Last week I'd called the Valles Caldera National Preserve to ask if the free Coyote Call Trail was open yet because there was a rumor that it was but the staff confirmed that it remains closed due to Las Conchas fire damage - lots of downed trees. They did tell me, though, that the free Valle Grande Trail would be opening on a limited basis - October 20 and 21 and October 27 and 28 this month. The odd schedule is probably due to the elk hunts going on now in the Preserve.
I tried 3 times before I left home to call the Preserve's Valle Grande Staging Area to double check if the trail was truly open but they're not answering their phones today. They're on their fall recreation schedule where the Preserve is only open to the general public on Friday-Sunday.
Parking was interesting at the Valle Grande trailhead because the state highway transportation department is using the parking lot for their big, orange vehicles while they're resurfacing NM4. I asked if it was all right to park there and they said it would be fine.
At the trailhead, the sign is still up that says "Area Closed". I plan to call tomorrow to double check about the sign and if they plan to open it at all in November. It makes sense, though, that the sign is still up since the trail's only open on such a limited basis.
The wood posts of the people gate where you enter the trail are black charcoal and the barbed wire is on the ground. The first part is in a severely burnt area but it gets better as you walk downhill. They've obviously cleared the trail because you see huge, cut up burnt trees lying at the trail side. They've made water bars of logs, shored up with dirt and stones, diagonally across the road.
At the Valle Grande meadow, I could see aspens popping gold on Redondo, South Mountain and Scooter Peak. I was disappointed to not see or hear any elk. Maybe they're still in hiding from the hunt earlier this week.
After the Valle Grande hike, a mere 2 miles round trip, downhill and then uphill on the way back, I drove to the Cerro Grande trailhead. The Cerro Grande Trail is still closed but Bandelier will reopen it soon. Bandelier's Blue Ski Trail, the short trail of the two Upper Frijoles trails, is open and just across NM4.
First, it was lunch time so I sat in the car and ate a sunflower seed, roasted edamame and salted redskin peanut mix, applesauce and a banana LaraBar. Then, off I headed on the Blue Ski Trail, another easy 2 miles .
I love the first part of the trail that goes through a burned area yet the forest floor is already covered by young, green aspen shoots. It looks like a garden. There's another part, the trail back, that looks more desolate, maybe because it's on such a slope that the summer's phenomenal monsoon just ran off and nothing much has grown back yet.
When I was almost back to the meadow, I thought I saw, almost out of the corner of my eye, the outline of perked up deer ears in the forest shade. I quickly walked backwards a few steps and sure enough, two deer were watching me but they high tailed it out of there when they knew I'd seen them.
Beautiful time to drive into the Jemez Mountains because the aspen are peaking gold right now!
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