One of our early hikes, checking out trails around Grants, NM. This summary is posted from memory; it took place before I began this Hiking BLOG. This was such a nice hike with friend Vince. I think my memory will bring back some particulars.
Statistics
Total Distance: 7.65 miles
Elevation: start 7,078 ft, maximum 7,437 ft, minimum 7,078 ft
Gross gain: 359 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,975 ft, descending 1,974 ft
Maximum slope: 29% ascending, 30% descending, 7.4% average
Duration: 5:24
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.
Exploring the El Malpais National Monument, near Grants, a large area of volcanic rock with some interesting features, including tubes.
Drive In
From Albuquerque, head west on I-40 towards Grands, but turn south on NM 117. For some 28 miles you will drive between the Narrows Rim and the Malpais, and past La Ventana Natural Arch (beyond the Arch is a trailhead that goes up on the Rim, north to an overlook with a great view of the Arch). At about 28 miles, turn right on a dirt road to the parking for the Lava Falls Trail.
The Hike
Lava Falls Hike.Vince.2014-02-14
Parking is at the edge of the Malpais lava. From here, the trail crosses dirt for a few yards, then quickly rises onto the lava. The trail on the lava is marked with cairns, stacks of rocks – keep them in view – if not for these marks of the trail, one could quickly get lost on this featureless terrain. The surface consists of sharp points and ridges, tough on boot soles (and skin should one fall down) and at times it is difficult to discern the track of the trail.
As noted above, the terrain is basically devoid of features. We did encounter some collapsed lava tubes, but none in condition to enter into. We also encountered a mound with a relatively smooth surface, and of course we found our way to the Falls, a large depression that appears to be an area that collapsed as lava beneath ‘drained away’. This is an interesting place to visit and take a short hike.
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.52 miles Elevation: start 7,105 ft, maximum 7,139 ft, minimum 7,101 ft Gross gain: 38 ft. Aggregate ascending 279 ft, descending 280 ft Maximum slope: 28% ascending, 34% descending, 5.4% average Duration: 2:00
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 (Lava Falls and other features in the Malpais)
This was maybe my first visit to the Rio Puerco valley and its amazing views – the numerous volcanic necks, Cabezon being the most prominent and well known; the vista views across the valley to Mesa Chivato and Mount Taylor to the west; and … the wide open space (this video gives a truly great tour).
The Drive In
The road into the Rio Puerco valley, NM 279, is paved for a few miles off of US 550, then changes to a well maintained and traveled gravel/dirt road. Because it can seem to be trackless out in the Rio Puerco, I offer this detailed description of the route (and a link below to a GoogleEarth track):
Travel west on US 550, 53 miles from I-25; turn left onto NM 279.
Some 4 miles south on NM 279, you will cross the Rio Puerco itself, then through a small settlement and further along, the settlement of San Louis.
Pavement ends at the 8.5 mile point; continue straight ahead,
but bear left 12.3 miles from US 550.
At 13.5 miles the road again crosses the Rio Puerco.
In the past the road descended down a steep embankment into the bottom of the deep river bed. This was sometimes impassable due to muddy conditions or the road was simply washed out.
I believe since then a very large culvert has been put in place improving the reliability of getting across the Rio Puerco at this point.
Vince turned to the left 16.5 miles from US 550 which took us to the east side of Cerro de Guadalupe. Continuing straight from this point would make easy access from the west side of the Cerro.
We continued down this gravel road for 1.5 miles (18 miles from US 550), then turned west on a two track, parking on the top of a ridge from where we began our walkabout.
The “Hike”
Cerro de Guadalupe Hike.Vince.2014-02-03
Vince’s objective was to look for small, clear geologic specimens (I don’t remember the name for them) that are “mined” by ants. So after leaving the car we headed towards the Cerro on the lookout for ant hills. After inspecting a couple of them, about midway up the apron of the neck we found one where, among the “tailings” of the ant hill, we found many of these specimens.
We then continued on up to apron of the neck, which is quite steep, until reaching the neck itself. Up close it is huge and sheer vertical – we were not going any further. We enjoyed a brief mid-hike break with still more wonderful views of Cabezon to the north, and Cerro Cochino and Mesa Prieta to the east. We then wandered to the southwest across the slope, then back down and to the car.
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.02 miles Elevation: start 6,215 ft, maximum 6,543 ft, minimum 6,175 ft Gross gain: 368 ft. Aggregate ascending 531 ft, descending 531 ft Maximum slope: 70% ascending, 70% descending, 15% average Duration: 2:42
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 a “catchup” post created in 2018, for a hike/expedition back in 2015, prior to starting the BLOG.
The “Hike”
The Box Expedition Hike.Vince.2015-02-07
The Box is a short canyon with US 60 passing at its mouth. ‘Tis a favorite location for rock climbers, working the eastern wall of the canyon; we saw 10 or so people ‘on the wall’ the day we visited. The photos below give one an idea of the depth of the canyon – look closely and you will see Vince down in the canyon’s bottom.
The Driveabout
We also did a DriveAbout, circumnavigating the Chupadera Mountains. The route, on dirt/gravel roads of good condition (at least when dry), takes one around the western edge with views of the Magdalena Mountains to the west. Then we turned east through Nogal Canyon (again driving through the was at the bottom of the canyon) and back to I-25 at San Antonio (where we went for hamburgers at the “famous” Owl Cafe).
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.52 miles Elevation: start 5,457 ft, maximum 5,508 ft, minimum 5,390 ft Gross gain: 118 ft. Aggregate ascending 615 ft, descending 622 ft Maximum slope: 65% ascending, 64% descending, 11.3% average Duration: 1:42
(Note: In those days, I used an old GPS device which recorded numerous erroneous positions. As a result, the track is jagged, showing that we went up on the canyon wall; I assure you we did not, but you can get the gist of our track.)
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 a “catchup” post created in 2018, for a hike/expedition back in 2014, prior to starting the BLOG.
The Drive In
Good directions to San Lorenzo Canyon are offered AllTrails page for the canyon. Turn west on a dirt road about 4.5 miles north of Lemitar. Then about 1.9 miles, turn right (north), which takes one down into the ‘wash’, the sandy bottom of San Lorenzo Arroyo. Follow the wash until you encounter a rock wall blocking further driving.
The Hike
San Lorenzo Canyon Hike.Vince.2014-11-14
For this outing Vince and I wandered about in the vicinity of the rock wall. It involved a bit of climbing up steep rock outcroppings, but the area was easy to explore. ‘Tis interesting geology, and the views – of the canyon and rocks and the vistas of the surrounding area, made the visit quite enjoyable.
Statistics
Total Distance: 1.50 miles Elevation: start 5,253 ft, maximum 5,541 ft, minimum 5,253 ft Gross gain: 288 ft. Aggregate ascending 619 ft, descending 615 ft Maximum slope: 37% ascending, 42% descending, 12.2% average Duration: 4:00
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.
Vince and I went ‘wandering’ beyond Mesa de Cuba in the San Juan Badlands. This “expedition” (multiple hikes) began with exploration of the east side of Mesa Chijuilla. We then checked out another area with interesting features some 3 miles southwest of the first hike. As you will see in the photos below, we encountered some interesting geologic features: strange rocks, hoodoos, vertical erosion patterns, and more. [This is a retro-post (June 2018), an expedition with Vince back in 2015.]
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.
Feb 2018: This is another ‘looking back’ entry in our Hiking Journal.
This area has the most fascinating geology – rock formations, soil types, and an occasional piece of petrified wood. Just wandering around, we found so many interesting feats of Mother Nature.
The Hike
Mesa de Cuba Hike.Vince.2015-03-27
Statistics
Total Distance: 3.24 miles Elevation: start 6,906 ft, maximum 7,061 ft, minimum 6,905 ft Gross gain: 156 ft. Aggregate ascending 519 ft, descending 519 ft Maximum slope: 35% ascending, 35% descending, 4.7% average Duration: 3:29
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.
I’m posting this report -long- after we made the hike. But I have good memories, so here goes.
The Drive In
Tapia Canyon is way out in the middle of the Rio Puerco valley. From Albuquerque, US 550 to NM 276 (San Louis road), then some 30 miles on generally well maintained dirt/gravel roads. There are two -deep- arroyo crossings with steep entries; these plus the road in general make it unwise to visit Tapia Canyon (or other places along the way) until the roads have dried from rain or snow.
NOTE: Tapia Canyon and Tower Ruin Site are closed for native American traditional activities 4 times each year: Sep 15-Oct 15, Dec 15-Dec 31, Mar 1-Mar 15, and Jun 20-Jun 30.
The Hike
Tapia Canyon Hike.Vince.2015-11-02
Since we weren’t able to climb from the canyon to the mesa top and Tower Ruins during our earlier hike for this outing our goal was to drive closer and hike to the ruins. We continued on NM 279 for 1.2 miles, then turned right on a two-track. We encountered a locked gate about 1/3 mile on. Although without a clear idea how far, we decided to hike from there hoping to reach Tower Ruins above the canyon. Following the two-track beyond the gate for 1.5 miles or so, we started looking for reference points with which we might determine our progress. In sum, not having a record of our previous track in hand, and and not recognizing our position relative to the canyon, we abandoned our effort and headed back to the car.
From the sceeen-shot above, and looking at the Google Earth track (link below), we can see we were -far- short of the ruins (1.7 miles), and even short of the starting point for our previous hike in the canyon (see the orange track line). We presume since this is a site with regular activity for Native American activities, visits are discouraged with the locked gate.
Statistics
Total Distance: 3.33 miles Elevation: start 5,922 ft, maximum 6,143 ft, minimum 5,922 ft Gross gain: 188 ft. Aggregate ascending 438 ft, descending 477 ft Maximum slope: 35% ascending, 32% descending, 5% average Duration: 2:38
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.
‘Tho the BLOG is for hiking, I want to share photos from a recent roadtrip into southeastern New Mexico. With friends, we visited Lincoln (known for New Mexico’s “Lincoln County Wars”, Billy the Kid story, and Smokey the Bear), Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and White Sands National Monument. Here are some highlights in photos:
Vince set us on this site for a hike, expecting to see petroglyphs, an arch, and maybe ruins. He had been stymied on past trips by the road – it crosses the Rio Puerco and tributaries 2 or 3 times. Crossings are made in a steep descent from the surrounding terrain into the river bed itself – the road must be completely dry or one -will- get stuck. For this trip, the crossings were uneventful.
The Drive In
The road in, NM 279, goes west from US 550 at milepost 41. Paved initially, it turns to dirt and does some winding and intersections on which one might go astray (See Guadalupe Ruin & Tapia Canyon for more specific directions and great interactive map).
The drive itself is quite interesting, scenic with the many volcano chimneys in view, you will pass through or near (nearly abandoned) settlements, and you will drive by Guadalupe Mesa on top of which are Pueblo ruins, identified as the easternmost outlier from Chaco Canyon. About a half mile past the Guadalupe Ruins, turn west on a two-track; park at the end of the two-track just short of a fence, about a half mile from the road.
The Hike
Tapia Canyon Hike.Vince.2015-05-10
To begin the hike, look for a break in the embankment to descend into the stream bed; we backtracked maybe 100 yards and found an easy path down. The hike itself follows the bottom of Tapia Canyon, mostly a sandy surface but with sections of rockiness and of grass clumps and small trees. The canyon ranges from 75 to 120 yards in width, the walls over 100 ft high throughout. On the lookout for petroglyphs, we discovered our first set on the left canyon wall, under a bit of an overhang. We were impressed with the span of images, although they did not stand out from the background.
Continuing up the canyon, on the alert for more petroglyphs (courtesy ondafringe), .. we found them on a 30′ tall mound against the right hand wall of the canyon. And this is an amazing collection of very prominent petroglyphs as you will see in the photos below. A bit further up the canyon we came to the arch, and a large one it is.
The day was a bit warm, and the hiking surface challenging, so this became our turn-back point. After our mid-hike coffee and snacks, we headed back down the canyon. Although we had planned to ascend out of the canyon to visit the Tower Ruins, our stamina was running out so we returned to the car and home. I should note that the Canyon and Ruins are closed to visitors four times a year for Native American Traditional Activities each year.
Statistics
Total Distance: 5.65 miles Elevation: start 5,957 ft, maximum 6,114 ft, minimum 5,937 ft Gross gain: 177 ft. Aggregate ascending 907 ft, descending: 910 ft Maximum slope: 56% ascending, 51% descending, 5% average Duration: 5:28
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.
