Tag Archives: Lanny

Cliff Ruins Expedition – 08/20/2018

Lanny and I had seen a video by Jeff Gilkey flying over Pueblo ruins atop a small mesa, specifically Mesa Pueblo. We located them using GoogleEarth, and headed that way. 

The Drive In

Driving route from Grants to Cliff Ruins.

As you can see from the red track above, we missed a turn or two, found ourselves wandering among the diggings of the nearby coal mine operations, and when the tracks we were following with the GPS and USTopo became -terribly- rough, we aborted the attempt to get to Mesa Pueblo Ruins.

However,  Lanny had a backup – Cliff Ruins.  We located ourselves, and a label on USTopo for “Cliff House”, and judged that we were reasonably close. USTopo also indicated what appeared to be serviceable two-tracks from our position among the mine diggings towards Cliff Ruins.  Along the way Nearing the site, it appeared P1000349that we needed to turn off of the “good two-track”, onto one we could barely follow.  That brought us to a point adjacent to the site as indicated on USTopo; a short walk to the west and we were at the edge of White Mesa, looking into Cliff Dwelling Canyon. 

The Walkabout

Walkabout on the mesa overlooking Cliff Ruins.

P1000352Walking around the edge of this canyon brought into view the Cliff Ruins, perched on a large ledge under a ceiling midway up the cliff face. We noted that the House appeared to be in excellent condition, walls almost all intact and the corners square; some fine workmanship.  We could not see any reasonable path to ascend from the canyon floor to the House. 

Returning the Lanny’s Jeep, we were impressed wiP1000368th the view across the Rio Miguel to Chivato Mesa and Cabezon.  Heading back towards Grants, Lanny chose an alternate two-track which P1000372to our surprise brought us to what appeared to be an old ranch-stead.  We found a corral with stables (rock walls still standing) and what may have been an abode, with the fireplace still standing.   

GPS Track Files for Download
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91 Downloads
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.

References:

Google Maps: Cliff Dwelling Canyon

FOLLOWUP NOTES:

From a set of comments regarding my posting of photos, “Ranch House and Stables, Rio Puerco Valley“, on Facebook’s group “Abandoned in New Mexico“, March 17, 2019:

“John Cortesy – That looks like one of the old stage coach stops on the route from Milan to Cuba. If you followed the road through the ranches, you passed a dry arroyo with a rock outcropping on the right that was a place where they watered the horses when it was flowing. The passengers would get out of the coach and carve their names and dates into the rocks above. We had taggers back in 1905 and 1897 if I remember the dates correctly. Can’t trust no one to not deface a property these days!”
“George Young – Thanks, John, for adding that information. Your suggestion would certainly make sense to me; the stable (building and fencing) appears to be more than one would use for a ranch. And I see on GoogleEarth that it is on a line from Milan to Cuba. I see also on a topo map that “El Dado Springs” is very close by. It might be worth another trip for us. From which direction did you describe the location of the “tagging”? Do you know of any more features, etc. of that stage line?”
 

Bales Seep Expedition – 05/18/2015

Introduction

A collection of brachiopods and crinoid sections from Bales Seep.

Catching up on some old hikes/expditions: this an expedition to Bales Seep with Lanny and Linda.  We went looking for fossils on a shallow hillside above a nice meadow fed by a spring “seep”.  We easily found numerous brachiopods and crinoid sections.

 

 

 

The Walkabout

Bales Seep Expedition.PatLannyLinda.2015-05-18

 Statistics

Total Distance:  0.5 miles
Elevation: start 7,997 ft, maximum 8,068 ft,  minimum 7,997 ft
Gross gain: 71 ft.  Aggregate ups & downs:  ascending 134 ft, descending 131 ft
Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 35% descending, 9% average
Duration: 1:46

GPS Track Files for Download
146 Downloads
77 Downloads
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.

References

Supervolcano: A Geologic History of the Jemez Area: Chapter 3: The Paleozoic

Bonita Canyon & Flourite Mine Expedition – 6/13/2016

The objective of this expedition was to drive through this northeastern part of the Zuni mountains, destination a mine from many years ago that produced flourite.  These mountains are quite different from the Sandia, Manzano, and Jemez ranges – they consist of many ridges and valleys, and an open forest of pinon and juniper with some ponderosa.  (I was pleasantly surprised as we approached NM 53 to recognize the south end of Bonita Canyon, were I came to gather firewood 30+ years ago – this is a beautiful canyon.)

The Drive In

Rock Hunting, Flourite Mine drive in from Grants, via Bonita Canyon;  Pat, Linda, & Lanny, 06/13/2016.  Also showing other possible mine sites.

Turn of NM 53 onto a dirt road (high clearance advised); 1.2 miles ahead will be an area to park.  Then head east about .4 miles where the small mine sits just over a rise.  It was easy to find scraps of rock with flourite embedded.

The Hunt

Rock Hunting, Flourite Mine; Pat, Linda, & Lanny, 06/13/2016.

I found through further online research that there are close to 20 mines or prospects in this section of the Zuni Mountains – see the Interactive Map in the References below.

Statistics

Total Distance: 0.93 miles
Elevation: 7,681 start, 7,681 maximum, 7,511 minimum
Gross gain: 170 ft.  Aggregate ascending 349 ft, descending: 349 ft
Maximum slope: 38% ascending, 43% descending, 13% average
Duration: 1:36

GPS Track Files for Download
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Flying with Lanny – Los Lunas to Chaco Canyon – 12/19/2016

‘Tho this BLOG in about hiking, it is also about seeing New Mexico.  And flying is a superb way to see more if it, if not so close at hand.  And it is a great way to identify places to explore on the ground.

The Flight

Flight-Los Lunas to Chaco Canyon.Lanny.2016-12-19

It was a beautiful, clear, sunny day, with light winds, a great day to go flying. Asked where I’d like to go, I said “northwest”.  Lanny replied “Cbaco Canyon?”; “sure” I responded.

Out of Mid Valley Airport, we climbed to 10,500 feet, high enough to clear Chivato Mesa. Continuing west, from the left seat I had a wonderful view of the nearly 40 mile long Chaco Mesa the many canyons that penetrate north from the mesa edge into the mesa.  This appears to be very attractive area for exploring.  The Mesa ends at Chaco Canyon, where we “toured” the ruins of this National Monument from 2,000 feet above the mesas surrounding the canyon; see the photos below.  Then it was back across Chivato Mesa to another fine landing at Mid Valley.

Statistics

Total Distance: 240 miles
Elevation: 4,692 start, 10,841 maximum, 4,692 minimum
Gross gain: 6,149 ft.  Aggregate ascending 25,191 ft, descending: 25,106 ft
Maximum slope: 32% ascending, 37% descending, 3% average
Duration: 1:59

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.

SPECIAL NOTE: With the features of Google Earth, you can see the actual flight path, including altitude above the ground.

GPS Track Files for Download
203 Downloads
70 Downloads

Addendum, 5/16/2017: Tried something interesting, matching up a photo taken during the flight with a view using Google Earth.  I’ve added a screen shot from Google Earth to the Photo Gallery below.  And here is the .kml file that matches up with photo of Chaco Mesa (the 9th of the photos in the Gallery): Chaco Mesa Looking East.