Center before 5:30.
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.
he hike begins with a climb over a cable (or go around it) that blocks vehicle access, and a gentle ascent to the top of a ridge. Nearing the top Missing Cabin comes into view, to further accent the views all around – the grasses of the slope east into Valle Grande and across the Valle, and north and west to the East Fork Jemez River that is flowing out the the Valle into it’s canyon and South Mountain beyond. Then skirting a grove of fir on the left, one intercepts the River and continues along the flowing stream. The trail since the two-track is a well worn path through knee high grass – easy walking.
For the next half mile the trail follows the river, crossing to the north side on a log nicely locate there for our use. At about a 1.5 miles into the hike the trail enters the East Fork canyon with rocks forming the edge of the canyon on one side or the other. The 
trail continues to be -easy walking- in a beautiful surrounding. And stream burbling along over rocky sections adding to the ambience.
