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Sep 09 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Houston Bros Trail #171 / McFarland Spr LoopPayson, AZ
Payson, AZ
Hiking avatar Sep 09 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking3.50 Miles 292 AEG
Hiking3.50 Miles
292 ft AEG
 
no photosets
1st trip
Did a Grasshopper jaunt. Wanted to post now to update Water Reports. More details and photos later.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max Aspen Spring Dripping Dripping
Tiny flow, definitely less than a quart a minute. May find a pool deep enough to collect. There is pools in the main drainage of Houston Draw but only in immediate area of Aspen Cabin/Spring.

water 1 out of 5water less than maxwater less than maxwater less than max McFarland Spring Dripping Dripping
Tiny flow, definitely less than a quart a minute. Should find a pool deep enough in the drainage below the actual spring.
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
  1 archive
Jun 14 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Valle Grande Exploration Trail, NM 
Valle Grande Exploration Trail, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 14 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking1.60 Miles 50 AEG
Hiking1.60 Miles
50 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Last day of exploring in New Mexico and I returned to Valles Caldera National Preserve to actually do some short hikes. These three hikes are all what they consider "front country" hikes, no permit needed and 2 of them start right at the main Visitor's Center.

This hike is also known as the Valle Grande Pond Trail, but I titled according to their website listing. This didn't seem like, too exciting, but it was short and there was a body of water out there in the middle of the grasslands, so who knew what would be there? I didn't for sure and it turns out, there was an awesome surprise that made my entire day.

It's a trail through what is barely scrubland with just some grasses until you get close to where La Jara Creek dumps into and exits the pond. The Prairie Dogs were plentiful and as I got close to the pond, I spooked a cow elk. Got to the pond and was surprised there wasn't much for birds there. A few ducks, coots and a blue heron. I decided to walk out onto the dam and just sit and see if anything would come in. Well, nothing really came in, but I got checked out plenty. Where there's water, there's a huge Gunnison Prairie Dog town. I took a few shots, but I was kind of burned out on the Prairie Dogs from my last visit, so the camera stayed a bit quiet even though the Prairie Dogs did not. At one point, I looked to my left along the dam and saw yet another erect figure and almost dismissed it, but....it just didn't look right. So I zoomed in and almost required a defibrillator for the next 60 seconds. Didn't matter what happened after that, my day was made and it was a first for me.

After a bit, when the BP returned to normal, I got up and made my way back to the Visitor's Center, where more Wild Kingdom would reveal itself in the couple of hours to come.

Nice stroll and great spot to sit apparently.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max La Jara Creek Medium flow Medium flow
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 14 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Cerro la Jarra Loop, NM 
Cerro la Jarra Loop, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 14 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking1.62 Miles 56 AEG
Hiking1.62 Miles
56 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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2nd Hike at Valles Caldera National Preserve. Before I even got on the trail, there was a Coyote wandering around. I got even more pics once I got on the trail. He was doing a lot of marking and feeling a bit frisky after doing so.

Straightforward hike that loops around a very young volcano. Other than the coyote, not much moving out there as the day was warming up. Half of my AEG was stopping halfway around and ascending into some shade for a drink.

Just another leg stretcher and my last hike in the main Caldera front area.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 14 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
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 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Valle Grande Trail - Valles Caldera NP, NM 
Valle Grande Trail - Valles Caldera NP, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 14 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking2.00 Miles 393 AEG
Hiking2.00 Miles
393 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
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Last Hike of my North Central New Mexico exploration. This is still in the National Preserve, but you leave out the main entrance and follow Hwy 4 back towards Los Alamos for a couple of miles. The parking lot for the TH is not marked as such, it's just a dirt pullout parking lot with room for a few vehicles. The Trail starts pretty much directly across the highway, but you won't see the sign until you climb up the berm and get past the highway vegetation. It's interesting, the side of the road that the parking lot is on, is actually considered part of Bandelier National Monument, but cross the road and you're in Valles Caldera National Preserve. It happens a lot along Highway 4.

As I was leaving the main entrance, there was a bit of Wild Kingdom action going on with the coyotes. Yes, at this point, there were two of them and they seemed to be travelling together. One was successful on his hunt, the other, not. It was interesting to see them hunt the Prairie Dog burrows.

The trail runs along a hillside initially before it begins to descend into the caldera itself. The hillside portion has seen some fire. Uphill of the trail is pretty burned out and downhill of the trail still has a line of trees for most of it. It was a nice hike and the views coming down into the caldera itself were pretty nice. Not views you would necessarily see from the backcountry drive. A few nice wildflowers along the way. After enjoying a break at the bottom, I ascended back up to the truck, and it was time to hit my friend's place in Santa Fe where I would spend the night and head to AZ the next day.

It was hard to leave. As much ground as I covered, there was more I didn't get to. What a beautiful part of the state this is. I will be back to see and do more.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 13 2025
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 Guides 7
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 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Hal Baxter Memorial Trail - Fenton Lake SP, NM 
Hal Baxter Memorial Trail - Fenton Lake SP, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 13 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking3.50 Miles 237 AEG
Hiking3.50 Miles
237 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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Another Trail made into a loop. Seems like the State Parks like one side or the other, but not both. They prefer you use the road to close the loop. Cheaper that way I guess. Tried to figure out who Hal Baxter was, but all I got is Mary Tyler Moore and I don't think that's it. :lol:

Started at my camp and walked the road to the entrance of the Park, where the upper TH is. The trail winds around the upper lake and all the way around to the other day use site. Separate road to get into that day use site, but the trail uses part of that road too. At the group site, I couldn't pick up the trail on the other side for a bit and finally figured out that you have to take the road past the group site and the trail takes back off and goes down to the meadow below the dam. Just after I left the road, there was pink ribboned stakes alongside the trail warning of the habitat of a rare mouse. Hopefully, they are not "mitigating" the owls.

The Trail switches down the hill through a pine forest and hits the meadow below. It follows the edge of the meadow around to the far end and then you cross a bridge back to the Park Road. A few birds down there, but honestly I think most were still at my campsite rummaging around.

Back at camp, got packed up, checked out and then drove to the other day use area and fished the lake for about 2 more hours. Caught 2 small rainbow and called it, as I had many other places to hit on this day.

Nice Park, but a LOT of people. The Wildlife, Birds and Lake were worth it though.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Fenton Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Rio Cebolla Light flow Light flow
At Fenton Lake
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 13 2025
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 Guides 7
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62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Jemez Falls, NM 
Jemez Falls, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 13 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking3.82 Miles 519 AEG
Hiking3.82 Miles
519 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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This was on my list and when I researched it, I planned on just doing the quick hike from the TH at the Campground. So much for planning and since I really didn't have much of a plan B or time for one, I improvised. I had driven by the campground entrance a couple of times already and noted that the gate to the campground was locked. Come to find out, the campground had been and was closed for renovations. There was a parking lot right next to the gate and I suspected that people were still walking in, so I went for it.

Longer walk to the actual campground than I thought, but whatever. At the Campground TH, I ran into a family with several generations present. The older generation was huffing and puffing after hiking uphill to the TH from a trail that came from down below. Come to find out it was the East Fork Trail and they had come from a TH/Picnic area on Hwy 4. We semi hit the trail to the Falls together although, I arrived ahead of them by a few minutes.

There is really only one official viewpoint of the Lower Falls and you basically get one view of them. So it was off to explore alternatives for views, but really there wasn't any, unless you slide, glissade or rappel off the canyon walls somewhere and then fight your way upriver to the base and plunge pool. I crawled out on a rock at the top of the falls and tried to hang the camera over for a downshot, but it was pretty impossible. The light didn't help either. First completely sunny day in weeks, so half of the fall was in bright sunlight and the other in deep shade. There was a route to a small pool and you could play in the water there just before the water plunges and that's what the family did when they arrived.

I noticed another trail taking off from that route, so I followed it upstream to what ended up being the Upper Falls. Nice pool at the base of those falls and you could actually get a good look at them. The Trail seemed to keep going and my thought was to take it back and cross country back to the truck. But first I went back to the original overlook one more time. Ran into the family coming out of their play pool and told them about the other pool upstream. Got to talking to the elders for a bit and they explained how they had come in and arrived at the TH. I suspected that the trail above the Upper Falls might be the same trail that had forked off to hit the TH at the campground. So I decided to take it and the family followed me. Somehow, even though the scenery was different than the trail we had originally gone down, we ended up back at the same TH for the Falls, at the Campground. Ok. I decided to follow the family down the East Fork Trail, with the plan of cutting off early to get to my truck since their TH was 1/2 mile down the highway.

The trail was nice, but after you go across the river at a certain point, the trail leaves the river itself and goes east along a side drainage instead. Once you near the head of that drainage, you turn into another side drainage which basically takes you out of the canyon and up on top. By the time we did that, the TH the family was parked at was pretty close and they encouraged me to stay with them and they'd give me a ride back to my truck to avoid the highway walk. So that's what we did. I still had some things I wanted to do after this, so I cheated on a complete loop. But the return trip on the East Fork trail saved another road walk as well and I was ok with that.

Still had a couple of hours of daylight left, so it was time to do the Jemez Mountain Scenic Drive and check out a few places on it.

I will do this again, but might take a much longer day and try to get to the bottom of the main falls. Will definitely have to be the right time of year to get wet for sure.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Jemez Falls Medium flow Medium flow
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 13 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Jemez Mountain Scenic Byway, NM 
Jemez Mountain Scenic Byway, NM
 
Scenic Drive avatar Jun 13 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Scenic Drive60.00 Miles
Scenic Drive60.00 Miles
 no routes
1st trip
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After my Hike to Jemez Falls, I wanted to check out some areas that caught my interest on Hwy 4 past the Fenton Lake turnoff. I didn't realize that Hwy 4 was actually a Scenic Byway when I planned this trip, so I didn't do a lot of more detailed research, but what I picked out was more than enough. So back up the highway to it's top point and down the other side. I had about 2 hours of daylight left when I hit my first stop.

Battleship Rock

There is a parking lot at the top just off the highway. What I didn't know is that if you drive just a bit further, you can turn off and go into a Day Use area there. No matter, there was a set of stairs that took you down to the creek from the upper parking lot and a trail that took you to a bridge over the creek. Battleship Rock of course is named for the face of rock over the day use area. This is also the place where the San Antonio Creek, that runs through Valles Caldera, meets the East Fork of the Jemez River. Once they join up, the waterway going forward is the Jemez River. I didn't see the East Fork, I crossed what bridges the San Antonio. I went up into the Day Use area and dinked around the creek a bit before moving on.

Soda Dam

Didn't have high hopes for this stop, but they make it a highlight for a reason and they were right. Yes, it's a natural dam, but a river still runs through it and it falls as it goes. It was a pretty remarkable place. Spent some time there before moving on.

Was going to hit up some Ruins in Jemez Springs, but by the time I got there, it was closed. Thought about stopping for dinner there in town, but I had one more stop and I was chasing daylight at this point.

Gilman Tunnels

Again, not sure how good it was going to be, but again, it was a point of interest for a reason and for good reason. Took a lot longer to get there than I hoped. You turn off Hwy 4 and the road kind of turns into a 2 lane residential road for awhile, winding along next to private properties. But then you leave them behind, but the road stays 2 lane and gets pretty narrow in places. This road is also the back way to Fenton Lake and would turn to dirt at some point past the tunnels themselves. There was a little bit of traffic on that road, but not much. I imagine it's quicker for people from Albuquerque and Santa Fe to go through San Ysidro and up this way than to go all the way around.

The road finally did a sweeping turn and started heading into a canyon, labeled the Guadalupe Box. And it was quite the canyon in that it got deep fast. I stopped a couple of times just before the first tunnel to check it out. There are two tunnels, roughly 150 feet apart. Went through the first, checked out the canyon again and then went through the second. I never even imagined what I would see on the other side of the second. This canyon was deep, but the depths were short-lived. There was a pullout right after exiting the second tunnel and I pulled over and just stared. The Guadalupe Rio is the water running downhill through this canyon before it dumps into the Jemez back down at Hwy 4. At some point in time, who knows when, there was a massive rockfall, or all the rock blasted for the tunnels was dumped along the road into the canyon. And at some point the Guadalupe Rio had to find a way to get down all that rock. There was at least an 1/8 mile stretch where it was a series of waterfalls and cascades. It wasn't like the most picturesque, because of all the boulders, but still, it was quite the sight. Needless to say, spent a little time there, but just along the road. I would have never had time to go down into the rocks for better photos. This will be a return trip for sure, would like to travel on foot down the length of this "Box".

Turned around and started back. By the time I got back to Hwy 4 it was dark and I had at least another hour drive back up the Hwy to be close to where I wanted to start in the morning. The next day would be a half day and my last, for the actual hiking, exploring etc. After my hikes tomorrow, it would be back to Santa Fe to my friend's place to pick up some things and then head for home the next day.
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 12 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Fenton Lake State Park, NM 
Fenton Lake State Park, NM
 
Fishing avatar Jun 12 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Fishing0.25 Miles 20 AEG
Fishing0.25 Miles
20 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
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My destination after the Enchanted Circle. Months ago I had made just a few campground reservations and was going to wing the rest. This was one I reserved for 2 nights, because it's a busy place. I normally don't do developed campgrounds that much, but in unfamiliar territory, I tend to gravitate towards the known. Didn't want to take the time to try to find a spot every single night since I was never in one spot too long except for a base camp at Bandolier. And...I wanted to do some fishing. :D

When I do reserve developed spots, I'm picky if I can be. As isolated as I can get really. And boy, did I pick one this time. Best site in the whole campground. I was kind of on a little land peninsula all by myself and even though the road wrapped around me, no one ever drove it except the Park staff.

It was a wildlife/bird extravaganza. The creek below Fenton Lake Dam meandered through a large long meadow and it meandered within 50 feet of my camp. So, close to the trees and the birds loved it and they adored my camp. It didn't seem to matter if I was sitting there or not, they would come in and do their thing. Catching bugs, rooting in the dirt, and...checking out my equipment. I dubbed one male Black-headed Grosbeak the Camp Inspector, because he was around a lot and checked out every piece of gear I had out, including the camera bag. There were times, he'd come within 5' of me and didn't care. I think he had a nest nearby, because I spotted a bedraggled female later. :sweat:

I arrived way after dark the night before and when I got up in the morning everybody was there to greet me. The Grosbeaks, Towhees, Flycatchers, Tanangers, Sparrows, Bluebirds, Warblers and let's not forget the mammals, Ground Squirrels and Chipmunks. Later in the day, the list got bigger with Jays, Herons and Mule Deer. And that was just at camp. The Lake itself had some fun ones too. I had planned on getting an early start on the fishing, but damn, it was really hard to put the camera down and get out of camp. It bordered on insane and almost overwhelming. And none of them really cared that I was there. They would get unusually close, almost all of them. I've not experienced much like it at all.

Finally got my gear and got to the Lake. By then it was almost late morning which doesn't bode well for fishing and certainly not for snagging a spot on the lake. And it was busy. Very popular place. I managed to find a spot and got a line wet. I stayed out for about 4 hours and got skunked on this day. Waited too late. But I enjoyed the Lake views and I was more than thoroughly entertained in my spot. Apparently I was sharing my spot with a den of Ground Squirrels. And Mom was teaching her 4 babies that people are good and bring packs and there's yummy stuff around people and packs. Those kids were all over me and my stuff. I had to keep everything stowed away and zipped up, because sooner or later, they were going to score something if I didn't. They were running over my feet and one tried to jump in my lap. It was nuts. A Beaver swam across the lake. And then a Robin decided to take a bath right next to me, I got video of that, and a mother Mallard decided to swim by and show off her babies as well. When I finally gave up on the fishing for the day, the show started right back over again in camp. When I went through the photos I took that day, I ended up culling a LOT and still ended up with over 150. What an incredibly fun day this was.

The next day, I would do a Hike (Separate triplog), check out of the campground and do a little more fishing before moving on to my next destinations. What a sweet place this was.

It took a lot of self control to get this down to 29 photos. Doesn't even begin to represent this day. But 95% of the photos taken from camp were literally from my camp recliner. :D

The Joy of Birds and Water [ youtube video ]
The Ecstasy after a Bath [ youtube video ]
This Robin was close enough that the mic on my phone caught every bit of the sound too.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Fenton Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Rio Cebolla Light flow Light flow
At Fenton Lake State Park
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 11 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Columbine Canyon Trail #71North Central, NM
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 11 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking3.12 Miles 444 AEG
Hiking3.12 Miles
444 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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This was another Hike on my to do list and the last Hike I would do along the Enchanted Circle. Found the Columbine Campground and drove to the very back which has parking and the TH itself.

I knew there was no way I was going to do the entire trail and over 10 miles on this day, especially after my meager performance the day before, so I wasn't even about mileage on this one. It became pretty much just a stroll on a trail with frequent stops to enjoy Columbine Creek.

The lower part of the Creek was clogged with Beaver Dams. While it may have looked like flood wreckage, it was evident that those clogs were actually built. While I was enjoying a spot on the lower part, I noticed a small ripple running against a log in the water. That ripple turned out to be a baby Beaver who was swimming right up against the log. :lol: Before I could even get zoomed in, he was gone, diving under a dam. I knew he would eventually pop his head out again, but I also knew from experience that it could be a long time before he did, so I didn't stay. But it was pretty cool.

Lots of different wildflowers on this hike and I marvelled a bit on their bridges over the creek. The water would have to get pretty darn high to take these bridges out and the fortification was no less impressive. Really nice walk through the woods and I finally stopped and turned around at the first small meadow, just short of Deer Creek. Again, the skies were darkening and I had a long drive ahead of me after this.

The return was just as nice, with some nice light in places and then I was at the truck. Timing is everything and by the time I got 5 more miles down the road, I was driving through hail, again. :sweat: I got hailed on, at least 3 times on this trip and the weather pattern would continue for another day and then it broke. In the 4 1/2 weeks I had been in New Mexico, it rained/hailed w/lightning every single day for 3 1/2 weeks of it. It was so Monsoon like, but without the humidity during the day. The rain was very much welcomed though, with the winter they had.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Brown Trout
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Lots of variety

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Columbine Creek Light flow Light flow
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 10 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Cimarron River at Maverick, NM 
Cimarron River at Maverick, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 10 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking1.00 Miles 30 AEG
Hiking1.00 Miles
30 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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I arrived at the campground pretty late, and didn't get to see much, except the main pond right outside my tailgate. So the next morning, I went exploring. The Ponds were originally gravel pits that at some point were filled with water and stocked with trout. Started out with Fishermen's Trails around the 3 ponds and following the river downstream to the NE. Apparently, there is an actual Trail whose TH is NE of the Campground. Some sites call it the Maverick Trail, others call it the Maverick Canyon Trail. The State Park doesn't acknowledge it at all. I saw one map of it and it appears to follow a tributary into Maverick Canyon. Next time. I didn't go enough that direction to intercept it. Instead I turned around and followed the River upstream. There was always a path at least, and sometimes, it could have been more of a maintained trail. I think if I had followed it a bit further than I did, I might have hit the highway. My turn around point was where they divert some of the river into a separate channel to fill the ponds, but from there, I could hear traffic pretty close by. Didn't remember RS for this one, so mileage is an estimate. Nice Campground, I think probably the nicest of the group in this State Park. After the wander, it was time for more Hiking further up canyon.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Gypsyflower
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Cimarron Canyon Medium flow Medium flow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Gravel Pit Lakes 76-100% full 76-100% full
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 10 2025
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 Guides 7
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 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Clear Creek Trail - Cimarron Canyon, NM 
Clear Creek Trail - Cimarron Canyon, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 10 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking3.92 Miles 820 AEG
Hiking3.92 Miles
820 ft AEG
 
1st trip
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The reason for diverting from the Enchanted Circle and into Cimarron Canyon in the first place. I mean, really, who can pass up a Waterfall Hike? Certainly not me.

I made a small mistake right off the bat. There is a sign on the highway for the trail about 100 feet before the parking area. I assumed, (ugh, never assume) that the trail started at the parking area. But no, come to find out later, it is actually right across the road from the sign. But I found a trail leaving the parking area and crossing the creek, so I took it. It switches back and forth up to a ridge and it was rocky, but well defined. I followed it for about 1/3 of a mile and it appeared to come off the ridge and down into the canyon where the creek was. Once I got down there, the trail disappeared but after searching, I intersected the REAL trail. :lol: So I got some elevation early on and made a reverse lollipop loop out of it. I think I would regret that later.

The description I found for this trail mentions A waterfall. I wonder how many people turned around after the 1st one. The trail was nice and then there's a spot before the first waterfall. It's a small fall there, but the rock on either side closes in pinching the waters. The only way to not get wet and possibly in the current itself was to traverse the near vertical rock. It was a little tricky. I ran into a couple before this and they had to turn around because they had a dog with and couldn't figure out how to get the dog past that point. I managed it and kept going up the trail and encountered the first of what would be 3 major waterfalls. The trail for the first rises above the fall itself, so it would have been a scramble and major bushwack to get to the actual base. I kept going along the trail and soon after, encountered the second. There was a use trail to take you right up to the top of the falls and then I picked my way carefully down a bit to get alongside the falls, but again, to get to the base would have been time consuming. Skies were getting pretty overcast and I was hoping to finish the trail, so I kept going to the third waterfall. This one was almost hidden with the noise just giving it away. You could see the water going over the edge, but the fall corkscrewed away from the trail and you really couldn't see much of the fall itself. To get to the bottom of that one and then hike up the creek itself, was the only way you were going to get a good look at that one.

By this time, I was starting to get pretty fatigued. I thought I would do better than this, it's not that long of a hike. But of all the hiking I had done to this point, any that were at a higher elevation were relatively flat. I think a variety of factors was making me run out of gas. I was wearing a heavier pack this time and the higher I went, the more trouble I had recovering my breath. I think working harder at that altitude was catching up to me. I kept going up the trail and the further I got, the worse the trail conditions became. My guess, most people stop after the third fall and maintenance for the upper trail wasn't as much of a priority. I finally reached a point, ALMOST to the end, where the trail took on a very steep section that was almost a scramble. I just flat out hit a wall at that point and decided that I was not going to make it to the top and see what I've read is a nice view. On top of that, I knew from what little I could see of the sky, that the weather was not on my side for the return back down. So I turned around.

It started raining before I was even halfway back down, so I broke out a very large poncho that I had bought years before and never used. It was a Frogg Togg so I thought it would be good. It sucked. I would have been better off without it and finally just took it off. It used snaps to close the fabric around, creating armholes, except the snaps were useless and nothing stayed snapped, leaving long pieces trailing along split in two. Absolutely useless. The only reason I kept it when I got home was in case I wanted to salvage some of the fabric for something else.

So towards the end, I got to see the REAL trail that I missed before and it was really nice. Comes out about 150' east of the parking area. Really interesting log project thing right at the end, just before you hit the pavement of the highway. Back to the truck, completely wiped out, made the drive to Red River for a quick dinner and then found my next campsite just out of town.

Nice hike, in spite of me apparently still being out of shape. I would do this one again, start earlier and do it in it's entirety. I hate not finishing what I start, so this one is a bit of unfinished business. Would like to also have the time to see all these falls from the bottom.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  American Robin
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max Clear Creek Medium flow Medium flow
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 09 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Eusebio Romero Trail - Coyote Creek SP, NM 
Eusebio Romero Trail - Coyote Creek SP, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 09 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking2.19 Miles 305 AEG
Hiking2.19 Miles
305 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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With a name like Eusebio Romero, I knew this trail had to be named for someone local. Turns out he was the owner of the working ranch that became Coyote Creek State Park. And apparently, his grandson still manages the property.

The morning after I arrived, I decided to make this Hike a loop. You can access this trail from either the south or north end, so I just incorporated the Park's road to complete the circle. Started from my campsite. I strayed off the trail/road a few times to check out the creek or follow some other use paths. But when I got to the north end, the trail then really took over and took you up the slope above the campground and creek. Nice little forested trail that opened to views every once in awhile.

After I was done, I checked out and continued my journey around the Enchanted Circle Byway. Pretty nice little campground, I might stay here again if in the area.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Coyote Creek Light flow Light flow
At Coyote Creek State Park
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
  2 archives
Jun 08 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, NM 
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, NM
 
Scenic Drive avatar Jun 08 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Scenic Drive150.00 Miles 1,000 AEG
Scenic Drive150.00 Miles
1,000 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Decided to do a triplog and photoset encompassing my driving and just dinking around on The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway that goes all the way around Wheeler Peak. With the driving, dinking around, camping and hiking, it took me pretty much 4 days and it still wasn't enough time. The Byway itself was only 84 miles long, but I took side trips and sometimes doubled back to places along the way. I probably did around 150 miles of actual driving and at times it was a bit exciting with the weather. For any Hikes that I did along or near the Byway, I'll do separate triplogs and Photosets for.

Day 1
I started heading that way the day after my raft trip, but first I wanted to get some more pics of the Rio Grande before I left, so I traveled the river road back to Pilar, stopping now and again to look at parts of the river I hadn't seen. The Visitor's Center was open in Pilar, so I stopped in and asked a few questions, finding out about a back road that takes you to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and then into Taos from there. I followed their directions and went back upstream on the river road and crossed the Rio Grande at the Taos Junction Bridge, which turned out to be the same place of our rafting takeout. It's a recreation area there with swimmers, fisherman, kayakers, paddle boarders and a bathroom. People were actually jumping into the river off the bridge. Crossing the river, the pavement ends and you take dirt road up a bunch of switchbacks to get out of the Gorge. While the Gorge views were nice along the road, the Gorge is so deep, you rarely saw the river itself. Got up on top and suddenly the dirt road turns to pavement which was nice. And a nice surprise awaited down the road. 4 Bighorn Sheep, 3 large rams and an ewe, were busy grazing on the grass shoulder of the road. They weren't really the least bit fazed when I stopped on the other side and started up the camera.

Then it was on to join the highway that crosses the Rio Grande again via the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Lots of people there, including vendors in the parking lot and a county sheriff's deputy watching people hike out to and onto the bridge. Apparently, people jumping from it to end things is a common occurrance.The views from the bridge were pretty cool and the timing was pretty good in that I caught the outfit that I had rafted with the day before going under the bridge.

And then it was on towards Taos. I detoured a bit and visited a little town called Arroyo Seco, which has some shops and such. Dinked around a bit and then headed up to the Taos Ski Resort. While I wasn't going to try to hike anything up there this time around, I wanted to see it. Pretty drive for sure. Then back down through Taos to start the southern leg of the Byway, electing to do it counterclockwise, since I had reservations at a campground 25 miles south of the SE corner. The southern stretch went quickly and before long I was turning off the Byway to go through the town of Angel Fire, another ski resort town. I stopped for an early dinner and then preceded to keep going south to my campground, Coyote Creek State Park, one of the few places I had made reservations for. Beautiful drive to the Park and I arrived and got checked in. Dinked around a bit that evening and the next morning. (Separate triplog).

Day 2
After doing the only Hike in the park, it was time to go. The day was gray with overcast mostly and the skies only got grayer and darker as I progressed back up to drive some of the east side of the byway. My first stop was part of Eagle Nest Lake State Park. Before you hit the main park, there are a couple of day use places to drive into. By the time I got to the 2nd, the Six Mile Day Use area, the rain started. I waited a bit in the truck and was keeping the camera busy with some pretty cool birds hanging out nearby. The rain stopped for a bit, so I took a walk down to the lake and the views, with more oncoming storms, were pretty dramatic. Some cool birds down there too. After staying for a bit, I walked back up and drove over to the main part of the park, with the intent of hiking at least one of the trails around the lake. Yeah, well, that wasn't going to happen. By the time I got out of the Visitor's Center, the skies had turned pretty black and ominous, so I decided to check out the tiny town of Eagle Nest instead. I hadn't even turned back on the highway to get there, when the skies pretty much burst wide open with some pretty intense lightning. Fortunately, some of the shops in town were open, so I checked them out. Decided to try to eat, but all 3 of the eating places in town were closed for some reason, and I had a decision to make.

Still had some day left, but where I was going to camp wasn't anywhere near food, so I made the 16 mile drive in the weather to the town of Red River at the NE corner of the Byway. Very pretty drive over Bobcat Pass to get there and once there, I dinked around some more shops and then ate at the Red River Brewery, which was really good. There was a fudge shop across the street, so decided to run in there for dessert and just wow. Wasn't just fudge, but nostalgia. Candy that was common in the 60's and 70's was sold there. Pretty cool little shop.

Then it was back over Bobcat Pass, through Eagle Nest, and into Cimarron Canyon State Park. Not a park with like an entrance per se, the whole canyon and highway WERE the Park. I stopped at a pullout along the way and just marveled at the canyon walls and the Cimarron River running through it all. I spent some time there and then headed for what was my first choice for a campground and hoped they had a space for me. They did and it was turned out to be a pretty cool campground. Maverick Campground was set along a series of small ponds that had been built and supplied with diverted Cimarron River water and you could fish the ponds. Had about enough time to walk around the one main pond and watch fly fishermen reel in some rainbow trout before dark. I would do a small hike in the morning exploring the area. (Separate triplog)

Day 3
After spending most of the morning hiking along the Cimarron River from the campground, I checked out and drove down canyon for a few miles more. Lots of fishing pullouts along the way and then the canyon opened up into a valley. I turned around and headed for my next Hike and the main reason for this eastern foray off the Byway. (Separate triplog)

After the hike, I was pretty exhausted and the daily deluge from the skies had started again. I drove through rain and hail out of the canyon, through Eagle Nest, and back onto the Byway. Arrived in Red River again, had a very late lunch and decided to try to find a campground for the night. My first choice just west of Red River was a small NFS Campground called Fawn Lakes and they had an opening. It was perfect. My camp was right along the Red River and I could see the attraction for fly fishermen, as it's a premier trout river in the state. Beautiful water and I spent the remaining daylight with the camera, photographing the flow and also the camp visitor. I fell asleep to the sound of the river, always a favorite.

Day 4
After spending a little more time along the river at the campground, I checked out and headed back to Red River and went for a quick horseback ride. Well, actually a Mule Ride, which was a first for me, but apparently they like Mules better in the mountain terrains. A little disappointed where they took us for the short trip, but I liked the outfitter company. Will go for a longer ride next time to where you actually really get into the mountains. I had a pretty spicy mount. Combine a Mule, naturally stubborn, and add some spice and I had my hands pretty full, but I stayed in the saddle and managed to keep him fairly under control, although at times it was a real test. :sweat: After I was done with that, it was time for another hike. (Separate triplog).

After the hike, it was time to finish the Byway. The skies opened up again and I drove through some more hail before coming into the town of Questa in the NW corner of the Byway loop. I was out of time. While I had wanted to dink around Questa and spend some more time in the Wild and Scenic River area and the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument, it just wasn't going to happen on this trip. I had reservations back up in the Jemez Mountains that night, so it was time to keep on driving. Grabbed a quick bite in Taos on the way back through and didn't hit the Fenton Lake State Park campground until well after dark.

And that is the conclusion of my 4 day "Scenic Drive". 4 triplogs/Photosets to follow for the Hikes that I did along the way.
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
  1 archive
Jun 07 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Taos Box, NM 
Taos Box, NM
 
Rafting avatar Jun 07 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Rafting16.00 Miles 1 AEG
Rafting16.00 Miles
1 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Day 9 and it was time to have some fun in the water. This trip almost didn't happen at all due to a poor winter that this area had. The almost daily rains brought the river up to a level that allowed this section to be runnable, if only for a few days. Even with that, these wouldn't be hardcore, raging Class 4 rapids. They would be lower and more technical with exposed rocks. This is the most difficult stretch along this section of the Rio Grande and I was up for it. I was scheduled to go the day before, but I was the only one signed up, so I had to wait until Saturday so they could have at least 1 full boat. Turns out we had 2 full boats and 3 in the 3rd on Saturday. This was a guided, commercial trip similar to the one I did in the Pacific Northwest last year. Normally the Grande would be at pretty high flow, but not this year. But with the lower water, technical was not easy either.

This was a full day trip. Met at the boat yard at 8 a.m. and got bussed to the put in point which took almost an hour. And then we were on the water. Almost immediately, watched a snake cross the river. The first half had several rapids, but also stretches of quiet time, looking up at the walls of the canyon. After passing under the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, things started picking up. 60 rapids on this trip, 13 were Class 3 or above, with 7 being Class 4. Before we really got started on the serious action, we pulled off and had lunch just before we took on a Class 4.

We got to watch another 2 parties go through it and it looked fun, but it was definitely technical. We had to dig deep to keep from snagging onto a rock after a 7' drop. We were in danger of doing that several times in the 2nd half of the trip and sometimes we succeeded and sometimes we didn't. The Guide had to get out a couple of times and bounce us off, but luckily we didn't ever wrap around a rock which can be bad. :sweat: The other full boat lost a passenger twice, but were quick to retrieve whoever went over the side.

We get to this one rapid and the current takes you right towards a rock and you have to do a hard left and flow down a chute to avoid it. We almost made it, but the back side got hung up on the rock and we were stuck in the chute between two rocks. I happened to be on the low side as the raft tipped, but it didn't go over, although even with the Guide's attempt to get us off the hung up rock, we were still in danger of it. Meanwhile, I am still seated on the low side and water was pouring into the raft. After the water started boiling around up to my chest I decided to let the Guide know since he was busy and hadn't noticed. I had been afraid to move for fear of triggering a flip, but once he was aware, he yelled at me to move to the high side. :sweat: He was finally able to get the rear and side off the rock and we were down the chute and through the rest of the rapid in no time. :lol:

A few more exciting rapid sequences after that and then a bit of calm before hitting the take-out point around 3:30 p.m. Spotted some Bighorn Sheep along the way, but with a paddling trip, it's frequently hard to have the camera out to take any shots and the TG-5 isn't known for making good shots on it's limited zoom. There was supposed to be a photographer taking shots of us through a set of rapids, but he didn't show and I think I'm the only one on the trip to get any pics. The boats were spread pretty far apart, so it was even hard to get the other boats going through the rapids too.

But it was a good, fun trip. A bit of serious adrenaline in places along the way. Now that I've done it in lower water, would love to do it again in high water. But like AZ, NM has to have a much better winter for that to happen.

Went back to camp for a hot shower and dinner and some more book reading. Tomorrow I leave this area and start tackling the Enchanted Circle, wrapping around Wheeler Peak. It's only an 84 mile drive completed, but it would take me over 3 days to do it and they were not enough.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Arroyo Hondo Light flow Light flow
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 06 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Holy Taos, NM 
Holy Taos, NM
 
Walk / Tour avatar Jun 06 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Walk / Tour1.00 Miles 20 AEG
Walk / Tour1.00 Miles
20 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Day 8 of my New Mexico Road Trip. Camped in Orillo Verde National Recreation Area on the Rio Grande River. Went to check in at the Pilar Cafe, only to find out that my little adventure had been postponed until the next day. So I went into Taos to check it out. Found another Saint Francis of Assisi Mission from the 1800's as I was entering town.

Dinked around Taos, did some laundry, checked out a Visitor's Center, and hit the local "Marketplace" there. Some cool shops and art galleries there. There was an Outdoor Store there as well, so I tried to see if I could get a new bite valve and tube for my old Osprey bladder, but no luck. They only had parts for the newer bladders and they weren't compatible. Don't care for their new bladders at all.

Had some New Mexico made chocolate, bought a few little things and headed back to the campground.
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 05 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Valles Caldera NP, NM 
Valles Caldera NP, NM
 
Scenic Drive avatar Jun 05 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Scenic Drive18.00 Miles
Scenic Drive18.00 Miles
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Day 7 of my North Central New Mexico road trip. I had planned on doing Valles Caldera National Preserve the day before, but Day 6 was a wet and stormy day. So I stayed in camp and when the weather took a break, I went into Los Alamos for dinner. Lots of wildlife on the roads after the rain ended. 2 near misses on the Los Alamos highway just before Hwy 4 coming back. How I missed the Mulie and then 45 seconds later, the Elk, was nothing short of miraculous. One split second sooner and I would have clipped them both with the truck. I slowed way down after those heart attacks.

Day 7 meant checking out of the Campground at Bandolier and only having a 1/2 day at Valles. I had other plans in place already for later in the day and it was a bit of a drive to get there.

I arrived at Valles and managed to snag the last backcountry permit. It allowed me to drive into the deeper areas of the Preserve. I didn't think I had time to both drive it and get some hiking in, so I opted to just do the drive. I was right. The camera was overheating by the time I got back to the Welcome Center. It was only a 16 mile drive, but it was packed with photographic opportunities. The weather building and coming in, only added to some sweet light as well.

What a special place this is! The wildlife was abundant, with herds of elk roaming the grasslands, Gunnison Prairie Dog towns everywere you looked and tons of different birds. The landscape was immense, with several creeks and a river running through it and my timing was perfect for big patches of blooming Rocky Mountain Iris. Apparently, this place is also a fly fishing paradise, with lots of fishermen stalking trout on the creeks. I ran into the Park Service doing a fish count on San Antonio Creek, and they recorded 168 brown trout in 1/2 mile of waterway. Made me want to start taking fly fishing lessons!

I spent over 8 hours in the Preserve and then I had to get going to my next destination. The weather started to seal that deal anyway, but I knew I would have to return to this place at the tail end of my trip and get at least some short hikes in. It was hard to leave. This backcountry drive allowed me to get a feel for the place, but I think it was still just a small portion of what I could do here. But it was time now to head for another sort of adventure.

Yep, it's a photobomb.
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Rocky Mountain Iris ruled the day.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max East Fork Jemez River Medium flow Medium flow
At Valles Caldera Entrance Road

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Jaramillo Creek Light flow Light flow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max La Jara Creek Light flow Light flow

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max San Antonio Creek Medium flow Medium flow
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 03 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
East Fork Jemez River Trail, NM 
East Fork Jemez River Trail, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 03 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking4.00 Miles 400 AEG
Hiking4.00 Miles
400 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
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Day 5 back in the Bandelier/Jemez area. I met up with a photographer friend who lives in the area and we went to do a relaxing river hike. Turns out he's also a retired Geologist from Los Alamos. He knew the area very well and he's done a lot of landscape photography around here. His work is what brought me to this area. He brought his wife along, who was a photographer in her own right.

Definitely a relaxing hike. The flora is a bit different, but the rock reminded me of the Mogollon Rim in a lot of ways. This trail is popular with fisherman and sport climbers as well. There is the established trail and then there's the fisherman's trail. We went between the two on and off for the entire hike. And when the trail ended, we got ready to get wet and I grabbed my hiking poles and waterproof camera. He had done this before and took his big camera on the tripod and a walking stick. Brave. :sweat: His wife stayed behind and set up a hammock to relax in, while awaiting our return.

The rocks were slick and it was hard to see the bottom, but I followed his lead until the canyon started narrowing into almost a slot. He had climbed down the waterfall before, but the river was higher and didn't want to risk it. I found a way around to where we could photograph the fall itself from a bit higher. I actually found a way to get down to the base, but we decided not to continue any further on this day. I will return. :D

It was a beautiful day, with clouds already building as we went along. After photographing the falls, we made our way back to the actual trail and hiked out. Did lunch in Los Alamos and he showed me a great way to bypass the gates at least on one end. After lunch, we parted ways and I went back to camp. Within an hour or two, the rains started and it rained almost all the way through the next day, so I took a break in camp and did some reading on Day 6.

On Day 6, I went into Los Alamos again for dinner. The rains had finally quit and the wildlife were moving around alot. Caught some Mule Deer crossing Highway 4 and then after dinner, I realized quite abruptly that the local fauna is really active around Los Alamos. Within 5 minutes of each other I came frighteningly close to hitting a deer and then an elk. They must really like the base, maybe there isn't any hunting there. :sweat: Somehow I got back to camp unscathed. I would pack up and leave the campground the next day, taking one more excursion in the area before leaving for another river.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Valerian
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Moderate

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water less than max East Fork Jemez River Medium flow Medium flow
At Las Conchas Trailhead
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 02 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Tent Rocks Canyon Cave Loop, NM 
Tent Rocks Canyon Cave Loop, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 02 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking3.75 Miles 827 AEG
Hiking3.75 Miles
827 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Partners none no partners
Day 4 of my road trip. Got up early to very gray skies and drove around to the other side of the lake to the Visitor's Center for Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The first shuttle and my reservation was for 8:00 a.m. This is an unusual National Monument in there is a lot of rules and limitations, which I'm fine with, but it just means you have to plan in advance a bit. They only allow so many vehicles a day and it takes 2 different reservations/permits to even go. They must have had to make some concessions to the local Pueblo, as the road into the actual Monument runs through the Pueblo. Thus, from the Visitor's Center, you can only drive in to the Monument following a Pilot Vehicle and the same on the way out. Your drive is completely escorted through the Pueblo itself. The Monument opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. and is only open 4 days a week and has additional closures depending on holidays and the Pueblo events. At 3 p.m., multiple Rangers show up at the Trailheads and head up and out to start herding people to their vehicles. The 4 p.m. closure is strictly enforced here.

At the Visitor's Center for check-in, it starts spitting rain. I ask the Ranger inside if there's concern about hiking the Slot Canyon in this weather and his answer was... "Nah, it never rains here". I wonder if he remembered that comment a couple of hours later. :sweat: Followed the Pilot Truck in, and decided to do the Slot Canyon/Overlook Cave Loop first as it was the longer hike. The skies were getting darker, so I took my rain gear and waterproof camera along. They came in handy.

The Hike was amazing. Through a bonafide Slot Canyon that kept opening and closing up and ascending through what I coined as Tent City, with no Sheriff in sight. You hit the Slot Canyon turnoff almost immediately on the Cave loop and I'm betting I wasn't 300 feet in when the rain started. Put the rain gear on and got the TG-5 out and kept going. It rained on and off for the majority of this trail, with the heaviest at the top, at the Overlook. With the rain, the Overlook views were a bit foggy and limited, but still pretty awesome. It really was incredible scenery for the whole hike on this trail. I was not concerned about Flash Flooding even with the rain because after seeing the terrain from the top, there didn't seem to be a very large drainage field. I imagine that at some point, with enough prolonged heavy rain, the slot could flash. It wouldn't have become a slot at all unless water ran through it occasionally at some point.

I descended back down to the Cave Trail and finished the Loop. The "Cave" was probably pretty cool for most, as long as you haven't been to Bandelier where caves like that were common. :lol: Hiked back to the truck and made my way to the next shorter hike with plenty of time to spare, although I ended up using all that was remaining due to meeting a friend on the way back down the road.
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Wildflowers Observation Light

dry Colle Canyon Dry Dry
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 02 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Veterans Memorial Loop Trail, NM 
Veterans Memorial Loop Trail, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 02 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking1.18 Miles 39 AEG
Hiking1.18 Miles
39 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
2nd Hike in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Drove up the road, up into a canyon and came out to an overlook. Really nice views from here of the surrounding mountains with more tent rocks as well. Took in the views and started hiking the trail which followed the rim for a bit before turning away. Nice tread amongst a mainly juniper forest. A few flowers out and some small naughty fauna.

After finishing the Loop, I drove back down the hill, somewhat birding from the truck as I went. I passed a Ranger who was going up. Got to an area that flattened out and the road ran adjacent to a dry creekbed, when I spotted a living line moving across the road. I excitedly got out and started up the camera. He noticed me even though I was 100 feet away and proceeded to turn back the way he came and seek some cover. I photographed him from the other side of the road for a few minutes, with both my phone and my camera and then backed off, hoping he would go ahead and cross. Of course, the second he decided to cross, another vehicle came up behind me, so I stopped them so he could finish crossing without getting mashed. We watched as he took his time and just about the time he disappeared on the other side where the dry riverbed was, a Ranger pulled up behind both of us. It was time, and he was emptying the park from the top end down. I showed him a few of the pics I got and then we were all on our way. I felt lucky to have seen this guy, this time of day. If it hadn't been for the cloudy skies and rain, he would have still been hiding from the heat. In a way, I was lucky twice. If it hadn't been for cloudy skies and rain, this would have been a couple of pretty hot hikes. Timing is everything. And a little Luck certainly helps too.

Drove to the entrance station and turned off the truck to wait for the Pilot Vehicle. While I waited, a couple of birds kept me entertained. Turned out, they were a pair and were nesting under the roof of the entrance station. The Pilot Vehicle arrived after a bit and we proceeded to drive out.

It was time to drive back to Bandelier, about 2 hours away. All along the way, I was treated to a light show from a large intense set of storms hitting the Sandia and Sangre de Cristo Ranges with a vengeance. Again, the weather pattern had literally had this show going on everyday. The only difference was you usually didn't wake up to it, like I did that morning. I was very tempted to pull over and take some pics, but I wanted to get back into Bandelier and my camp before it got dark and I wasn't sure if I would be driving through some of that weather and slowing down.

Great little out of the way side trip. Glad I did it at the beginning of June and making the drive, rather than trying to do it in mid June on the way home. Definitely lucked out anyway with the weather. Back to cooler country for a little while longer.
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Wildflowers Observation Light
_____________________
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
 
Jun 01 2025
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 14,839
 Triplogs 643

62 female
 Joined Aug 19 2011
 Scottsdale, AZ
Pueblo Loop Trail w/Alcove, NM 
Pueblo Loop Trail w/Alcove, NM
 
Hiking avatar Jun 01 2025
outdoor_loverTriplogs 643
Hiking2.50 Miles 330 AEG
Hiking2.50 Miles
330 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
Day 3 at Bandolier. I would do one hike in the monument on this day and then I was headed elsewhere to check things out and I would be gone from the monument overnight.

Got up before the sun and drove to the Visitor's Center. At that time in the morning, I was the first vehicle in the lot and for 90% of the hike, I would only see 3 other people. Started getting much busier as I finished up.

Did the main loop including the Tyuonyi Pueblo, Talus House and Long House. To say how incredibly remarkable these ruins are is an understatement. They still let you climb up into a couple of them, but because people just don't get it, the Cave Kiva was closed to going in.

After the main event, took the trail to the Alcove House. Nice walk up the bottom of the canyon in the trees. You cross Frijoles Creek a couple of times and even through the trees along the trail, you could see more ruins in the Tuff walls.

Arrived at the Alcove House and from the bottom, you could barely see the alcove itself, much less anything in there. Climbed the ladders and you really didn't get a sense of what was there until you actually were there. Pretty cool spot to live with sweet views. Dinked around for a bit and descended back down. Interestingly, I was on the Park Website a couple of weeks ago and found that they had closed the Alcove House since I was there in June. Not to vandalism though. They discovered that the ladder conditions were in worse shape than they thought. :sweat:

Hiked the nature trail back to the Visitor's Center and left the monument for other destinations. Sweet Hike and I liked that I got in early and didn't have to fight the crowds.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bridge
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water less than maxwater less than max Rito de los Frijoles Light flow Light flow
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Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!"
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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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