Overview:
This is a much-loved hike in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, just outside the city of Santa Fe. The trail is obvious and very well maintained. At 14-miles (round trip) it is a workout, especially since it starts off at 10,250 feet and winds its way up over 12,640 ft. This is a wonderful training hike, but crowded. Both thunderstorms and altitude sickness can set in quickly, be watchful.
Driving Directions:
In Santa Fe, New Mexico:
- Take exit 276 from I-25 for Route 599 North
- After 13.2 miles, stay right at the fork to go south on St. Francis (as if headed into Santa Fe)
- After 1.4 miles, at a light, make a left onto Paseo Peralta (signed for New Mexico Route 475)
- After 1.0 miles, at a light, make a left onto Bishops Lodge Road (also signed for NM Route 475)
- After 0.1 miles, at a light, go right onto Artists Road (also signed for NM 475)
- After 14.8 miles arrive at the Ski Santa Fe resort. Stay left and park in the lower parking lot.
All roads are paved. As Artist’s Road leaves the city limits it becomes Hyde Park Road. This road attracts many bicyclists, keep an eye out for them on the trip up to the ski resort and on the trip back down. Portions of the road are fairly steep and on return it pays to use low gear to spare your brakes.
Trailhead:
The trailhead has vault toilets, appeared to have a water faucet (I did not test it) and is paved. This trailhead is used for several hiking destinations and the parking lot can be packed on nice weekends.
Data:
- Starting Elevation: 10,250 feet
- Ending Elevation: 12,640 feet
- Net Gain: 2,390 feet
- Distance: 6.7 miles one way
- Maps: USGS Aspen Basin or “Santa Fe Explorer” by Dharma Maps (The Dharma Maps edition can be obtained at the BLM office on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe).
Hike Description:
The stream that runs along the edge of the parking lot is the Rio Medio. Cross it on a plank bridge and turn right to ascend on the broad and remarkably smooth Winsor Trail, trail #254. In about 100 yards it will pull away from the waterway and begin switchbacking its way up to Ravens Ridge and the start of the National Forest. At the ridge, about 0.8 miles from the trailhead, you will have gained about 600 feet. There is a “needles eye” opening in the fence that marks the edge of the national forest. Push through it and begin to lose some of the altitude you just acquired.
There are four side trails. At 1.2 miles from the trailhead you will pass trail #403, the Lower Rio Nambe Trail, departing on your left. (Nambé is said to be a Spanish rendition of a Tewa word meaning ’rounded earth’, evidently a reference to pueblo architecture). According to the Sierra Club’s Day Hikes In The Santa Fe Area this trail is known informally as “the elevator shaft”. Trail #400, signed for Nambe Lake, departs to your right at about 2.1 miles from the trailhead. The Upper Nambe Trail, #101, departs to your left at 2.5 miles. The Rio Nambe Trail (which descends along side the Rio Nambe) departs to your left at 3.3 miles. Soon thereafter the trails crosses the upper reaches of Rio Nambe (which had running water on this date) and begins to switchback, arriving at Nambe Meadows having gone 4.1 miles from the trailhead. All intersections are well signed.
The three-plus miles of trail between Raven Ridge and Nambe Meadows mostly follows the 10,400 foot contour and winds through patches of fir (possibly alpine fir) and strikingly homogenous aspen groves. As mentioned in the introduction, this is a much-visited trail and you will likely find trail runners, horse folk, backpackers and fishermen sharing the trail with you. This part of the trail has more roots and rocks than the first mile, but it is still very well maintained.
In Nambe Meadows, depart trail 254 to your left on the Sky Line Trail, #251 (signed). This is another broad and well maintained tread that takes you through spacious subalpine terrain towards Lake Katherine. After several long switchbacks arrive at a saddle at 5.7 miles from the trailhead. There are terrific views into the Pecos Wilderness from here. To the north (left as you arrive at the saddle) there are distant views of Pecos Baldy East and Pecos Baldy West. From this point the Sky Line Trail drops down to Lake Katherine.
Don’t go to Lake Katherine. Instead, at the top of the saddle depart trail #251 to the left at an unsigned intersection on a much rougher trail that heads directly towards the open summit. This trail is a bit more apt to disappear into the trees or become braided out in the open terrain, but there is really no navigation problem. It simply follows a ridge from the saddle to the summit. The air begins to get a little thin – light-headedness was a common complaint as you get to the shoulder of the broad summit. Spectacular views open up to the tall Truchas Mountains (Spanish for “trout”).
Reach the shoulder, panting, and follow a much gentler tread as it traverses the broad ridge to the summit of Santa Fe Baldy 6.8 miles from the trailhead and 12,640 feet above sea level. On this date there were small remnants of snow banks still clinging to protected areas below the summit. There are views south to nearby Lake and Penitente Peaks, east into the Pecos, southwest to the Sandias and northwest to the Jemez Mountains; they are spectacular. Return the way you came.
Recommendations:
This is a wonderful training hike and a great place to introduce strong new hikers to the high terrain in northern New Mexico.
Almost every discussion of this hike makes mention of lightning strikes on the summit ridge. This was certainly borne out on this day – the entire ridge was shrouded with cumulus by the time I got back to Santa Fe in late afternoon. Turn around if the weather gets iffy. It pays to start the hike early and to depart from the summit early.
I had three liters of water and it was not enough. I would have been much happier with four.
Links:
There is an excellent overview of this trail on SummitPost, including mention of the desirability of getting off the ridge lines by early afternoon during thunder season.
A brief account of a wintertime hike, with some terrific photos, can be found at The Blonde Coyote.
Many people include Lake Katherine in their Santa Fe Baldy excursion. For an account of a warm-weather camping trip (including a scramble up the north ridge of Baldy) and some more great photos, click through to My Life Outdoors.
New Mexico Meanders 