Tag Archives: Jay

Agua Sarca & Tunnel Spring Hike – 07/14/2025

July 20, 2025

Introduction

Picking up the pace of hiking this year, Jay met me in our old “hiking grounds” – the trails around Placitas.

The Drive In

The trailheads for Agua Sarca and Tunnel Spring are near each other. Starting at the Cafe along NM 165 in Placitas, drive east for 2.7 miles, then turn right on Road 231 (Tunnel Springs Road).

On the dirt road it is 1.3 miles to parking for the Agua Sarca Trailhead.
The Tunnel Spring Trailhead is 200 yards further along with ample parking.
- One passes under a very big cottonwood tree, courtesy a spring flowing out of a pipe on the right,

The Hike

Agua Sarca (upper right, a short track) & Tunnel Springs Hike.Jay.2025-07-14

Highlight

On so many of our hikes, we enjoy marvelous views under amazing skies across the valleys and mountains of New Mexico. So it was on this hike.

Statistics

Agua Sarca
Total Distance: 0.93 miles
Elevation: start 6,355 ft, maximum 6,580 ft, minimum 6,354 ft
Gross gain: 226 ft. Aggregate ascending 281 ft, descending 281 ft
Maximum slope: 35% ascending, 35% descending, 09.8% average
Duration: 0:40, Average Speed: 1.4 mph

Tunnel Spring
Total Distance: 2.29 miles
Elevation: start 6,388 ft, maximum 6,433 ft, minimum 6,261 ft
Gross gain: 172 ft. Aggregate ascending 598 ft, descending 603 ft
Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 30% descending, 07.9% average
Duration: 1:31, Average Speed: 1.5 mph

Agua Sarca Hike.Jay.2025-07-14 (KML)	5 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Agua Sarca Hike.Jay.2025-07-14 (GPX)	4 Downloads
Tunnel Spring Hike.Jay.2025-07-14 (KML)	7 Downloads
Tunnel Spring Hike.Jay.2025-07-14 (GPX)	4 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.

Agua Sarca Hike – 06/15/2014
Agua Sarca Hike – 9/18/2016
Agua Sarca Trail Hike – 12/15/2019
Placitas Area Hikes

References and Resources

AllTrails: Tunnel Springs Loop
Best trails near Tunnel Spring
ASCHG: Tunnel Springs Hike (This too is the Loop)
ondafringe: Tunnel Spring
Trails Offroad: Highlights of Tunnel Spring
Woman Seeks Elevation: Tunnel Spring will show you ….

Photos

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

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

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

Borrego Trail Hike – 06/30/2025

June 30, 2025

Introduction

This is one of the first forays back to hiking on forest trails. After a year-long layoff for medical reasons and a month walking mostly on the Bosque Trails along the Rio Grande, the body is coming back. And the progress has been to gradually take longer walks and now get back on trails. I look forward to continuing hikes, with Pat and with Jay, like we did in the past.

The Drive In

The drive to the trailhead: from downtown Santa Fe, head out on Hyde Park Road (NM 475), 9 miles from the Santa Fe Plaza (by way of Washington Ave/Bishops Lodge Road, right/east on Artist Road, then continue onto Hyde Park Road). The trailhead will be on the left just beyond Hyde National State Park.

The Hike

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

This is a downhill-uphill-downhill (and reverse returning) out-and-back hike. The trail is wide and smooth (some areas of exposed roots and rocks) … easy ambulating. It proceeds through mature forest (many pine trees and aspen too). It is truly like the proverbial park, the New Mexico kind of parks. We chose to turn back where it crosses Teseque Creek (at first we thought crossing the creek would require rock/log hopping, but .. there is a bridge that was just out of sight from where we decided to stop).

Highlight

For me … to be back on a forest trail. And to be hiking again with Jay.

Jay here: Was great to be back in the woods….about 5 years since we were on this trail. Had to hustle at the end to beat a thunder shower.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.4 miles
Elevation: start 8,880 ft, maximum 8,892 ft, minimum 8,490 ft
Gross gain: 402 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,054 ft, descending 1,056 ft
Maximum slope: 40% ascending, 36% descending, 10% average
Duration: 2:26, Average Speed: 1.4 mph

Borrrego Trail Hike.Jay.2025-06-30 (KML)	17 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Borrrego Trail Hike.Jay.2025-06-30 (GPX)	9 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.

Bear Wallow-Winsor-Borrega Trails Hike – 06/02/2019
Borrego-Winsor-Bear Wallow Hike – 7/29/2018
Posts for Trails on Hyde Park Road

References and Resources

AllTrails: Borrego Trail
Borrego (150), Windsor (254) and Bear Wallow (182) Trail Loop
Hiking Project: Borrego Trail
Santa Fe New Mexican: Happy Trails: Borrego Trail offers a mixture of history, rough-edged beauty

Photos

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

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

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

Views to date: 21 views.

Spur Trail Hike – 06/17/2025

June 17, 2025

Introduction

Another “back on the trail” hike, this day with my long time hiking buddy. For some weeks, he’s invited me to join him on a new trail near Santa Fe. We hit the trail a bit early, hoping it would be a bit cooler even at the higher elevation. And afterwards, as has been our habit we stopped for breakfast, this day at Pantry Dos (the best smothered breakfast burrito that I’ve eaten).

The Drive In

Getting to the Spur Trailhead is a bit convoluted. I won’t try to describe it, but use this link to GoogleMaps.

The Hike

Santa Fe, Hiking, Spur Trail — Spur Trail Hike.Jay.2025-06-17

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

The Spur Trail is a well groomed out-and-back trail through open juniper forest (if one can call it a “forest”); we hiked the eastern portion of the trail, from Falcon Way to the Santa Fe Rail Trail and back. The trail presents a few ups-and-downs with easy slopes and only a little elevation gain overall. At the highest point one can see the mountains in every direction (except southeast): Ortiz, San Pedro, and Sandias to the southwest, Jemez to the northwest, and the Sangre de Cristo to the northeast. Oh, and some nice person has placed 4″ painted rocks marking 1 mile outbound and 2 mile return-bound – a nice touch – thanks.

Highlight

Simply being back on a hiking trail, again.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.03 miles
Elevation: start 6,652 ft, maximum 6,847 ft, minimum 6,741 ft
Gross gain: 106 ft. Aggregate ascending 307 ft, descending 307 ft
Maximum slope: 13% ascending, 13% descending, 03% average
Duration: 1:31, Average Speed: 2.9 mph

Spur Trail Hike.Jay.2025-06-17 (KML)	12 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Spur Trail Hike.Jay.2025-06-17 (GPX)	11 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: Spur Trail from Rancho Viejo to Santa Fe Rail Trail

Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike – 06/18/2024

July 13, 2024

Cumbres Pass and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) are a favorite destination and hike. You will find other posts of our visits there, one solo, another with Pat, and still another with Jay and Nancy. For this trip, we reserved Campsite 13 at the Heron Lake “Willow Creek” campground. Many of the sites in this campground are quite nice; Site 13 offered a through-drive with room for 2 vehicles, and 2 or 3 spots suitable for tent camping (since Pat didn’t make this trip, I brought a tent to sleep in).

The Drive In

I will leave it to you to find your way to the Heron Lake campgrounds, and from Heron (if you camp there) to Chama. From Chama, continue north on NM 17 for 12 miles (..uphill.. from 7,900 feet to 10,000 feet at the pass) following the tracks of the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad (a National Historic Landmark). You will leave New Mexico for Colorado about 5 miles below the pass, continue on CO 17. Maybe 200 yards before reaching the summit, use the parking area on your right; there is a sign above the parking lot for CDT Trailhead #813. (The CDT goes both north and south from here – we hiked to the north, across the highway from the sign.)

The Hike

https://nmhiking.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cumbres-Pass-CDT-North-Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18

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

From parking, we crossed the highway and under the C&TRR trestle; the trailhead is just beyond. The first quarter mile is uphill, through an area of open forest. Then across an flat open area before taking on the climb. For the next 1.4 mile or so the trail climbs, traversing a steep slope (as Jay says, FARD – Fall and Roll Downhill).

From there the trail continues on a not-so-steep slope across an open hillside. Twice the trail crosses a tiny “valley”, the 2nd at 2.2 miles which had a bit of water draining from above. We continued until encountering a flowing stream which would require wading to cross; we decided to pause here for lunch, then return to the trailhead. (As I had done on my solo hike, added our names to the logbook.

Jay here: Like finding a missing cufflink, we now have the matching set of CDT hikes: North and South. Very different in character. CDTS was mostly open along the ridge tops and with wide views of the valley below. CDTN was more confined in some ways but still had extended views to the ridges we hiked on CDTS the prior year. The steep portions were not FOAD (Fall Off And Die) but you could roll a long way down before arresting your descent. Bo did a great job for a little Westie, even jumping over logs a few times.

Highlight

The views from the beginning of this section are magnificent. Here’s an excerpt from a hike with Pat back in 2022 that will give you an idea:

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.77 miles
Elevation: start 9,976 ft, maximum 10,303 ft, minimum 9,961 ft
Gross gain: 342 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,225 ft, descending 1,239 ft
Maximum slope: 23% ascending, 23% descending, 6.1% average
Duration: 4:26, Average Speed: 1.3 mph

Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18 (KML)	44 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT North Hike.JayNancyBo.2024-06-18 (GPX)	33 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.

Cumbres Pass Hikes

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: CDNST – Cumbres Pass North Trailhead # 813
AllTrails: Cumbres Pass CDT North
Continental Divide Trail Coalition: Cumbres Pass on the CDT, …
Taos News: Hiking in Southren Colorado: Cumbres Pass North to Wolf Creek Falls

Photos

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

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

Placitas Open Spaces South Trailhead Hike – 11/21/2023

April 22, 2024

Seeking a place to hike halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, we chose to explore the Open Spaces just north of Placitas.

The Drive In

At the Bernalillo interchange on I-25, go east on NM 165 .3 miles then turn left onto the frontage road. Proceed 1.7 miles, then turn right onto Camino Manzano. A 1.3 mile on, turn left onto Santa Ana Loop, then in .9 mile another left onto Cloud View Ct; continue to the parking area for Placitas Open Space.

The Hike

Placitas OS South Trailhead Hike.Jay.2023-11-21

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

This area is -wide- -open- hilly terrain with widely scattered small juniper trees. The trails are well used, sand & gravel – easy ambulating.

There are expansive views all around, particularly to the west across the Rio Grande valley.

And of course, always overlooking us, the north end of the Sandia Mountains.

Highlight

It was great to be back on the trial with Jay, and in our first “stomping grounds” – trails around Placitas.

Jay here: Having lived in Placitas for around 9 great years, it’s a bit amazing that I had never hiked in the Open Spaces Trailhead (and if you follow the recent news, the Dept of the Interior is taking an active role now in protecting the Buffalo Tract and other BLM holdings in the area…for the next 5 decades and hopefully permanently). George and I did just about every hike you can name on the south side of town up into the hills, but not this one. It may not have high elevations or tree cover, but you can’t beat the Sandia backdrop everywhere you turn.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.94 miles
Elevation: start 5,331 ft, maximum 5,534 ft, minimum 5,331 ft
Gross gain: 203 ft. Aggregate ascending 674 ft, descending 674 ft
Maximum slope: 29% ascending, 40% descending, 5.7% average
Duration: 2:40 , Average Speed: 1.5 mph

Placitas OS South Trailhead Hike.Jay.2023-11-21 (KML)	43 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Placitas OS South Trailhead Hike.Jay.2023-11-21 (GPX)	42 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: Best Trails in Albuquerque (Placitas) Open Space & U.S. BLM Land
Las Placitas Association: Placitas Open Space
City of Albuquerque – Open Space: Sandoval County Open Space
Placitas Open Space Master Plan
USDA Forest Service: Placitas Trail System
Placitas Area Trail System (.pdf)
Sandia Mountain Trails

Photos

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

Atalaya Trail Hike – 10/10/2023

October 11, 2023

Atalaya Mountain Trail has been on the list for both of us; it is a good hike this time of year (hot in summer, icy and snowy in winter).

The Drive In

The Atalaya – Upper Trailhead is uphill from St John’s College. (There is an Atalaya -Lower Trailhead.) From Old Santa Fe Trail in front of the National Park Service offices, go north on Camino Del Monte Sol, the right (east) on Camino De Cruz Blanca. Just past where it makes a hard right turn onto Wilderness Gate Road, you will find a small parking area on the left; part there. Or, retrace back on Camino De Cruz Blanca; perhaps there will be a parking space at the Dorothy Stewart Trailhead. Otherwise, ????.

The Hike

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

From the parking spaces, walk down Wilderness Gate Road, turn left and pass around a gate into the residential neighborhood. From there .. this hike “gets right to it”.. continue up Camino De Cruze Blanca. A third of a mile on climb the Steep Steps onto the Atalaya Trail #170. The first few hundred yards of the trail is a nice wide sand trail, a steady but easy climb. But further on the trail gets quite steep, often with a very rocky surface – quite challenging.

Just short of a mile from parking, we encountered a sign: STEEPER ROUTE to the left, EASIER ROUTE to the right. Looking at the tracks we chose the shorter route, the STEEPER ROUTE. And was it STEEPER, over rocks and tree roots most of the way to where the EASIER ROUTE rejoined the main trail. We planned to take the latter on the way down.

From there the trail continued to be steep with a rocky surface with only a few respites of not-so-steep-and-rocky surface until the 2 mile point in the hike. Here we attained the ridge; after a sharp turn to the left, the trail led to the peak of Atalaya Mountain (continuing to climb though not so steep).

There were great views to the north, south, and west as we climbed up the trail. But the view from near the top was the best, with Santa Fe laid out below and the Jemez Mountains in the distance. After a break for a snack lunch, we headed back down, choosing to take the EASIER ROUTE – although longer by 3/4 mile, it was a much better (EASIER) trail.

Jay here: The first time I attempted this hike was about 3 years ago. We started down at the St. Johns Campus which is the longer route for this hike. You walk up a wide arroyo before getting to where we started on this most recent hike. Naj and I made it all the way up to where the signs are for Steeper and Easier, but the trail was icy and snow covered, forcing us to turn back. Having now experienced the narrow and rocky switchbacks up near the summit, I’m glad we did not try to do this hike in icy conditions. Just to emphasize, by steeper they mean STEEP. When the hike was completed, George said he did it because he thought I could do it. To which I said, “really? I did it because I thought you could do it.” That’s hiking in New Mexico for you.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.09 miles
Elevation: start 7,554 ft, maximum 8,992 ft, minimum 7,553 ft
Gross gain: 1,438 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,753 ft, descending 1,753 ft
Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 34% descending, 12.0% average
Duration: 3:55 , Average Speed: 1.3 mph

Atalaya Trail Hike.Jay.2023-10-10 (KML)	366 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Atalaya Trail Hike.Jay.2023-10-10 (GPX)	157 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.

Hikes Around Santa Fe

References and Resources

AllTrails: Atalaya Mountain Trail (starts at the Lower Trailhead)
GAIA GPS
Atalaya Mountain Via Atalaya Trail
Atalaya Mountain LoopVia Atalaya Trail And Dale Ball Trails
Hiking Project: Atalaya Mountain Trail (#170)
SummitPost: Atalaya Mountain
Fatmap: Atalaya Mountain Loop
Only in Your State: Atalaya Mountain Trail Is An Easy Hike …

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

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

Osha Spring Trail Hike – 08/31/2023

September 2, 2023

Back to Placitas to hike on another of the trails Jay and I have enjoyed. This one — Osha Spring Trail on the northeast corner of the Sandia Mountains.

The Drive In

The trailhead is on NM 165, the road that goes along the east side of the Sandia Mountains. One can get to the trailhead from the north or the south, but it is -very- rough especially from the south, from the Sandia Crest Highway NM 536. This road is not recommended for ‘city’ cars.

Thus I recommend – from the Bernalillo exit on I-25, take NM 165 eastbound through Placitas. The pavement ends at 9.3 miles where the road becomes very rough for 100 yards or so. Continue for two-tenths of a mile; after crossing a 2nd bridge look on the right for the start of the trail, a steep path up a short incline from the road. Turn around and park on the wider section of the road across from the trailhead. A few yards from the trailhead is a sign announcing the Osha Spring Trail.

The Hike

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

Much of the trail is in the open sun through juniper and scraggly piñon pine trees. The trail surface is over rocky and gravelly ground (“ball bearing” Nancy calls it). Except for a few sections, it is a steady climb to make the 1,200 feet elevation gain in 2 miles. On the upper portion of our hike, above 7,000 feet, the ground gave way to dirt and even some pine needle cover now that we were above the altitude where ponderosa and healthy piñon pines abound.

In contrast with our prior hikes when we experienced “..chilly..” conditions and even snow, on this day the weather was -hot-, certainly in the high 80s. This made it difficult to apply the description from another of our prior hikes: “.. a nice trail, and easy..”. The beer when we stopped for lunch at the Cafe in Placitas was truly welcome.

Jay here: The memory does play tricks on us. I didn’t remember how much of a steady grade up this trail has…or I blocked that part out. We did make it further than our previous hikes, which was on the plus side. On the minus side, we also forgot that the return downhill on the rocks required lots of fancy footwork if you wanted to maintain an upright position. Someday we might actually get to the end of the trail, to the Lands End Mine. Or maybe it will always just beyond our physical endurance. Quien sabe?

Highlight

When there was an opening in the trees alongside the trail, or when looking back down the trail, there were some good views.

Statistics

Total Distance: 5.03 miles
Elevation: start 6,509 ft, maximum 7,801 ft, minimum 6,501 ft
Gross gain: 1,300 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,420 ft, descending 1,420 ft
Maximum slope: 29% ascending, 30% descending, 10.4% average
Duration: 3:25, Average Speed: 1.47 mph

Osha Spring Trail Hike.Jay.2023-08-31 (KML)	53 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Osha Spring Trail Hike.Jay.2023-08-31 (GPX)	50 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.

Other Hikes on Osha Spring Trail
Other Hikes Around Placitas

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Osha Spring Trail 247
AllTrails Osha Spring Trail
ASCHG: Osha Spring Trail
ondafringe: Day Hike: Osha Spring Trail

Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike – 07/12/2023

July 18, 2023

This post is for a 2nd hike that we made with Jay, Nancy, and Bo during a camping trip to Cumbres Pass and the Trujillo Meadows campground (10,000 feet elevation and above). Check out the 1st hike, Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/11/2023.

The Drive In

Repeating here The Drive In from the post for the 1st hike:

We chose to avoid I-25 and US 84, both busy roadways, and instead chose a route through Cuba (I-25 to Bernalillo, then US 550). Four miles beyond Cuba we turned right on NM 96. Upon reaching the sharp right turn of NM 96, we turned left to continue north on NM 112. The first 27 miles is paved; from there to El Vado dam (19 miles) the road is well maintained gravel; we kicked up quite a plume of dust behind us at 35-45 MPH. Tho’ a sign warned us of the possibility of a delay of up to 2 hours, we took our chances – and won – no delay at the El Vado dam.

The road to cross El Vado dam is interesting. It is one lane down a very steep incline, then very narrow lane across the dam itself. We were OK with the R-Pod but would not attempt to cross here with anything larger. From there, NM 96 is paved to the intersection with US-84; then it was on to Chama. Borrowing the remainder of The Drive In from the post for last year’s trip:

“We drove from Albuquerque to Chama and continued on NM 17 up to the crest of Cumbres Pass (the highway becomes CO 17 as it passes into Colorado). For a good part of the way, Hwy 17 follows the tracks of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, aka Cumbres and Toltec Railroad to the crest where there is a small railyard.

Our campsite in Trujillo Meadows Campground. Atop a hill in the middle of the campground, we had great views in all directions.

Continuing past the crest for 1/4 mile, we turned left onto FR 118 (a good Class 3 road, tho’ there are some sections of serious washboard); in 2.5 miles turn right at the entrance to the campground. (Adjacent to the campground is Trujillo Meadows Reservoir. There are some sites that look down upon the reservoir and there is a road from the campground entrance to a boating ramp; we did not investigate either.) (We met Jay and Nancy in the same campsite that we used last year.)

The Red Lake trail is a bit further north on CO 17 — 6.4 miles from the turnoff to the Trujillo Meadows Campground. Turn left onto FR 113, a Class 3 road towards Red Lake — 3.5 miles. The road makes a sharp 180° turn to the left — parking is on the right up a short rise.”

The Hike

Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-12

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

All of us agreed – this was among the most spectacular hikes that we’ve taken. I had hiked this trail in 2021 while Pat was attending a workshop in Chama. But I didn’t remember just how spectacular it is; Pat, Jay, and Nancy to brought it into focus for me.

The trail begins from the parking area on the right side of CO 17 at the top of Cumbres Pass, just below (west of) the Cumbres and Toltec train station. The trailhead is well marked and well used – smooth ground through pine and fir forest bordered by grass and many varieties of flowers. It presents easy ascent for about 200 feet of elevation gain (with switchbacks) to get atop a long ridge (about half a mile).

Along the ridge the views are amazing: to the west down the valley with the C&T tracks twisting their way to the top of Cumbres Pass, mountains in the distance to the north, and down the valley of Rio de los Piños and the railroad tracks.

The trail continues on the ridge for 8/10ths of a mile, descending 100 feet or so. It then enters a somewhat dense forest and begins to climb again, an easy ascent in and out of forest with a great overlook 2.2 miles into the hike. This was our plan for the day, 4+ miles – we turned back.

As we hiked along the ridge we kept our eyes on the railroad tracks. Our timing was good – the 10 o’clock train was on its way from Chama. We watched it stop at a water tank, then continue up to the station at Cumbres Pass. What a sight, especially as it rounded the steep end of a ridge on an embankment that must have been a marvel of engineering a 100+ years ago.

Highlight

It was unanimous – this is among the best trails we’ve hiked – easy with marvelous, spectacular views. And Bo is getting his trail legs.

Jay here: Yep, they don’t say Bo is a Westie for nothing. Terriers are diggers but so far, Bo just digs coming along on the trail. Views from this hike were much better than average for sure, and the train going up the valley was a bonus.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.54
Elevation: start 9,964 ft, maximum 10,342 ft, minimum 9,964 ft
Gross gain: 378 ft. Aggregate ascending 997 ft, descending 995 ft
Maximum slope: 26% ascending, 27% descending, 7.0% average
Duration: 3:27, Average Speed: 1.3 mph

Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-12 (KML)	60 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cumbres Pass CDT Trail South Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-12 (GPX)	204 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.

Hikes around Cumbres Pass

References and Resources

TrailForks: Continental Divide Trail (CDT) Complete
GAIA GPS: Continental Divide Trail
MTB Project: CDT: Cumbres Pass to lagunitas (NM Section 31)
Mountain Photography: Continental Divide Trail through the South San Juans
Wikipedia: Cumbres Pass
Cumbres & Toltec Railroad: The Ride of a Lifetime

Jay’s Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Jay’s Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

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

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

Red Lake Trail Hike – 07/11/2023

July 16, 2023

It has been -hot- in Albuquerque (and in Santa Fe). Even hotter than we anticipated when a few months ago we planned this camping and hiking trip to Cumbres Pass and the Trujillo Meadows campground (10,000 feet elevation and above). This post is for our first hike during this trip: the Red Lake Trail which Pat & I hiked a year ago.

The Drive In

The Hike

Red Lake Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-11

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

There is little that I can add to the description from last year’s Post. There was however more snow this year as in a large depression we passed and against embankments where it must have been deep. We also had more stream crossings (some small, some large). And there were more wildflowers in bloom this year courtesy the late arrival of spring.

Highlight

This is a beautiful trail with amazing vistas across a verdant meadow to the mountains all a around. It is an easy trail with a few challenges crossing runoff and streams. Although we cut short the hike again this year and didn’t go as far as Red Lake itself, it remains on our list of hikes to complete in the future.

Jay here: Snow! Snow? It seemed like such a warm day, you had to ask yourself why there was still snow on the ground. But then you remember you’re at 11,000 + feet. It was a great hike that somehow brought us just a little closer to some magnificent clouds.

Statistics

Total Distance: 4.2 miles
Elevation: start 11,004 ft, maximum 11,656 ft, minimum 10,981 ft
Gross gain: 675 ft, Aggregate ascending 831 ft, descending 831 ft
Maximum slope: 24% ascending, 22% descending, 6.9% average
Duration: 3:47, Average Speed: 1.1 mph

Red Lake Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-11 (KML)	43 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Red Lake Trail Hike.PatJayNancyBo.2023-07-11 (GPX)	37 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.

Hikes around Cumbres Pass

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Red Lake Trailhead, Trail 733
AllTrails: Red Lake Trail
GAIA GPS: Red Lake
Alamosa.org: 5 Trails You Need To Be On
Oh Ranger.com: Rio Grande National Forest, Red Lake Trail

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

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

If you have viewed many of my other posts, you no doubt have noticed that I’ve included many photos and galleries of flowers. And you’ve seen repetition – the same flowers show up on posts for many hikes. That observation having occurred to me, I questioned why I would include flowers .. again. Well .. because they always attract my attention – there are so many colors, shapes, and settings. They exist often in environments that would be drab without them, sometimes in locations that appear to be quite inhospitable. So, again, I include in this post a “bouquet” of flowers:

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

Piedra Lisa Trail North – 05/21/2023

June 16, 2023

Another revisit to Placitas Trails with Jay, rekindling good memories – and enjoying the hikes. For our most recent hike, we intended to do Piedra Lisa but did NoName and Quartz Outcrop – this trip we made it to Piedra Lisa.

The Drive In

Meeting in the parking lot for Placitas Cafe, we drove east on NM 165, 8/10th of a mile to the turnoff for the Strip Mine Trail, also Forest Loop Road 445. Then on FR 445 for 1.65 miles, turning left to parking for the Piedra Lisa – North Trailhead.

The Hike

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

‘Tho we’ve hiked the Piedra Lisa trail numerous times before, looking over those posts I see that I didn’t leave much of a description. So …

There are two parking areas, one shortly after turning left from the approach road from FR 445, and a second circular parking area. We parked under a tree before the circle, , then started out on a trail that beckoned us. But … it soon became clear that the -real- trailhead was off to our right, and from that 1st parking area – thus the dog leg on our GPS track.

From the trailhead, the trail proceeds up a wide sandy bottom of the Piedra Lisa Cañon. The northern end of the Sandia Mountains are in full view ahead of us. At 1/3rd mile, the trail climbs to the left, up above some sections of the cañon with high rock “steps” that would be difficult to get over. Another 1/3rd of a mile the trail descends back into the bottom of the cañon then up on the edge for another 2/10th mile. All along, the trail is well used and easy to follow and trek upon.

The trail climbs gradually for its full length, reaching a somewhat level spot which happens to be the junction with the Agua Sarca trail. This makes a nice stopping point for a mid-hike break, and for us the turn-around point for the day’s hike. ‘Tho the trail is in the cañon for a better part of this section, there are some opportunities for great views – the north end of the Sandia Mountains at the start of the hike, and across the Rio Grande Valley and on to Mesa Prieta and Cabezon north of Mount Taylor. And .. ’tis spring so flowers are showing their finest – Apache Plume for example.

Jay here: Still nursing an MCL sprain, I wanted to keep the hike under 4 miles. Lucky to have brought hiking poles — the trip back down on scree can be very hairy if you don’t have full faith in one of the knees.

Highlight

Revisiting old friends, Jay and the Piedra Lisa Trail.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.62 miles
Elevation: start 6,026 ft, maximum 7,040 ft, minimum 6,021 ft
Gross gain: 1,019 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,342 ft, descending 1,344 ft
Maximum slope: 52% ascending, 54% descending, 12.6% average
Duration: 2:44

Piedra Lisa Trail North Hike.Jay.2023-05-21 (KML)	49 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Piedra Lisa Trail North Hike.Jay.2023-05-21 (GPX)	109 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.

Piedra Lisa Hikes
Placitas Area Hikes

References and Resources

USDA Forest Service: Placitas Area Trail System (pdf map)
                                         Sandia Mountain Trails (pdf map)
AllTrails:
   Piedra Lisa North Spring Trail
     Piedra Lisa Trail and Del Agua Trail Loop
Best Trails in Placitas
ondafringe: North Piedra Lisa/Del Agua Loop
ASCHG: Piedra Lisa North to South
Hiking Project:
   Placitas – a good directory and map
     Piedra Lisa Trail #135
SummitPost: Piedra Lisa Canyon
Trailforks: Placitas Mountain Biking Trails – a good map of the trails thereabouts
GAIA: Piedra Lisa Trail

Introduction

The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Photos

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Introduction

The Drive In

The Hike

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Photos

Share this:

Introduction

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Highlight

Statistics

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Photos

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Highlight

Statistics

References and Resources

Photos

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Statistics

Related Posts

References and Resources

Share this:

The Drive In

The Hike

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

Highlight

Statistics

Related Posts

Share this: