Broken Buttress Breaks, NM

The towering Buttress Cliffs just inside the mouth of Alamo Canyon (on the north side) did a major alteration back in 2010. I hiked past one day and they appeared ageless. The next day up and their vulnerability was clearly illustrated: a huge section of the cliff had collapsed!


It was odd to be so close to an event from the ticking geologic clock...

The canyon cut angling up to the Cliffs was never very appealing, but now with the tumbled piles of rock scattered below there is a greater justification for enjoying this short but interesting route.

It's intriguing to notice the assortment of older downfalls scattered in the upper basin area; these cliffs appear to donate rock to the canyon on a steady schedule.

Overgrown in the lower section, there are clear passages, mostly along game trails up the right side of the cut. The overgrowth gives way to slab dryfalls that lead up to the steeply sloped basin immediately below the cliffs.

Combined with Cave Canyon to the west, this makes for a nicer short loop hike... or, simply climb to the base of the cliffs and enjoy the jumble of giant rock debris.

The entry is apparent...on Trail 104 (Alamo Canyon) it is the cut just past Cave Canyon... leading up into the same cliff formations.. the ones with the obvious scar of collapsed rock!

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2014-01-19 imike