Frijoles Canyon is where the gorges get gorgeous; half hike and half secular sacrament. The tread is obvious and the navigation straightforward. Are you new to exploing the high country in New Mexico? This hike was made for you.
Read the rest of this entry »
This is a short and steep desert ramble near Socorro, New Mexico. Access is easy if you have a high clearance vehicle. A tall-walled canyon begins the scramble. The steep mountainside accompanies you from lower to upper Sonoran life zones and from the summit a loop can be formed by descending on a trail and two-track back to the trailhead. Find a sunny winter morning and go!
Note on the route – a navigation error sent me barreling into a side-cut in the lower canyon. It was almost slot-like in places and quite attractive, but most hikers will want to study the map (below) and avoid those “bonus miles”.
Read the rest of this entry »
The canyon is beautiful. The driving is easy. The solitude is tremendous. Against this, weigh the driving distance, the difficulty of staying on trail and the presence of skittish cattle on this waterway. Experienced hikers – shoulder your packs and go!
Read the rest of this entry »
This 9-mile, figure-8 trail offers a splendidly shaded workout in the Magdalena Mountains. Going counter-clockwise, the lower loop ascends a canyon to reach the mesa top. There you can either stroll up a connector onto the mesa-top loop or you could just descend the lower loop (for a shorter day). Either way, the return path bounces down between vertical cliff bands – a workout! Go if you are introducing a newcomer to New Mexico’s mountains, training while the crest lies under snow, or simply need to stretch out your legs.
There are at least five unsigned trail junctions, do bring maps.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topping out at 10,673 feet the Magdalena Range offers a variety of life zones, cool canyon bottoms, a sunny crest, views across the immensity of mid-state New Mexico and even an astronomical observatory – providing much to contemplate. All of this (except for the observatory) is on display in this long, lasso-shaped trek.
The word “long” is the operational superlative. The hike covers 20 miles with a summed-ascent of 6,800 feet. Through-hikers may not be impressed, but most folks will want some training-up before making the attempt.
Read the rest of this entry »
This hike up into the wild east side of the San Mateo Mountains produces conflict. On one hand, the initial stroll up Cold Spring Canyon (Trail #87) feasts on vast canyon walls and towering pines, while the cardio-slog up to Teepee Ridge (Trail #81) buffs your fitness to a fine finish. On the other hand, the drive on Forest Road 332 could beat a sedan to death. The suspension systems of high clearance vehicles absorb a material battering. This venture encompasses the implacably harsh and the strikingly beautiful.
This report only extends only to where Trail #81 reaches Teepee Ridge. The original goal was to follow the ridge up to Teepee Peak and see if the Vic’s Peak fire (of 2020) burned onto to the east side. Sadly, the fire damage was obvious even when seen from far below.
Read the rest of this entry »
New Mexico Meanders 