Fenton Lake Hike – 08/14/2018

This is the first hiking on a 3-day trip with grandson Thomas.  Our original destination was one of the campgrounds further into the Jemez Mountains (and higher elevations), but with the threats of rain/thunderstorms, we holed up in the Vista Linda campground near Jemez Springs.  We enjoyed the bubbling Jemez River adjacent to the campsite, but the conditions were hot.  Once the R-Pod was set up, we headed to higher ground, Fenton Lake. Driving through the campground, we noted this for future camping.  Near the back end of the campground, near the dam, we parked and set out on a short hike. 

The Hike

Fenton Lake Hike.PatThomas.2018-08-14

This was a “walk in the woods”, really a stroll down the Rio Cebolla below the dam for Fenton Lake with Thomas.  The trail is well used, easy walking even biking. Along the stream it is lush with grasses and flowers, as you can see in the photo gallery below.  View the Gallery with captions for a brief narrative of the hike.

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.92 miles
Elevation: start 7,676 ft, maximum 7,710 ft, minimum 7,612  ft
Gross gain: 98 ft. Aggregate ascending 711 ft, descending 696 ft
Maximum slope: 33% ascending, 32% descending, 7% average
Duration: 2:38

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

New Mexico State Parks: Fenton Lake State Park
Campsite Photos: Fenton Lake Campground
Angler’s Guide: New Mexico’s Fenton Lake
Lake Lubbers: Fenton Lake, New Mexico, USA

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

I’ve been entranced on so many hikes in New Mexico by the many flowers that seem to thrive here.  I’ve photographed many of them with my Samsung/Android phone, but with mixed results.  Now I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100, much better at getting good photos of objects up close, especially with its zoom lens. And this walk, with its lush growth of flowers, presented a great opportunity to get photos worth sharing.

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