Was to go on Mitchell Trail hike with the vigorous Wednesday group but when I started driving to the trailhead and saw rain on my windshield and dark, dark clouds to the northwest, where I was headed, I turned tail and drove to White Rock since I could see clearer skies that way.
Going down the Main Hill Road, I saw the aftermath of an accident with broken glass still on the road. It's only a two lane road built flush against the tuff cliff and has no shoulder. The accident occurred at the Anderson Overlook blind curve. Very scary road and the drivers are even scarier!
When I started jogging on the White Rock Canyon Rim Trail, I was chagrined to hear raindrops falling on my hat so I unfurled my golf umbrella. It rained steadily but not too long. The green of the lichen that's everywhere on the basalt rocks along the trail really stands out when wet and closely matches the color of the sagebrush.
When the rain stopped, the sun came out making the basalt along the canyon edge and in the canyon below gleam. Far below, I could see that the poplars along the banks of the Rio Grande have turned to gold. Just a little rain and this landscape is made magical! White, furry winterfat adorned the canyon rim along with clusters of lavendar pink verbena. I thought verbena was only a springtime flower but maybe not!
Where the trail makes a right turn above Pajarito Canyon to continue toward Sherwood Blvd., I turned around but instead of continuing on the White Rock Canyon Rim Trail, I followed the short trail on the bench that runs just below the rim trail. This bench is a fascinating place that brings you closer to the basaltic wonderland of White Rock Canyon. Midway, there is even a tiny oasis where I'm sure there must be a spring. I've never seen the spring but the evidence is in the profuse tree growth, including willows, that only occurs in a narrow strip right there and continues to the canyon rim above. The bench trail dead ends in a jumble of basalt. Above are towering basalt cliffs with a talus slope of basalt boulders, large and small. Underfoot there is unyielding basalt. Below the bench, there are more basalt benches and veritable mountains of basalt. There's a spare beauty in the hard steadfastness of the dark basalt.
I backtracked up to the White Rock Canyon Rim Trail and followed it back to my car. Never saw another soul the whole time I was on the trail!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Camp May Road Walk Yesterday - Burnt Mesa Eagle Traps Today
Yesterday I walked the first two miles of Camp May Road, starting from West Jemez Road. Irritated by the stout metal posts, thick wire strand and metal gate that DOE has installed so they can close off Camp May Road in the future. At least I think it's the DOE because they own the land where Camp May Road intersects the West Road bypass. True, it's just a short section but people walk, run and bike up that road daily and there is no shoulder, no room to escape a vehicle, and now there's even less room unless I'm to vault over the thick wire strand to escape a careening car! (They've also installed the metal posts and wire strand further along the West Road Bypass to keep people from driving into the woods that the DOE owns as a buffer zone. Phooey on them!)
Enough complaining. I checked out my pet aspens along the Route - the ones accessed from Shotgun Shell parking lot. They have not completely turned yellow and are not as brilliant as in years past. Maybe they were overheated by the burnout that established a fire line during the Las Conchas fire.
On the way back downhill, I needed to use a side road for a "necessary" visit but I saw an animal browsing. With my eyesight, I couldn't quite figure out what it was and certainly didn't want to surprise a mountain lion or coyote so I waited until the animal raised its head from its yummy meal and then I knew - bingo, deer! I told it "I won't hurt you, darling!" and headed up the road to find a tree but then I was astonished to realize that there were 7 deer, one of which was a buck. We stood there staring at each other until some of the deer decided they'd better cross Camp May Road to "escape" from me.
Today, the women's group walked off trail on Burnt Mesa (even though off trail travel is not yet officially condoned) to visit the eagle traps. Glad we did it. Weather was perfect. While the group had a snack stop at the final two eagle traps, I walked downhill, away from Frijoles Canyon, to take a gander at the unnamed canyon between us and the official Burnt Mesa Trail. It would be nice to go out to the eagle traps and loop back to the official trail by crossing this canyon. It could be done but not with the group of 14 we had today. While I was at the canyon edge, I noticed a stake that archeologists use to mark ruins. Next to it were two rocks, planted on the hillside, facing each other, with their inner edges looking unnaturally straight, creating a small, shallow trench, maybe 4 feet long by 18 inches wide and filled in with dirt so it was less than a foot deep. I took the others down to see it and kidded that this "eagle trap" was to teach the toddlers how to snatch the eagle's tail feathers!
Enough complaining. I checked out my pet aspens along the Route - the ones accessed from Shotgun Shell parking lot. They have not completely turned yellow and are not as brilliant as in years past. Maybe they were overheated by the burnout that established a fire line during the Las Conchas fire.
On the way back downhill, I needed to use a side road for a "necessary" visit but I saw an animal browsing. With my eyesight, I couldn't quite figure out what it was and certainly didn't want to surprise a mountain lion or coyote so I waited until the animal raised its head from its yummy meal and then I knew - bingo, deer! I told it "I won't hurt you, darling!" and headed up the road to find a tree but then I was astonished to realize that there were 7 deer, one of which was a buck. We stood there staring at each other until some of the deer decided they'd better cross Camp May Road to "escape" from me.
Today, the women's group walked off trail on Burnt Mesa (even though off trail travel is not yet officially condoned) to visit the eagle traps. Glad we did it. Weather was perfect. While the group had a snack stop at the final two eagle traps, I walked downhill, away from Frijoles Canyon, to take a gander at the unnamed canyon between us and the official Burnt Mesa Trail. It would be nice to go out to the eagle traps and loop back to the official trail by crossing this canyon. It could be done but not with the group of 14 we had today. While I was at the canyon edge, I noticed a stake that archeologists use to mark ruins. Next to it were two rocks, planted on the hillside, facing each other, with their inner edges looking unnaturally straight, creating a small, shallow trench, maybe 4 feet long by 18 inches wide and filled in with dirt so it was less than a foot deep. I took the others down to see it and kidded that this "eagle trap" was to teach the toddlers how to snatch the eagle's tail feathers!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Two Walks in the Las Conchas Burn
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!
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!
Reveling in NM Autumn on Pajarito Mountain
I've gone to Pajarito Mountain thrice this week. Once on Sunday with spouse. He made it to the 4 way intersection at the antenna farm which is good since usually he only makes it to just past the Townsight Lift, at the intersection where a minor side road goes over to Evershine.
The fall colors were much improved since last week. I want to see as much glorious gold aspen as I can so I went again on Monday and again on Wednesday,
On Wednesday, I went up the western side, sticking to the Logging Road. I call it the Logging Road from the ski lodge to Bruce's Blvd., near the Terrain Park and the Mother Lift, but the Pajarito Mountain bike map shows it as Road O from the lodge until it intersects Road 1, a minor side road, and then it becomes the Logging Road. It makes more sense to call it one name from bottom to top since it's one continuous road.
The Logging Road takes you through a badly burnt part of Pajarito Mountain. There were big red signs with white lettering that said "Please Stay Out" but I continued up the road anyway and was soon out of the vertical charcoal. I'm quite sure that last week those signs said "Please Use Caution" which was contradictory since the signs had a hiker, a bicyclist and a horse rider in a crossed out circle. Bet someone made the signs wrong and the ski area now has the correct signs up.
At the top, didn't bother going to the back of the mountain but instead took Bruce's Blvd. over to past the Lone Spruce Lift (the ski area is working hard to get that lift operational after it was damaged by the Las Conchas fire) and then walked on Zero Road East down to my car . Zero Road East appears on the bike map as Lower East Road and Upper East Road but the signs at the ski area say Zero Road East.
I plan to one day walk the eastern side of the mountain, starting up the Oxbow Road and swinging around on Evershine Ridge. I want to walk Pajarito a lot before the snows (hopefully) come.
The fall colors were much improved since last week. I want to see as much glorious gold aspen as I can so I went again on Monday and again on Wednesday,
On Wednesday, I went up the western side, sticking to the Logging Road. I call it the Logging Road from the ski lodge to Bruce's Blvd., near the Terrain Park and the Mother Lift, but the Pajarito Mountain bike map shows it as Road O from the lodge until it intersects Road 1, a minor side road, and then it becomes the Logging Road. It makes more sense to call it one name from bottom to top since it's one continuous road.
The Logging Road takes you through a badly burnt part of Pajarito Mountain. There were big red signs with white lettering that said "Please Stay Out" but I continued up the road anyway and was soon out of the vertical charcoal. I'm quite sure that last week those signs said "Please Use Caution" which was contradictory since the signs had a hiker, a bicyclist and a horse rider in a crossed out circle. Bet someone made the signs wrong and the ski area now has the correct signs up.
At the top, didn't bother going to the back of the mountain but instead took Bruce's Blvd. over to past the Lone Spruce Lift (the ski area is working hard to get that lift operational after it was damaged by the Las Conchas fire) and then walked on Zero Road East down to my car . Zero Road East appears on the bike map as Lower East Road and Upper East Road but the signs at the ski area say Zero Road East.
I plan to one day walk the eastern side of the mountain, starting up the Oxbow Road and swinging around on Evershine Ridge. I want to walk Pajarito a lot before the snows (hopefully) come.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Very Last Bench of Kwage Mesa
Today I jogged to the end of Kwage Mesa. Once on a group hike, I'd seen another hiker go down to the next bench at the end of the mesa. Today, I finally got down to that next level. Then I made it down two more levels to the very last rock bench level of Kwage Mesa. When I say "walked down", much of the time I was using my arms and butt to down climb. The south side of Kwage Mesa is very steep with cliffs plunging into Pueblo Canyon. The north side rises above Bayo Canyon but isn't sheer cliffs.
A friend wants to see if there is a way off the end of Kwage Mesa. This winter, she and I found a rough way up the side of Kwage Mesa from Bayo Canyon but more to the west. I'll have to tell her that it looks possible to go up the side of Kwage Mesa closer to its eastern end from Bayo Canyon and then climb the 3 bench levels to the top. I'd rather go up then down. It looked like a somewhat clear path went west. I followed it until it was blocked by a fallen tree. I could have gone further but that was enough exploring for one day. On the north side of the bottom bench, I saw human shoe prints so someone else has been there.
A friend wants to see if there is a way off the end of Kwage Mesa. This winter, she and I found a rough way up the side of Kwage Mesa from Bayo Canyon but more to the west. I'll have to tell her that it looks possible to go up the side of Kwage Mesa closer to its eastern end from Bayo Canyon and then climb the 3 bench levels to the top. I'd rather go up then down. It looked like a somewhat clear path went west. I followed it until it was blocked by a fallen tree. I could have gone further but that was enough exploring for one day. On the north side of the bottom bench, I saw human shoe prints so someone else has been there.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Pajarito Mountain Two Days in a Row
Yesterday, Tuesday, I walked from the ski lodge up Zero East Road to the 4-way intersection at the antenna farm just west of Townsight Lift. I wanted to check out a trail I'd followed on Ullr Fest from the 4-way intersection over to Evershine Ridge. That trail skirts above Pajarito Canyon (or at least in view of it) and runs above Evershine Ridge, going past yet more antennas, the easternmost ones on the mountain.
I didn't have time the day of Ullr Fest to follow the trail completely. I had to turn around because I was the designated driver who had to drive everyone down Camp May Road.
On Tuesday, since the trail could have been muddy with last week's snow fall on the ski hill and since I'd already walked part of it from the 4-way intersection, I turned left and walked past Townsight Lift, whose quad chairs were all stacked in a row while the lift awaits repair after the Las Conchas fire, and over to where I'd stopped last time. I quickly discovered that the trail didn't go much further. It deadended at Evershine Ridge. I didn't bother checking to see if it somehow continues further down.
The aspens in Pajarito Canyon have turned yellow. Would be nice to check out the aspen activity there but that's in the Las Conchas burn area closure. The aspens that didn't burn on Pajarito Mountain aren't putting on much of a show this year.
Today, Wednesday, I walked up Cerra Bonita, the mountain just north of Pajarito Mountain, on a rocky dirt road through a meadow that had burnt aspens on one side and burnt conifers on the other. I've wanted to do this since summer when I looked at the road with binoculars from the top of Rim Run and, because the Las Conchas fire had burned a lot of trees, could see over the top of Cerra Bonita all the way north to Pipeline Road. I thought maybe if I walked up Cerra Bonita that I could look down into Cañada Bonita meadow and beyond but I discovered today that Cerra Bonita just isn't as high enough to see into Cañada Bonita meadow. The road ended at the edge of a burnt conifer forest that looked too dangerous for me to walk into further.
I started down Cerra Bonita to where I could see a fairly open way to walk through the burnt aspen forest to another meadow. I was hoping to contour above Camp May Park and not lose much altitude. This plan wasn't as scary as the prospect of walking through burnt conifers. When the conifers burn, their roots open up deep, ankle busting holes! The forest floor in the burnt aspen forest has already filled with aspen seedlings, some a yard high with leaves as big as the palm of my hand.
When I got to the open meadow, I was unhappy to discover the blasted barbed wire fence of the Valles Caldera National Preserve boundary. There was even a nasty barbed trip wire at a right angle to the fence. I could have trespassed and walked uphill in that inviting high mountain meadow - the fence is broken down in so many places - but instead I walked outside the fence, carefully watching that I didn't trip on the barbed wire laying on the ground. I saw elk track in the black dirt. I wondered how they deal with the barbed wire. I vehemently cursed the Preserve out loud as I walked along. Why in the world are we not allowed to walk on the rim of the Valles Caldera when we, the people, already own this piece of property? The Valles Caldera Trust is basically entrusted with keeping us out which is extremely irksome!
When I got to the road that goes uphill to the Camp May saddle, I followed it up to the damnable Valles Caldera National Preserve fence and cursed them some more, loudly, casting aspersions on the legitimacy of their parentage! Since Las Conchas fire, the views from Pajarito Mountain into the Valles Caldera have really opened up. I could see all the way to Redondo Peak. I could see the burnt volcanic domes of Cerro del Medio and Cerros del Abrigo in the Valle Grande.
I continued to the top of Rim Run. A sherpa would have been handy to carry my backpack up that steep slope! The ski area is building a log fence along the ski hill boundary. They have plenty of logs courtesy of the Las Conchas fire! At the top of Rim Run, it was already 3 pm. All I'd had for lunch was some grapes. I would have liked to sit and eat a snack, whilst enjoying the views but it was late so I put on my windbreaker and a fleece vest and continued toward the Mother lift. I estimated I'd arrive back at my car at 4:30 pm.
On Tuesday, I saw no other hikers on Pajarito Mountain and on Wednesday, I saw no hikers until I got near the Mother Lift. Then, I saw a lone male hiker heading for the back of the mountain and a couple with a tiny, yippy terrier heading to the top of Rim Run.
I could have walked down steep Rim Run to the Logging Road but I wanted to get my miles up to 4 for the day so I went past the Mother Lift and then walked downhill to the Terrain Park to pick up the Logging Road. But when I got below the Terrain Park, I instead took a minor road that went across the ski runs and backtracked to the east before going all the way back west to I Don't Care Run. I really don't know the western side of the mountain very well and thought this road was a short cut to the Logging Road - HA! At this point, I was practically to the bottom of Rim Run where I knew I could pick up the Logging Road but I, in my brilliance, didn't want to walk any further and thought that I Don't Care looked easy to go down - NOT! This particular run has fooled me before. It starts out easy but then then makes a sharp right where it becomes steep and rocky - ARRGH! I had no choice but to carefully pick my way down. It was either that or roll down! Once I got on the Logging Road, I stayed on it and arrived at my car at 4:33 pm.
Even though the aspens on Pajarito Mountain aren't glorious this year, I did see some enormous red and yellow aspen leaves that had fallen. I looked up but couldn't figure out where they'd come from. Last week's snowfall still hasn't melted yet on the shadowed side of the ski slopes.
I didn't have time the day of Ullr Fest to follow the trail completely. I had to turn around because I was the designated driver who had to drive everyone down Camp May Road.
On Tuesday, since the trail could have been muddy with last week's snow fall on the ski hill and since I'd already walked part of it from the 4-way intersection, I turned left and walked past Townsight Lift, whose quad chairs were all stacked in a row while the lift awaits repair after the Las Conchas fire, and over to where I'd stopped last time. I quickly discovered that the trail didn't go much further. It deadended at Evershine Ridge. I didn't bother checking to see if it somehow continues further down.
The aspens in Pajarito Canyon have turned yellow. Would be nice to check out the aspen activity there but that's in the Las Conchas burn area closure. The aspens that didn't burn on Pajarito Mountain aren't putting on much of a show this year.
Today, Wednesday, I walked up Cerra Bonita, the mountain just north of Pajarito Mountain, on a rocky dirt road through a meadow that had burnt aspens on one side and burnt conifers on the other. I've wanted to do this since summer when I looked at the road with binoculars from the top of Rim Run and, because the Las Conchas fire had burned a lot of trees, could see over the top of Cerra Bonita all the way north to Pipeline Road. I thought maybe if I walked up Cerra Bonita that I could look down into Cañada Bonita meadow and beyond but I discovered today that Cerra Bonita just isn't as high enough to see into Cañada Bonita meadow. The road ended at the edge of a burnt conifer forest that looked too dangerous for me to walk into further.
I started down Cerra Bonita to where I could see a fairly open way to walk through the burnt aspen forest to another meadow. I was hoping to contour above Camp May Park and not lose much altitude. This plan wasn't as scary as the prospect of walking through burnt conifers. When the conifers burn, their roots open up deep, ankle busting holes! The forest floor in the burnt aspen forest has already filled with aspen seedlings, some a yard high with leaves as big as the palm of my hand.
When I got to the open meadow, I was unhappy to discover the blasted barbed wire fence of the Valles Caldera National Preserve boundary. There was even a nasty barbed trip wire at a right angle to the fence. I could have trespassed and walked uphill in that inviting high mountain meadow - the fence is broken down in so many places - but instead I walked outside the fence, carefully watching that I didn't trip on the barbed wire laying on the ground. I saw elk track in the black dirt. I wondered how they deal with the barbed wire. I vehemently cursed the Preserve out loud as I walked along. Why in the world are we not allowed to walk on the rim of the Valles Caldera when we, the people, already own this piece of property? The Valles Caldera Trust is basically entrusted with keeping us out which is extremely irksome!
When I got to the road that goes uphill to the Camp May saddle, I followed it up to the damnable Valles Caldera National Preserve fence and cursed them some more, loudly, casting aspersions on the legitimacy of their parentage! Since Las Conchas fire, the views from Pajarito Mountain into the Valles Caldera have really opened up. I could see all the way to Redondo Peak. I could see the burnt volcanic domes of Cerro del Medio and Cerros del Abrigo in the Valle Grande.
I continued to the top of Rim Run. A sherpa would have been handy to carry my backpack up that steep slope! The ski area is building a log fence along the ski hill boundary. They have plenty of logs courtesy of the Las Conchas fire! At the top of Rim Run, it was already 3 pm. All I'd had for lunch was some grapes. I would have liked to sit and eat a snack, whilst enjoying the views but it was late so I put on my windbreaker and a fleece vest and continued toward the Mother lift. I estimated I'd arrive back at my car at 4:30 pm.
On Tuesday, I saw no other hikers on Pajarito Mountain and on Wednesday, I saw no hikers until I got near the Mother Lift. Then, I saw a lone male hiker heading for the back of the mountain and a couple with a tiny, yippy terrier heading to the top of Rim Run.
I could have walked down steep Rim Run to the Logging Road but I wanted to get my miles up to 4 for the day so I went past the Mother Lift and then walked downhill to the Terrain Park to pick up the Logging Road. But when I got below the Terrain Park, I instead took a minor road that went across the ski runs and backtracked to the east before going all the way back west to I Don't Care Run. I really don't know the western side of the mountain very well and thought this road was a short cut to the Logging Road - HA! At this point, I was practically to the bottom of Rim Run where I knew I could pick up the Logging Road but I, in my brilliance, didn't want to walk any further and thought that I Don't Care looked easy to go down - NOT! This particular run has fooled me before. It starts out easy but then then makes a sharp right where it becomes steep and rocky - ARRGH! I had no choice but to carefully pick my way down. It was either that or roll down! Once I got on the Logging Road, I stayed on it and arrived at my car at 4:33 pm.
Even though the aspens on Pajarito Mountain aren't glorious this year, I did see some enormous red and yellow aspen leaves that had fallen. I looked up but couldn't figure out where they'd come from. Last week's snowfall still hasn't melted yet on the shadowed side of the ski slopes.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Pajarito Mountain - A Beautiful Fall Day!
On Monday, September 19, I walked up to the backside of Pajarito Mountain on the Zero Road East from the Pajarito Mountain Ski Lodge. It was one of those heartbreakingly beautiful fall days.
Ski area was working to get Lone Spruce chair lift cables up and put lift in working order. The cables fell to the ground during this summer's Las Conchas fire. After our very long monsoon, with regular afternoon and/or evening rains, it was wonderfully relaxing to enjoy a sunny day with turquoise blue skies. There were some layered clouds and even though the clouds had dark bottoms, there was no vertical growth.
Saw pancake mushrooms 8" in diameter, couple of puffballs, golden eye, a few harebells, couple of lonely wallflowers along road bank, mullein stalks on ski slopes, pale pink wild germanium, Indian paintbrush, stubby remains of fireweed, thistles gone to seed, camas gone to seed with purplish stems, red clover, yarrow, dandelions, erigeron, asters, both yellow and purple. The sunny brilliance of the colors was amazing! The evergreens at the back of the mountain were a darker green color than I had ever seen them. I looked hard at the meadow of grass and evergreens, trying to conjure up a bear. Although the aspen leaves had not yet begun to change colors, a few had yellowed and fell and looked so pretty. I don't know why but it's a blessing to look upon a golden aspen leaf!
All my thought were not sweetness and light: Not too long ago, the death camas were blooming strongly on the mountain (the fireweed too) but now, they are all closing down, getting ready for winter.
I need to carry my windbreaker next time. At the top, to warm up and dry my sweaty shirt, I tucked my pant legs into my socks, put a red handkerchief around my neck and buttoned up my outer shirt.
Ski area was working to get Lone Spruce chair lift cables up and put lift in working order. The cables fell to the ground during this summer's Las Conchas fire. After our very long monsoon, with regular afternoon and/or evening rains, it was wonderfully relaxing to enjoy a sunny day with turquoise blue skies. There were some layered clouds and even though the clouds had dark bottoms, there was no vertical growth.
Saw pancake mushrooms 8" in diameter, couple of puffballs, golden eye, a few harebells, couple of lonely wallflowers along road bank, mullein stalks on ski slopes, pale pink wild germanium, Indian paintbrush, stubby remains of fireweed, thistles gone to seed, camas gone to seed with purplish stems, red clover, yarrow, dandelions, erigeron, asters, both yellow and purple. The sunny brilliance of the colors was amazing! The evergreens at the back of the mountain were a darker green color than I had ever seen them. I looked hard at the meadow of grass and evergreens, trying to conjure up a bear. Although the aspen leaves had not yet begun to change colors, a few had yellowed and fell and looked so pretty. I don't know why but it's a blessing to look upon a golden aspen leaf!
All my thought were not sweetness and light: Not too long ago, the death camas were blooming strongly on the mountain (the fireweed too) but now, they are all closing down, getting ready for winter.
I need to carry my windbreaker next time. At the top, to warm up and dry my sweaty shirt, I tucked my pant legs into my socks, put a red handkerchief around my neck and buttoned up my outer shirt.
Monday, September 26, 2011
School Canyon Trail - Never Knew!
Today I met a friend at the Pueblo Complex parking lot for an explore of the School Canyon Trail. From the south end of the parking lot, in front of the Los Alamos Schools Credit Union, we crossed the broken down fence and carefully went down a rocky section to a trail that runs along the north bench of Pueblo Canyon from where Diamond Drive crosses Pueblo Canyon on a highway embankment fill called the Pueblo Canyon fill.
The trail follows a bench around School Canyon, a north-south tributary of Pueblo Canyon. All the canyons are looking especially lush and green after our very productive monsoon season. The trail travels below the Pueblo Complex, the lower and upper ball fields, the new Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church and the First Baptist Church of Los Alamos. School Canyon continues north, crossing under Diamond Drive, to its origination point near Burnt or LA Mountain, but the trail crosses from the west side of the canyon over to its east side, below the Baptist church, on a narrow, dirt trail along the base of the Conoco Hill fill on Diamond (with the loss of the Conoco station, maybe we should call it Shell Hill?) and then continues around to the east beneath the Sleepy Hollow neighborhood, the St. Dimitri of Rostov Orthodox Church and the Little Forest Play School.
There are plenty of neighborhood access points both formal and informal but the official School Canyon trailhead is located at the 37th Street playlot, off Villa Street. From the playlot, the trail continues briefly along the edge of School Canyon to a place where there is a cairn and stone steps that take you down to another bench level. Only problem was that we didn't see a cairn so we climbed down to the next bench at the first easy place.
Walking along at the lower level, we noticed a group of pretty aspens on the hillside above and next to them, we could clearly see steps going back up to the bench we had just come down. We wanted to be thorough about this explore, so up the steps we went to study the situation! We backtracked a bit to try to figure out how we had missed this. There was supposed to be a cairn and we now saw a few little ones at the top of the steps but nothing that would call our attention to the area so we decided to build a better cairn. We tucked it up against a boulder, hoping that it would be noticeable but inconspicuous enough that the Cairn Police wouldn't destroy it. Some hikers hate cairns!
Not long after going down to this lower bench, School Canyon intersects Pueblo Canyon, which runs west-east, but the trail is still called School Canyon Trail and continues until ends officially at Homestead Crossing Trail. But my friend and I, in our eagerness to go downhill to the Homestead Bridge, bypassed this intersection. The Homestead Bridge is a pedestrian bridge built on the site of a former homestead era bridge that once spanned upper Pueblo Canyon to connect Los Alamos Mesa, to the south, with the mesas north of Pueblo Canyon.
There is a photo donated by Peggy Pond Church in the Los Alamos Historical Museum Archives that shows a car driving across the former Homestead Bridge. This site in upper Pueblo Canyon was chosen for the original homestead era bridge crossing because it's fairly easy to cross since the canyon is narrower and less steep here compared with the soaring cliffs further east! Pueblo Canyon is a steep-walled, formidable obstacle to travel even though we don't give this much thought nowadays as we quickly drive over it on Diamond Drive!
At the Homestead Bridge, I parted company with my friend. She needed to be home at noon. I continued up the Homestead Crossing Trail, only .7 of a mile long, which follows the route of a road that went uphill from the Homestead Bridge. The trail tops out at 33rd Street, ending near Aspen Elementary School. I'm sure liberties were taken with the homestead era road the trail supposedly follows. Parts of it are entirely too close to the canyon edge and too narrow for a car or wagon to have safely driven upon! Most likely when the houses in the Aspen School neighborhood were built by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950's, parts of the road were usurped for private property.
At the top of the Homestead Crossing Trail, I sat on a rock and pondered which way I'd
walk back to my car. While musing, I enjoyed my lunch of dry roasted wasabi edamame mixed with salted peanuts and a little bag of dark chocolate covered almonds. I know it was bad to eat every last one but at least I had shared it with my friend - and they were delicious! As I savored the chocolate taste, I could hear exuberant shouts of the students at recess! I enjoyed their high-spirited noise but I if I lived beside the school, I'd quickly tire of it!
Done with lunch, I decided to retrace my steps. After passing the Conoco Hill fill, I met an oncoming bicyclist, the only person I saw on the trail beside my friend! I stepped off the trail to let him pass and he kiddingly apologized about running me off the trail! I laughed!
I was very curious about the Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church parking lot because the church is built practically on top of Diamond Drive and looks like its parking lot is under-sized. When I got below the church, I walked uphill to the parking lot and counted the spaces. There are only 21 unless you count two extra narrow spots, then 23 and this includes 2 handicapped spaces. I really wonder if the church has an agreement with the First Baptist Church, their next door neighbor, to use their huge parking lot. Otherwise, parking must be at a premium for the church's congregation or it's a tiny congregation.
After the parking lot "study", I continued to my car via the Pueblo Complex ball fields and called it an enjoyable hike! I was grateful that my friend introduced me to the School Canyon Trail! I had no idea that beautiful, deep School Canyon and was tucked away beside Pueblo Canyon and had a trail running along its rim! I thought I knew the Los Alamos County Open Space trails in that area but I was wrong!
The trail follows a bench around School Canyon, a north-south tributary of Pueblo Canyon. All the canyons are looking especially lush and green after our very productive monsoon season. The trail travels below the Pueblo Complex, the lower and upper ball fields, the new Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church and the First Baptist Church of Los Alamos. School Canyon continues north, crossing under Diamond Drive, to its origination point near Burnt or LA Mountain, but the trail crosses from the west side of the canyon over to its east side, below the Baptist church, on a narrow, dirt trail along the base of the Conoco Hill fill on Diamond (with the loss of the Conoco station, maybe we should call it Shell Hill?) and then continues around to the east beneath the Sleepy Hollow neighborhood, the St. Dimitri of Rostov Orthodox Church and the Little Forest Play School.
There are plenty of neighborhood access points both formal and informal but the official School Canyon trailhead is located at the 37th Street playlot, off Villa Street. From the playlot, the trail continues briefly along the edge of School Canyon to a place where there is a cairn and stone steps that take you down to another bench level. Only problem was that we didn't see a cairn so we climbed down to the next bench at the first easy place.
Walking along at the lower level, we noticed a group of pretty aspens on the hillside above and next to them, we could clearly see steps going back up to the bench we had just come down. We wanted to be thorough about this explore, so up the steps we went to study the situation! We backtracked a bit to try to figure out how we had missed this. There was supposed to be a cairn and we now saw a few little ones at the top of the steps but nothing that would call our attention to the area so we decided to build a better cairn. We tucked it up against a boulder, hoping that it would be noticeable but inconspicuous enough that the Cairn Police wouldn't destroy it. Some hikers hate cairns!
Not long after going down to this lower bench, School Canyon intersects Pueblo Canyon, which runs west-east, but the trail is still called School Canyon Trail and continues until ends officially at Homestead Crossing Trail. But my friend and I, in our eagerness to go downhill to the Homestead Bridge, bypassed this intersection. The Homestead Bridge is a pedestrian bridge built on the site of a former homestead era bridge that once spanned upper Pueblo Canyon to connect Los Alamos Mesa, to the south, with the mesas north of Pueblo Canyon.
There is a photo donated by Peggy Pond Church in the Los Alamos Historical Museum Archives that shows a car driving across the former Homestead Bridge. This site in upper Pueblo Canyon was chosen for the original homestead era bridge crossing because it's fairly easy to cross since the canyon is narrower and less steep here compared with the soaring cliffs further east! Pueblo Canyon is a steep-walled, formidable obstacle to travel even though we don't give this much thought nowadays as we quickly drive over it on Diamond Drive!
At the Homestead Bridge, I parted company with my friend. She needed to be home at noon. I continued up the Homestead Crossing Trail, only .7 of a mile long, which follows the route of a road that went uphill from the Homestead Bridge. The trail tops out at 33rd Street, ending near Aspen Elementary School. I'm sure liberties were taken with the homestead era road the trail supposedly follows. Parts of it are entirely too close to the canyon edge and too narrow for a car or wagon to have safely driven upon! Most likely when the houses in the Aspen School neighborhood were built by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950's, parts of the road were usurped for private property.
At the top of the Homestead Crossing Trail, I sat on a rock and pondered which way I'd
walk back to my car. While musing, I enjoyed my lunch of dry roasted wasabi edamame mixed with salted peanuts and a little bag of dark chocolate covered almonds. I know it was bad to eat every last one but at least I had shared it with my friend - and they were delicious! As I savored the chocolate taste, I could hear exuberant shouts of the students at recess! I enjoyed their high-spirited noise but I if I lived beside the school, I'd quickly tire of it!
Done with lunch, I decided to retrace my steps. After passing the Conoco Hill fill, I met an oncoming bicyclist, the only person I saw on the trail beside my friend! I stepped off the trail to let him pass and he kiddingly apologized about running me off the trail! I laughed!
I was very curious about the Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church parking lot because the church is built practically on top of Diamond Drive and looks like its parking lot is under-sized. When I got below the church, I walked uphill to the parking lot and counted the spaces. There are only 21 unless you count two extra narrow spots, then 23 and this includes 2 handicapped spaces. I really wonder if the church has an agreement with the First Baptist Church, their next door neighbor, to use their huge parking lot. Otherwise, parking must be at a premium for the church's congregation or it's a tiny congregation.
After the parking lot "study", I continued to my car via the Pueblo Complex ball fields and called it an enjoyable hike! I was grateful that my friend introduced me to the School Canyon Trail! I had no idea that beautiful, deep School Canyon and was tucked away beside Pueblo Canyon and had a trail running along its rim! I thought I knew the Los Alamos County Open Space trails in that area but I was wrong!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Computer Died
Actually, it died earlier this month and we replaced it soon thereafter so that's not why I haven't blogged but it's a good enough excuse.
Last week, I went part way up Pajarito Mountain's Zero Road East. I usually go to the Logging Road on the south side of the mountain and turn around but that day I turned around at the 4 way intersection near the tall, skinny antennas because dark thunderclouds were overhead with more to the north. When the thunder sounded once too often, I turned tail.
Determined to get my 4 miles, I drove lower down Camp May Road and - horrors - walked on FR2998 which is still closed due to the damnable Las Conchas fire. I only went as far as the intersection with the Nail Trail. There were still dark clouds to the west but I decided that even if there was a cloudburst, I wouldn't drown but would only be inconvenienced. It's obvious, though, that a lot of rain has washed across and down this forest road. FR2998 was never in wonderful condition even before the Las Conchas fire but now there is a rocky, washed out section that will be an invitation for vehicles to find a way around it and make their own road. In the surrounding land, what didn't burn in Cerro Grande was toasted by Las Conchas, perhaps in a back burn to keep the fire out of Los Alamos Canyon. Some of the young aspens along the FR2998 may yet live but the forest along the Nail Trail, which was mostly spared by the Cerro Grande fire, now is fringed by tall ponderosas so badly burnt that they won't recover. That section scared me more than walking on the washed out forest road. Without a companion, I really didn't want to go further. The burnt forest has a scary loneliness to it.
Today, I went up and down the new Zipline Trail. It's my 2nd trip down and 3rd trip up. I hope that next summer the trail builders can make some of the upper section less steep. There are 19 switchbacks total on the almost 1/2 mile Zipline Trail that runs as a connector between the Tent Rocks Trail and the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail. One section is so steep that I resorted to the seat-of-the-pants maneuver. There is trash on the hillside that the trail traverses - a rusted out truck body, rusted drum barrels, a rusted garbage can. Maybe there was yet another dump, perhaps a more informal one, below the Los Alamos Airport's north boundary
The monsoon fizzled yet again today so it was hot. On the way down the Zipline I amused myself with with this thought: When I die and go to Hell, at least I'll be acclimated to the heat!
When I reached eastern end of the Tent Rocks Trail, I followed the Pueblo Canyon arroyo upstream and turned right into an interesting side arroyo that runs between Kwage Mesa and the southeastern-most residential neighborhoods on North Mesa. It's full of tent rocks and deep enough that although you can see the towering cliffs of North and Kwage mesas, the arroyo's actual walls rose above me on either side. I went as far as a dry waterfall which would have taken some effort to climb to explore further so I saved that for another day.
Last week, I went part way up Pajarito Mountain's Zero Road East. I usually go to the Logging Road on the south side of the mountain and turn around but that day I turned around at the 4 way intersection near the tall, skinny antennas because dark thunderclouds were overhead with more to the north. When the thunder sounded once too often, I turned tail.
Determined to get my 4 miles, I drove lower down Camp May Road and - horrors - walked on FR2998 which is still closed due to the damnable Las Conchas fire. I only went as far as the intersection with the Nail Trail. There were still dark clouds to the west but I decided that even if there was a cloudburst, I wouldn't drown but would only be inconvenienced. It's obvious, though, that a lot of rain has washed across and down this forest road. FR2998 was never in wonderful condition even before the Las Conchas fire but now there is a rocky, washed out section that will be an invitation for vehicles to find a way around it and make their own road. In the surrounding land, what didn't burn in Cerro Grande was toasted by Las Conchas, perhaps in a back burn to keep the fire out of Los Alamos Canyon. Some of the young aspens along the FR2998 may yet live but the forest along the Nail Trail, which was mostly spared by the Cerro Grande fire, now is fringed by tall ponderosas so badly burnt that they won't recover. That section scared me more than walking on the washed out forest road. Without a companion, I really didn't want to go further. The burnt forest has a scary loneliness to it.
Today, I went up and down the new Zipline Trail. It's my 2nd trip down and 3rd trip up. I hope that next summer the trail builders can make some of the upper section less steep. There are 19 switchbacks total on the almost 1/2 mile Zipline Trail that runs as a connector between the Tent Rocks Trail and the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail. One section is so steep that I resorted to the seat-of-the-pants maneuver. There is trash on the hillside that the trail traverses - a rusted out truck body, rusted drum barrels, a rusted garbage can. Maybe there was yet another dump, perhaps a more informal one, below the Los Alamos Airport's north boundary
The monsoon fizzled yet again today so it was hot. On the way down the Zipline I amused myself with with this thought: When I die and go to Hell, at least I'll be acclimated to the heat!
When I reached eastern end of the Tent Rocks Trail, I followed the Pueblo Canyon arroyo upstream and turned right into an interesting side arroyo that runs between Kwage Mesa and the southeastern-most residential neighborhoods on North Mesa. It's full of tent rocks and deep enough that although you can see the towering cliffs of North and Kwage mesas, the arroyo's actual walls rose above me on either side. I went as far as a dry waterfall which would have taken some effort to climb to explore further so I saved that for another day.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Zipline Trail
The Zipline Trail is a connector trail between the Tent Rocks Trail in Pueblo Canyon and the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail. The YMCA Youth Conservation Corps started it last summer and completed it this week. I think the recent LA Monitor article that heralded its completion said it's 2,500' long and has 450' elevation gain. It's a very nice trail but not one for the old and infirm which in today's heat, I almost qualified as! It has many vertigo-inducing changes of direction and even a VW sized boulder that hangs too far over the trail. I clung to the boulder to get around it but someone less chicken would have no problem.
To access Pueblo Canyon, I started down the Ranch School Trail in Acid Canyon from the Walkup Center. I enjoyed seeing all the greenery in Acid Canyon.
I didn't check my GPS to see how far down Pueblo Canyon I went to intersect the western end of the Tent Rocks Trail but there is a 3' tall brown plastic trail marker that says "Tent Rocks Trail". There are really no tent rocks right at the intersection although there are lots of them at a false trail intersection that I encountered about 10 minutes before. At the true Tent Rocks Trail intersection, you cross Pueblo Canyon's dry wash and start uphill right at a 3' tall rock cairn.
The Tent Rocks Trail has two large, fallen trees that you have to go around. The trail goes in and out of dry drainages and has 3 small, wooden bridges. The third bridge has two of its slats laying on the ground. Once again, I don't know how far I went on it before I intersected the Zipline Trail but it seemed that it was very close to the eastern terminus of the Tent Rocks Trail. (The Tent Rocks Trail gives hikers an option to get off the sewer access road in Pueblo Canyon but the trail only goes a mile or two of the long traverse down Pueblo Canyon to the state highway transportation yard.)
At the top of the Zipline Trail, I followed the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail along the north side of the airport to the Mesa Trail, down into Graduation Canyon and back to the Walkup Center. All the time I walked, thunderheads were steadily building both east and west over the Sangres and the Jemez mountains. I would have liked a lunch break but instead kept moving. I didn't eat lunch until I got to my car at 2 pm and then headed to the library to look at the county fair exhibits. It was raining when I left the library around 3 pm. My GPS said I did 6 miles. I'm glad I beat the storm but I felt tired enough from the heat that my body thought it was a longer hike even though my mind knew it was only 6 miles! Next challenge is to one day start from my house and go down and up the Zipline! I much prefer going up a steep hill than down!
To access Pueblo Canyon, I started down the Ranch School Trail in Acid Canyon from the Walkup Center. I enjoyed seeing all the greenery in Acid Canyon.
I didn't check my GPS to see how far down Pueblo Canyon I went to intersect the western end of the Tent Rocks Trail but there is a 3' tall brown plastic trail marker that says "Tent Rocks Trail". There are really no tent rocks right at the intersection although there are lots of them at a false trail intersection that I encountered about 10 minutes before. At the true Tent Rocks Trail intersection, you cross Pueblo Canyon's dry wash and start uphill right at a 3' tall rock cairn.
The Tent Rocks Trail has two large, fallen trees that you have to go around. The trail goes in and out of dry drainages and has 3 small, wooden bridges. The third bridge has two of its slats laying on the ground. Once again, I don't know how far I went on it before I intersected the Zipline Trail but it seemed that it was very close to the eastern terminus of the Tent Rocks Trail. (The Tent Rocks Trail gives hikers an option to get off the sewer access road in Pueblo Canyon but the trail only goes a mile or two of the long traverse down Pueblo Canyon to the state highway transportation yard.)
At the top of the Zipline Trail, I followed the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail along the north side of the airport to the Mesa Trail, down into Graduation Canyon and back to the Walkup Center. All the time I walked, thunderheads were steadily building both east and west over the Sangres and the Jemez mountains. I would have liked a lunch break but instead kept moving. I didn't eat lunch until I got to my car at 2 pm and then headed to the library to look at the county fair exhibits. It was raining when I left the library around 3 pm. My GPS said I did 6 miles. I'm glad I beat the storm but I felt tired enough from the heat that my body thought it was a longer hike even though my mind knew it was only 6 miles! Next challenge is to one day start from my house and go down and up the Zipline! I much prefer going up a steep hill than down!
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