Brown Canyon Telephone Canyon Traverse, NM

Off Trail, then way off trail... this route provides a very interesting leg for a variety of potential connecting hikes. It could be hiked as an out and back, possibly limiting or eliminating the extreme off trail section, but much better is to combine it with one of the connecting Water Canyon routes... or, loop up Willie White trail for a variety of additional connecting loops.


The "way off trail" section probably makes the mountain biking option for this route questionable, but I have covered far worse on my bike... and this is all down hill over a pretty nice elk track route. It is doable.The traverse begins on Forest Road 64, along the old logging road 6411. It follows that ridge line route around, up and down, until you reach the fork split. You follow the roadbed headed to the left, downhill.

The right fork would soon terminate at the upper point of the Willy White Trail.

This old section winds down and around the mountain, finally leaving Brown Canyon and crossing above Water Canyon... and then dead-ending as it approaches Telephone Canyon. From that deadend, you move off to your left/right and down, catching nice elk trails that will wind you down and to your right... eventually dropping you to the top of a bench. Here you will pick up a very nicely cut elk track that follows the bench top around to the right into Telephone Canyon... then down and off the bench, eventually working its way towards the mouth of Telephone Canyon, dropping over another bench... and out into a nice meadow area above the Willie White trail. If you've chosen the right elk trails/tracks you will have enjoyed an easy descent through a thickly forested canyon side.

You can not really get lost... just go downhill... you'll hit the bottom and be in Water Canyon!

Once down, decide from a variety of great looping options... Consider an early morning start to up your chances for spotting the deer, elk, turkey and bear that thickly occupy this off trail area.

2012-06-22 imike