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Grindstone Trail #91 - 1 member in 4 triplogs has rated this an average 2 ( 1 to 5 best )
4 triplogs
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Jul 10 2018
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 Guides 187
 Routes 989
 Photos 12,068
 Triplogs 864

72 male
 Joined Jun 27 2015
 Tucson, Arizona
Grindstone Lake Trail, NM 
Grindstone Lake Trail, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jul 10 2018
markthurman53 • Triplogs 864
Hiking3.00 Miles
Hiking3.00 Miles   2 Hrs      1.50 mph
10 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Grindstone Trail #91
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Later the same day as the Big Bonito Trail we headed back to Ruidoso to do a short hike along Grindstone Lake. I did not bring my GPS or a map because we were just going to do a short walk before dinner. We studied the map at the trail head and off we went. I did see a first on this trail, a couple hiking with their cat on a leash. The cat did not look happy, I told the cat as I walked by that it needed to find a new owner. By the look on the cats face I think it agreed. This is a really nice trail and stays fairly level walking along Grindstone Canyon. The trail eventually climbs a little and goes along the ridge but I didn't want to go that far, the problem was I could not remember if there was a connecting trail that returns us to the lake. About 1.5 miles in I decided to head off trail and down Grindstone Canyon to the lake. There appeared to be a trail there. Was actually a rather easy cross country jaunt compared to some off trails I have seen in Arizona. We eventually made it to an old road that lead back to the lake. This little walk turned into a 3 mile hike, but it was worth it. Looks like Grindstone Canyon is a good place for hunters and a bad place for deer, found a broad head arrow near the bones of what appeared to be a deer and also two other deer that I assume were hunted.
This area has about 6 different trails that connect up and would make for a great day hike connecting the various loops for a total of about 16 miles without a lot of elevation gain, maybe a couple hundred feet.
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Jul 13 2015
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Grindstone Trail #91Southeast, NM
Grindstone Trail #91
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jul 13 2015
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking7.00 Miles 1,650 AEG
Hiking7.00 Miles
1,650 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Went to check out the new trail... initially, it looked as if they had never done the work, but it turned out they had... in a big way. Problem: they re-oriented the Trailhead over to the lake. It no longer connects up over close to the Casino. The new trail is impressive... obviously done with a sharp eye for Mountain Biking. Now, need to go back over to check out the new Trailhead and the upper Mesa Loop.
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Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
May 13 2013
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Grindstone Trail #91Southeast, NM
Grindstone Trail #91
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar May 13 2013
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking12.30 Miles 2,114 AEG
Hiking12.30 Miles
2,114 ft AEG
 no routes
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Grindstone Loop Trail #91A
Grindstone Spur Trail #91B
Mescalero Lake Loop
Sawmill Canyon
Partners none no partners
Well...Interesting to finally loop all of the non-trails in the Grindstone Mesa area. Checking with the official trail guide, it comments about the plans for the system of trails, soon to be signed and developed, back in 2002. Yet, the area is nothing like is noted in the book.

There is no loop trail nor any spur trail. There is a major road going up and over the Mesa. Oh, yeah... there is no Mesa either! The book talks about the lack of trail on the main route... there, it is now a major trail, it's just so poorly laid out (straight up hill!) that for most folks, it would not be liked. I need to go back up with a mountain bike to check out all of the roads... then maybe I can make a final assessment of the area?

There are full fledged survey and new trail flags over most of the trail areas... it appears that there is about to be real trails... more properly laid out. Or, they just wasted about 1000 flags!

so... how to do the write ups?

One More Bus Monday before the Forest gets closed?

Won a net 75 cents on the slots...
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
May 06 2013
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Grindstone Trail #91Southeast, NM
Grindstone Trail #91
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar May 06 2013
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking9.64 Miles 1,750 AEG
Hiking9.64 Miles
1,750 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Grindstone Spur Trail #91B
Grindstone Loop Trail #91A
Sawmill Canyon
Partners none no partners
Well, another Monday... another fifty cent bus ride! Net winnings on the slots today was only .75... but still... that and free drinks made for a nice complement.

Something needed to be nice... the trails certainly were not!

I'm not really sure you could even call them trails anymore... routes at best, and that might be stretching it for most of the "real" trails. The clear paths I had today were prior to the formal forest trails... the elk game trails were better maintained and easier to follow.

These will make for very interesting writeups.

At least there is some hope it may change... survey markers and flags were posted on all three routes. Perhaps some potential is about to be realized? I'd hoped to find clear trails, well engineered. Instead... no trails, and where the routes were clear, they were vertical ruts, cut straight up and down the ridge. I can't bring Terri's Friday group over to experience any of that. Alas.

Day did open well... a few miles into the hike, down in Sawmill Canyon, I had a mountain lion cross the road right in front of me. Instead of the normal skulk... or slow, curious staring, this guy bounded... full stretch and flex! Got my attention! I watched the ridge above me for the next 15 minutes just in case he decided I looked plumper and easier than the elk I scared off right after crossing his path.

Deer later to round out the animal encounters.

Talked to a Ranger yesterday when hiking up here... they are closing all of the Lincoln before the end of the month, unless there is a major rain. They do not want the risks of so many people over the holiday... today's light mist probably did not qualify for rain.

So... not sure how many more hikes I can score right from the Casino here... but then again, there's only a couple weeks of open forest left!

For weight augmentation in my pack today I carried along this computer...Casino has free wifi! I could hang around up here and do the computer work, but the 1:30pm bus is a few minutes away... guess I'll head back down.
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
average hiking speed 1.5 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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