1000' Canyon, NM

You're sitting in the great boulder garden up the "A" Trail... 1,000' of AEG logged. Maybe you look over and notice that immediately to the south of you is the upper head of a canyon...?


Most folks do not notice, and that is really to their benefit. This is a good canyon not to notice.But, if you happen to have noticed it and you are here wondering if you should check it out... the answer is no, just leave it alone. The same answer applies if you noticed it from the bottom, where it appears as a low pour over dryfall just past Sotol Canyon in the Marble Canyon Drainage.

Top or Bottom... just let it go.

This shallow, open, overgrown basin of a canyon is chock full of sticky. While it stretches to drain over one mile of ground as the crow flies, you could log twice that winding your way around and through the mess of overgrowth.

The only attractive feature is to be found in the section immediately above the lower dryfall. The rock bed there is interesting. To access it from above or below: too much of uninteresting!

Is it a hard... demanding hike? No.

Does it take you to see great stuff? No.

Is it worth doing? No!

Did I enjoy hiking it? Yes.

This is one of those "do what I say, not what I do" kind of hikes. If you insist on checking it out, from below you would make your way up the far right of Sotol Canyon to access the top of the cliffs (or do a crazy climb up the dryfall itself!) From the top, hike up the "A" trail to the 1000' rocks and turn right into the top of the cut.

The ridge side on the south of the canyon tends to walk a bit better than the bottom of the canyon or the north side. You can head back north to hit the "A" Trail at any time... sort off. There is that issue of sticky stuff to contend with everywhere in this canyon.

Enjoy... or Not!

2014-01-17 imike