Today I went up Cerro Grande and walked the handline down the ridge to the edge of the Valle Canyon meadow. If you're up on Cerro Grande, near the benchmark at the highest point of the peak, the handline trail is in the trees to the north, more or less, of the benchmark. In fact, if you look behind the biggest cairn that has sprung up on top of Cerro Grande, there is a dim trail behind it, in the grass, that goes into the trees to the north.
In the trees, the handline trail starts out like a pleasant walk in the woods,pine cones under foot, with very well defined, single track. That part doesn't last long, though, because then you come to the steep, stony middle part and my first reaction is "elevator shaft"!
That part is short also and than the trail moderates and comes to a rock felsenmeer. There are views of Redondo, Redondito, Cerro del Medio, and La Garita from the felsenmeer. You walk straight across the felsenmeer and the handline trail continues for a short distance down to the edge of the Valle Canyon meadow.
Walking the trail, you catch glimpses of the caldera and of Pajarito Mountain through the trees. At one point, I spied Cerro Rubio and Valles de los Posos when I looked back during a rest stop while going back up the "elevator shaft".
There are places where there are standing dead trees at the side of the ridge that block what would have otherwise been a great view. The sides of the trail are littered with cut trees from the construction of the handline. The trail is easy to follow because you essentially keep to a ridge that is more or less north-south trending and the various cut tree stumps are a dead giveaway that you're following the handline.
There was a bit of fall color starting, mostly in shrubs growing in the understory.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Sunday, October 22, 2006 - O’Keeffe Country Geology Field Trip
Just outside of Abiquiu, before steep climb to Abiquiu Dam and Chama River Overlook, and right before “Red Rocks” roadside marker on right side of road, is forest road and an arroyo that goes to Copper Canyon on your right. Kempter says that Copper Canyon is in a little ways and he hikes up the black dike on the right to get a good view of Copper Canyon--there is no trail up the dike--which he describes as an expansive canyon.
Red rocks on way to Abiquiu Dam, off US 84, are pre dinosaur. CO Plateau rose in elevation but very stable--didn’t rift or form mountains--maybe because the sediments are so thick.
230 mya, NM at sea level. Rivers, etc., deposited sediments, including Entrada Formation (fossilized sand dunes) and ocean deposits. 70 mya North American and Farallon plates collided in Pacific and NM rises above sea level, raising sedimentary layers and then they are eroded over time. Rocky Mountains formed during intense uplift 70-40 mya. Then, last 40 my, Basin and Range pulling apart and extension occurs with a north south trending lineation. Extension of crust allows magma from mantle to find its way to the surface. CO Plateau uplifted but not much deformation. San Juan Mountains are the north boundary of the CO Plateau. Mesa de Abiquiu is another name for the long, dark mesa called Black Mesa. Ojo Caliente sandstone is another fossilized sand dune.
Abiquiu Formation was the earliest deposit in the Rio Grande Rift and it is mainly pumice and ash washed down from the Taos Volcanic Field (may also be called the Latir Volcanic Field). It is 20-30 my old. The surface of the cliff above the Rio Chama at the roadside Overlook is Paleo sandstone. Cerrito de la Ventana is the dark dike that crosses US 84.
We took CR 155 to Plaza Blanca or White Place, which Georgia O’Keeffe has painted. We passed Helen Hunt’s, of Hunt’s Ketchup fame (I coined The Lycopene Queen), and Marsha Mason’s ranches. Marsha Mason grows lavender. Abiquiu Formation is very silica rich and hence its white color. Ojo Caliente sandstone is 12 to 9 my old. CR 155 is washboardy. Kempter pointed out CR 156, off of CR 155, and said it leads to Shirley McLaine’s property and also to a piece of property that he co-owns and would like to build a 1000 square foot dwelling on one day.
Sierra Negra is capped by 6 my old basalt and that is why it has not eroded down--same with Mesa de Abiquiu or Black Mesa. Lots of erosion occurred between Sierra Negra and the mesas to the west and Polvadera. Faulting and erosion makes the CO Plateau landscape look complex but underneath are all the broad, formerly continuous layers of the CO Plateau.
After we parked at Plaza Blanca (parking and hiking here graciously allowed by the Dar Al Islam Mosque), we met some hikers coming back who said that they found a small labyrinth but we didn’t stumble across it in our walk.
It is so elemental in Plaza Blanca with the hard-baked, glinting soil and the rock and boulder littered landscape, all set off by the whiteness of the place. Kempter pointed to the upper levels of the Abiquiu Formation to a layer of big boulders and told us that was a former river level. The whiter, more laminated layers of the fantastic turrets in Plaza Blanca are flood sheet deposits of the Abiquiu Formation. Ojo Caliente sandstone is deposited on the Abiquiu Formation. Also, the area has some young, Quaternary sediments (orange) from 60,000 years ago that redeposited over the Abiquiu Formation after the Ojo Caliente and El Rito Formations eroded away. Some of the boulders, large and small, in the present day channels, washed down from the Tusas Mountains--Ortega Quartzite. The arroyo with pink sand is from the Quaternary deposits of 60,000 years ago (although they look orange when viewed from afar in place on the mesa tops.) Kempter says that these 60,000 year old Quaternary deposits were basically from the ancestral Chama River. Chunks of black basalt on the modern day surface are from the black dike to the north of Plaza Blanca.
Attending these field trips and listening to Kempter explain the scenery is like seeing Geology Revealed!! Kempter says that 500 mya, this area was above sea level, 300 mya it was below sea level and the ocean came into this area. By the Cretaceous, the sea had come down from the Alberta area and up from the Gulf of Mexico and that essentially the land that is now the United States formed 2 islands. From 65 mya, the land was always above sea level and the ocean had disappeared from this area. Volcanism didn’t begin until 40 mya. In all that time, a lot of layers have eroded away. The Chama El Rito formation originated from the Sangres. The Ojo Caliente layer was aeolian. Before the layers eroded away, the whole area was once as high as Sierra Negra.
Red rocks on way to Abiquiu Dam, off US 84, are pre dinosaur. CO Plateau rose in elevation but very stable--didn’t rift or form mountains--maybe because the sediments are so thick.
230 mya, NM at sea level. Rivers, etc., deposited sediments, including Entrada Formation (fossilized sand dunes) and ocean deposits. 70 mya North American and Farallon plates collided in Pacific and NM rises above sea level, raising sedimentary layers and then they are eroded over time. Rocky Mountains formed during intense uplift 70-40 mya. Then, last 40 my, Basin and Range pulling apart and extension occurs with a north south trending lineation. Extension of crust allows magma from mantle to find its way to the surface. CO Plateau uplifted but not much deformation. San Juan Mountains are the north boundary of the CO Plateau. Mesa de Abiquiu is another name for the long, dark mesa called Black Mesa. Ojo Caliente sandstone is another fossilized sand dune.
Abiquiu Formation was the earliest deposit in the Rio Grande Rift and it is mainly pumice and ash washed down from the Taos Volcanic Field (may also be called the Latir Volcanic Field). It is 20-30 my old. The surface of the cliff above the Rio Chama at the roadside Overlook is Paleo sandstone. Cerrito de la Ventana is the dark dike that crosses US 84.
We took CR 155 to Plaza Blanca or White Place, which Georgia O’Keeffe has painted. We passed Helen Hunt’s, of Hunt’s Ketchup fame (I coined The Lycopene Queen), and Marsha Mason’s ranches. Marsha Mason grows lavender. Abiquiu Formation is very silica rich and hence its white color. Ojo Caliente sandstone is 12 to 9 my old. CR 155 is washboardy. Kempter pointed out CR 156, off of CR 155, and said it leads to Shirley McLaine’s property and also to a piece of property that he co-owns and would like to build a 1000 square foot dwelling on one day.
Sierra Negra is capped by 6 my old basalt and that is why it has not eroded down--same with Mesa de Abiquiu or Black Mesa. Lots of erosion occurred between Sierra Negra and the mesas to the west and Polvadera. Faulting and erosion makes the CO Plateau landscape look complex but underneath are all the broad, formerly continuous layers of the CO Plateau.
After we parked at Plaza Blanca (parking and hiking here graciously allowed by the Dar Al Islam Mosque), we met some hikers coming back who said that they found a small labyrinth but we didn’t stumble across it in our walk.
It is so elemental in Plaza Blanca with the hard-baked, glinting soil and the rock and boulder littered landscape, all set off by the whiteness of the place. Kempter pointed to the upper levels of the Abiquiu Formation to a layer of big boulders and told us that was a former river level. The whiter, more laminated layers of the fantastic turrets in Plaza Blanca are flood sheet deposits of the Abiquiu Formation. Ojo Caliente sandstone is deposited on the Abiquiu Formation. Also, the area has some young, Quaternary sediments (orange) from 60,000 years ago that redeposited over the Abiquiu Formation after the Ojo Caliente and El Rito Formations eroded away. Some of the boulders, large and small, in the present day channels, washed down from the Tusas Mountains--Ortega Quartzite. The arroyo with pink sand is from the Quaternary deposits of 60,000 years ago (although they look orange when viewed from afar in place on the mesa tops.) Kempter says that these 60,000 year old Quaternary deposits were basically from the ancestral Chama River. Chunks of black basalt on the modern day surface are from the black dike to the north of Plaza Blanca.
Attending these field trips and listening to Kempter explain the scenery is like seeing Geology Revealed!! Kempter says that 500 mya, this area was above sea level, 300 mya it was below sea level and the ocean came into this area. By the Cretaceous, the sea had come down from the Alberta area and up from the Gulf of Mexico and that essentially the land that is now the United States formed 2 islands. From 65 mya, the land was always above sea level and the ocean had disappeared from this area. Volcanism didn’t begin until 40 mya. In all that time, a lot of layers have eroded away. The Chama El Rito formation originated from the Sangres. The Ojo Caliente layer was aeolian. Before the layers eroded away, the whole area was once as high as Sierra Negra.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thursday group hiked on lower Water Canyon Trail. Only 4 of us. Old road into Water Canyon, from NM4, has some packed down snow in shady areas but no significant mud or ice yet. We started at 8:30 am so any snow was still frozen. It softened somewhat on way back but mud not a problem.
One hiker, in his 80's, remembers driving into Water Canyon on the old road which now has a gate and on which no motorized traffic is allowed. He said there was good deer hunting in there. He remembers one involuntary "oil change" due to a collision of his oil pan with a rock!
The group turned around after about 1.5 miles but I continued on to the saddle between Water and Potrillo canyons and down to the Potrillo Canyon channel, where I turned around. Very satisfying to be walking on a trail!
One hiker, in his 80's, remembers driving into Water Canyon on the old road which now has a gate and on which no motorized traffic is allowed. He said there was good deer hunting in there. He remembers one involuntary "oil change" due to a collision of his oil pan with a rock!
The group turned around after about 1.5 miles but I continued on to the saddle between Water and Potrillo canyons and down to the Potrillo Canyon channel, where I turned around. Very satisfying to be walking on a trail!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Going to give up snowshoeing and sell my snowshoes next year at ski swap. I haven't been using them much at all in the past few winters and my posterior tibial tendon dysfunction seems much better. The snowshoes weren't really appropriate for breaking trail but I used them for that anyway, to the detriment of my feet.
So, instead of snowshoeing, when the trails are snow-covered, I'll walk paved roads, sidewalks and forest roads. Today I wanted to walk FR181 but the parking lot was too treacherous for me to park there - fie! (Next time bring a snow shovel!) Instead, I drove to the plowed, paved parking area near the Dome Road, FR289. I walked to its intersection with FR36. They now have mile marker signs on the Dome Road! I estimate I walked 4.5 miles. It wasn't icy or muddy but I'll carry my YakTrax next time just in case.
So, instead of snowshoeing, when the trails are snow-covered, I'll walk paved roads, sidewalks and forest roads. Today I wanted to walk FR181 but the parking lot was too treacherous for me to park there - fie! (Next time bring a snow shovel!) Instead, I drove to the plowed, paved parking area near the Dome Road, FR289. I walked to its intersection with FR36. They now have mile marker signs on the Dome Road! I estimate I walked 4.5 miles. It wasn't icy or muddy but I'll carry my YakTrax next time just in case.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
First cousin Butch died yesterday. Only a year or so older than me. Had recent operation for colon cancer. Not sure it he'd started chemo yet. Sad. His Mom, my Mom's last remaining sibling, Ethel, had died a month or so ago - was in her 90's.
Yesterday, attended Halloween Potluck at WRSC. We brought delicious tuna salad from LA Food Co-op. I helped a little afterward with folding up chairs. Much more work remained to be done - dirty dishes, folding tablecloths, etc., but I had to leave. I'll help again next time. I like helping when it's not an obligation but freely done.
Also, on WRSC hike before potluck, one hiker had balance problems and toppled over and was very unsteady on way back. I and another hiker stayed close to him on the walk back.
Upset last night when spouse partially closed laundry room door which has no heat and in which, several winters back, water pipes froze and burst. He couldn't understand why I'd be upset over that!
Still trying to figure out what to do with handwritten journals. There is much good in them but also much blathering and complaining. How to easily get rid of the dreck and keep the interesting stuff?
Yesterday, attended Halloween Potluck at WRSC. We brought delicious tuna salad from LA Food Co-op. I helped a little afterward with folding up chairs. Much more work remained to be done - dirty dishes, folding tablecloths, etc., but I had to leave. I'll help again next time. I like helping when it's not an obligation but freely done.
Also, on WRSC hike before potluck, one hiker had balance problems and toppled over and was very unsteady on way back. I and another hiker stayed close to him on the walk back.
Upset last night when spouse partially closed laundry room door which has no heat and in which, several winters back, water pipes froze and burst. He couldn't understand why I'd be upset over that!
Still trying to figure out what to do with handwritten journals. There is much good in them but also much blathering and complaining. How to easily get rid of the dreck and keep the interesting stuff?
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Listening to Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I like her honesty.
Yesterday, volunteered at Home Tour. Sat at a house in our neighborhood to greet people and make sure they either put on paper booties or took off their shoes. As a volunteer, I could have gone on house tour also but why bother? I didn't even take a look at the lovely house I was stationed in, only venturing from my doorway chair to quickly use the bathroom. Won't volunteer again on the weekend or at the Home Tour - not my style.
Family is making annual pilgrimage to Salman Raspberry Ranch this year. Me, I can buy frozen raspberries at Trader Joe's so I stay home and reap the fruits of their labor. Besides, I have to get up early tomorrow for a volunteer task that will occupy most of the day.
I will go with them next weekend to Rancho de las Golondrinas Harvest Fest - crowded, hot but at least it's family time!
Made brownies yesterday - cocoa powder, garbanzo bean flour, applesauce, honey, date sugar, vanilla extract, natural peanut butter, almond butter, soy milk, rolled oats. They actually taste good - even husband likes them - but after we use them up, I need to start eating less green tea, cocoa powder and honey. Need to try to adhere better to OmniHeart diet to improve my cholesterol profile.
Yesterday, volunteered at Home Tour. Sat at a house in our neighborhood to greet people and make sure they either put on paper booties or took off their shoes. As a volunteer, I could have gone on house tour also but why bother? I didn't even take a look at the lovely house I was stationed in, only venturing from my doorway chair to quickly use the bathroom. Won't volunteer again on the weekend or at the Home Tour - not my style.
Family is making annual pilgrimage to Salman Raspberry Ranch this year. Me, I can buy frozen raspberries at Trader Joe's so I stay home and reap the fruits of their labor. Besides, I have to get up early tomorrow for a volunteer task that will occupy most of the day.
I will go with them next weekend to Rancho de las Golondrinas Harvest Fest - crowded, hot but at least it's family time!
Made brownies yesterday - cocoa powder, garbanzo bean flour, applesauce, honey, date sugar, vanilla extract, natural peanut butter, almond butter, soy milk, rolled oats. They actually taste good - even husband likes them - but after we use them up, I need to start eating less green tea, cocoa powder and honey. Need to try to adhere better to OmniHeart diet to improve my cholesterol profile.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Cool, cloudy and drizzly. Guess I should be happy after the sweltering days of summer!
Friday hike was local on White Rock streets so we could attend grand opening of new White Rock Visitor Center. The new visitor center is beautiful! Hopefully no runaway cars will bang into it like happened with the old one twice!! Spouse and I decided not to stay for the blah-blah-blah dedication and the wonderful spread of food given as a reward for attending.
Instead, we ate at Lee's. I got the homestyle tofu with cashews. Saltier than I'd like but delicious and I didn't eat all the sauce - only what clung to the food.
They don't have brown rice so I skipped rice. Also skipped the soup and egg roll.
Felt sorry for obese elderly woman who could barely walk but came in for take out from their buffet. She told waitress she comes in every day. Too bad White Rock doesn't yet have a hot meal program for seniors. They have to go 10 miles to Los Alamos to get a hot lunch. Poor thing didn't need all that salt and calories when she already looks all swollen!
Signed up to volunteer at home tour tomorrow. Ay yi yi - the agency sponsoring called to remind me and tell me about the list of rules that I'm supposed to tell people - no bathroom, no food, no picture-taking, no cell phones, no touching anything (have I forgotten any?) Reciting the rules and handing out booties are my main duties - ay yi yi!! I'll skip this next year!!
Friday hike was local on White Rock streets so we could attend grand opening of new White Rock Visitor Center. The new visitor center is beautiful! Hopefully no runaway cars will bang into it like happened with the old one twice!! Spouse and I decided not to stay for the blah-blah-blah dedication and the wonderful spread of food given as a reward for attending.
Instead, we ate at Lee's. I got the homestyle tofu with cashews. Saltier than I'd like but delicious and I didn't eat all the sauce - only what clung to the food.
They don't have brown rice so I skipped rice. Also skipped the soup and egg roll.
Felt sorry for obese elderly woman who could barely walk but came in for take out from their buffet. She told waitress she comes in every day. Too bad White Rock doesn't yet have a hot meal program for seniors. They have to go 10 miles to Los Alamos to get a hot lunch. Poor thing didn't need all that salt and calories when she already looks all swollen!
Signed up to volunteer at home tour tomorrow. Ay yi yi - the agency sponsoring called to remind me and tell me about the list of rules that I'm supposed to tell people - no bathroom, no food, no picture-taking, no cell phones, no touching anything (have I forgotten any?) Reciting the rules and handing out booties are my main duties - ay yi yi!! I'll skip this next year!!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Let me first say - I don't like the new blogger interface. I preferred the old, so-called Beta version. It was more attractive, easier to understand and use. To figure out what all the symbols mean on the new interface, I'm forced to hover my cursor over them until they, a la "open sesame", reveal their meaning.
It's all hazy smoky here today from the conjoined wildfires in the Gila Wilderness. This reminds me too much of last Spring when we were treated to days of smoke inhalation from the Wallow wildfire in Arizona. It's also been dry and windy here which brings back unpleasant memories of similar conditions last year which resulted in the devastation of the Las Conchas wildfire. I tell myself that there is not much left to burn but I know there is plenty left, especially if dry, windy conditions continue.
This morning we walked with the White Rock Senior Center Friday group on the north section of the Perimeter Trail, starting at the Mitchell Trailhead and going toward Quemazon Community. The leader surprised my by wanting to ascend to Pipeline Road above the north branch of Pueblo Canyon. We then went the short distance down Pipeline to Quemazon Road and followed that to an access trail which led to Upper Pueblo Canyon Trail and then down an access trail to Yucca Road and back to the cars. We were joined by 3 hikers from the Betty Ehart Senior Center walking group because their leader was on a trip. I forgot to check my GPS but think we did 3 miles.
After lunch at home, I did 2 more miles, going east on the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail to just past Zeus's easy chair carved out of tuff. Near the intersection with the Zipline Trail, I watched 5 turkey vultures circling around and around. Despite their "naked" red head which looks similar to the carrion they eat, they are beautiful birds that fly with grace and ease.
It's all hazy smoky here today from the conjoined wildfires in the Gila Wilderness. This reminds me too much of last Spring when we were treated to days of smoke inhalation from the Wallow wildfire in Arizona. It's also been dry and windy here which brings back unpleasant memories of similar conditions last year which resulted in the devastation of the Las Conchas wildfire. I tell myself that there is not much left to burn but I know there is plenty left, especially if dry, windy conditions continue.
This morning we walked with the White Rock Senior Center Friday group on the north section of the Perimeter Trail, starting at the Mitchell Trailhead and going toward Quemazon Community. The leader surprised my by wanting to ascend to Pipeline Road above the north branch of Pueblo Canyon. We then went the short distance down Pipeline to Quemazon Road and followed that to an access trail which led to Upper Pueblo Canyon Trail and then down an access trail to Yucca Road and back to the cars. We were joined by 3 hikers from the Betty Ehart Senior Center walking group because their leader was on a trip. I forgot to check my GPS but think we did 3 miles.
After lunch at home, I did 2 more miles, going east on the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail to just past Zeus's easy chair carved out of tuff. Near the intersection with the Zipline Trail, I watched 5 turkey vultures circling around and around. Despite their "naked" red head which looks similar to the carrion they eat, they are beautiful birds that fly with grace and ease.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Just realized that I went on and on so much about the Route and the forest service that I forgot to say where I walked today. I practiced jogging intervals on the White Rock Rim Trail from the official trailhead near Overlook to where it intersects Pajarito Canyon. I continued all the way to Sherwood Ave. on the rim trail but gave up on the jogging practice because of the wind, the rocky trail tread and the uphill. Was listening to book on CD, Head Trip, that I recorded to audio cassette. I meant to follow the easy way back but wound up back on the rocky part of the rim trail for part of the way. The whole round trip is ~5 miles.
Voted today. Stopped by forest service office (astounding to see it actually open and the desk manned!!) and asked when the Las Conchas forest closure will be lifted. Its been since last June 26 and I'm eager for the forest to reopen. Couple of weeks was the answer and the forest supervisor is working on the lifting of the closure order. I, of course, will believe it when I see it but if it happens soon, I'll be very jubilant!!
Very windy this afternoon. Was going to walk on the Route to see its condition after the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs (JMTR) 50k race used it on Saturday. The forest there is not actually open but the race directors had a one day special use permit. When the forest recovers more, they will go back to the race courses they used in the past but for the meantime, were forced by the Las Conchas wildfire to use different trails. Decided not to risk walking on the Route with all the winds. There is one tree that looks like the leaning tower of Pisa and ready to fall if I breathe too hard on it. I had hoped the forest service would remove it as a hazard tree to ensure the safety of the runners but that never happened. They put red flagging around the hazard trees and left them to fall where they may.
The forest service considers the Route an illegal, user created trail and really doesn't want to maintain it but they should because there is a real use for it. It's a safer way to walk up to Pajarito Mountain than using Camp May Road and runners and bikers have started to use it more frequently now. I met two runners on the Route and they said they were happy to have discovered this alternative to Camp May Road. Maybe with time, the trail will become so "real" that the forest service will be forced to maintain it. I suffer no illusions regarding how good a trail it is. It has far too many sharp turns to be safely used by bicyclists. I followed two bikers down one day and I could see the places where they skidded to a stop. The trail needs more maintenance than I can give it.
Last week while walking on the Route, just below Guardrail Hill, saw a portly gentleman sitting on a rock enjoying a snack. I'd earlier seen him walking by on Camp May Road. I'm not completely sure who he is (maybe the man who lived in a cave in Los Alamos Canyon several years back?) but he carries a stout walking stick and wears sandals. As I passed by, he commented on there being a trail in the woods and I told him that it would be part of the JMTR 50k race. I was doing a final sweep for trash on the Route to make sure it was presentable for the racers. Can't do anything about all the glass chips, though because it's too hard to pick up every last piece. I pick up the big pieces when I see them glinting.
When I speak of the Route, I'm only talking about the section from the Ocean to FR2998. The larger trail, called the Camp May Road Trail, of which the Route is a small, less than 2 mile section, goes all the way up to the Townsight Lift at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. The Route can be accessed from Camp May Road via the Coblentz Climb (which I assume is also an illegal, user created trail but really neat!), a short, steep connector trail that goes up to the Ocean where you can then pick up the Route on your left, just follow the cairns. Other access points are the Ocean or FR2998. I access it from the intersection of the West Road bypass and Camp May Road by following some old roads and crossing Camp May Road to go up to the Ocean.
Very windy this afternoon. Was going to walk on the Route to see its condition after the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs (JMTR) 50k race used it on Saturday. The forest there is not actually open but the race directors had a one day special use permit. When the forest recovers more, they will go back to the race courses they used in the past but for the meantime, were forced by the Las Conchas wildfire to use different trails. Decided not to risk walking on the Route with all the winds. There is one tree that looks like the leaning tower of Pisa and ready to fall if I breathe too hard on it. I had hoped the forest service would remove it as a hazard tree to ensure the safety of the runners but that never happened. They put red flagging around the hazard trees and left them to fall where they may.
The forest service considers the Route an illegal, user created trail and really doesn't want to maintain it but they should because there is a real use for it. It's a safer way to walk up to Pajarito Mountain than using Camp May Road and runners and bikers have started to use it more frequently now. I met two runners on the Route and they said they were happy to have discovered this alternative to Camp May Road. Maybe with time, the trail will become so "real" that the forest service will be forced to maintain it. I suffer no illusions regarding how good a trail it is. It has far too many sharp turns to be safely used by bicyclists. I followed two bikers down one day and I could see the places where they skidded to a stop. The trail needs more maintenance than I can give it.
Last week while walking on the Route, just below Guardrail Hill, saw a portly gentleman sitting on a rock enjoying a snack. I'd earlier seen him walking by on Camp May Road. I'm not completely sure who he is (maybe the man who lived in a cave in Los Alamos Canyon several years back?) but he carries a stout walking stick and wears sandals. As I passed by, he commented on there being a trail in the woods and I told him that it would be part of the JMTR 50k race. I was doing a final sweep for trash on the Route to make sure it was presentable for the racers. Can't do anything about all the glass chips, though because it's too hard to pick up every last piece. I pick up the big pieces when I see them glinting.
When I speak of the Route, I'm only talking about the section from the Ocean to FR2998. The larger trail, called the Camp May Road Trail, of which the Route is a small, less than 2 mile section, goes all the way up to the Townsight Lift at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. The Route can be accessed from Camp May Road via the Coblentz Climb (which I assume is also an illegal, user created trail but really neat!), a short, steep connector trail that goes up to the Ocean where you can then pick up the Route on your left, just follow the cairns. Other access points are the Ocean or FR2998. I access it from the intersection of the West Road bypass and Camp May Road by following some old roads and crossing Camp May Road to go up to the Ocean.
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