Exploring Unofficial Cerro Grande Route

Today I decided to explore the bottom mile of the unofficial Cerro Grande Route aka the Coker Trail.  I started around 10 am.  The route starts as a definite path through the grass but then the situation disintegrates.  The path disappears and then reappears with no logic to it.  I know basically how to get where I want to go but anyone who's never been there wouldn't know - unless they have read about the hike in Hiking Adventures in Northern New Mexico.

First, I walked to the elk exclosure/monitoring station on the right and not very far from the highway.  I followed along the west side of it hoping it would funnel me into a definite trail.  It sort of does but then the track gets indefinite again.  The problem is that there are paths trampled here and there but none distinct enough to be THE one to follow.

I blundered around following this path and that, saw cairns here and there and compounded confusion by making a few of my own. 

The way I like to go is to first head uphill toward the "air" to the east with great, close-in views of the Water Canyon drainage below but going up this way leads to an obstacle course of downed trees.  There are several ways to tackle these - either go wide around or go right through.  It doesn't seem right to not detour over to enjoy the view.

Today, I tried to pass the mish mosh of trees on their east side but it became too steep.  Then I started to clear a small area to go west but it's too big a network of giant pick up sticks.  I'd need a chain saw and Bandelier National Monument would frown on that.

I saw an area that seemed passable.  As I picked my way through, I saw a path that went north right up the middle of the mess but I didn't follow it because I wanted to get over to the old logging road to the west.

Eventually I got to the old logging road that goes directly to the first golden grass meadow on the way to Cerro Grande.  At the meadow, I tightened my shoelaces for the trip down.

I decided to follow the old logging road down.  It's no piece of cake either as I had to step over plenty of logs fallen across the road.  The road led right by a second,large elk exclosure.  I just kept following the road, bearing somewhat to the east,  ignoring a broad turn off to the right/south, and eventually got to the far north corner of the first elk exclosure.  I left some rocks and pieces of wood here and there to mark my route.  It needs a lot more marking. The road is not even clearly a road in places but I got where I needed to go. 

Conclusion is that we did the best that we could on Monday.  Until you get to the first golden grass meadow, there is not one definite path to follow but instead, there are many options to get to that first golden grass meadow which leads up to Cerro Grande.

When I got back to the first elk exclosure, I decided to go in a straight line east from it.  I ended up at the Bandelier boundary fence. 

On the way back to the elk exclosure, I saw a doe walking away from me, all the while keeping an eye on me. I thought it strange that she didn't just bolt away but kept  walking perpendicular to my line of travel while looking sideways at me.  

I was surprised at my boldness in walking into the untracked woods to the fence line.  It was a sunny day and a thunderstorm wasn't imminent.  I get spooked by cloudy days and rumbling thunder.

Almost back at the car, I saw an old logging road on my left. I've walked it before from another old road to the east but would like to walk it again one day.