DESTINATION Generic 25 Photosets
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| Autumn in the Manzanos, NM | |
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| | Autumn in the Manzanos, NM | | | |
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Autumn in the Manzanos, NM
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| Hiking | 6.00 Miles |
1,200 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,200 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I was chasing flowers, but now am chasing leaves (and chiles). Decided to get an early jump on fall colors by heading over to a place in the eastern portion of the Manzano Mountains that is well known for its blazing maple displays. I have been there three previous times in the first week of October and it delivered the goods. The other times I just drove the scenic Tajique-Torreon Loop, which gets you a lot of bang for the buck, especially in the vicinity of Fourth of July Campground. This time I decided to not only drive the loop, but do some hiking. I basically went up the Fourth of July Trail #173 which starts at the campground and climbs up the canyon to its junction with the Cerro Blanco Trail #79. From there I continued uphill on Cerro Blanco to its junction with the Crest Trail #170. Northbound on the Crest about a quarter mile leads to a saddle at about 8800 feet south of Mosca Peak, which yields excellent views down toward the Rio Grande Valley to the west. From there I backtracked to the junction with Cerro Blanco and followed it down to its trailhead along FR55. From there it is a 1.5 mile walk north along the road to get back to the campground.
This year with the oddball weather, the maples were running a little late in the lower sections, so I was about a week or so early for prime. Up high however, a storm with snow the previous week had dropped most of the maple leaves before they had a chance develop good color. The oaks were hanging in and also not in full color. Still, it was very pleasing and the trails were good. The road south from the campground gets too rough for passenger cars in places, and should be avoided when it rains because of the significant muddy areas that will be encountered. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
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