A few weeks back, I heard on the hiking grapevine (here and there) that the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) was offering a new hike - the South Mountain hike. Neat deal was that you didn't need a van ride or reservation to go on it and it only cost $5 a person. I was intrigued and found other hikers also curious about the new hike. On Monday, August 31, we all met at the Back Gate in Los Alamos and headed up into the Jemez Mountains for adventure!
We parked at the Valle Grande Staging Area (VGSA) to check in. The staging area is a tiny, portable building that suffices as visitor center, gift shop and security.
This looks south toward Rabbit Ridge. Rabbit Mountain is the highest peak. In the foreground are corrals. Nearby, a horse stood in a parked trailer. It stomped its hoof as though to say "I'm here!"
The VCNP staff were very helpful and friendly. After we paid $5 a person and signed in, Carmen gave us tips for finding our way up South Mountain - turn left at the new-looking bunkhouse at the intersection of VC01 and VC02 (PDF download of map on VCNP website). Turn left again at a large stump with a piece of rebar in it at the intersection of VC02 and VC0201. Then follow logging roads with blue diamonds nailed onto trees. (During the Preserve's winter recreation season, South Mountain's logging roads become challenging cross country ski trails.) She said that as we got higher up, flagging tape on trees would also guide us. Just in case, the staff took our cell phone numbers and gave us their telephone number - very thoughtful.
In August, the first month the hike was offered, about 20 people went on it. Carmen warned that hikers have missed the turn-off to the South Mountain trailhead at the intersection of VC02 and VC0201. They reported back that they got a good hike anyway but it wasn't exactly the one they had intended. (Buy a copy of the Preserve's Nature Guide and Visitor Map and you will quickly discern that starting at the South Mountain trailhead, interesting possibilities exist for other road walks. As of now, none are officially sanctioned by the Preserve.)
We were also told that a some hikers complained about walking on the gravel and dirt roads from the VGSA to the trailhead. This adds approximately 6 extra miles round trip so take that into consideration if you would prefer a shorter hike or abhor road walking.
The logging roads themselves on South Mountain feel more like walking on a trail rather than a road. If you choose to ride the van, bring an extra $5. Since we all wanted more time in the stunning landscape of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, we skipped the van ride and started from the staging area.
We're walking in the Valle Grande on VC01, on our way to the historic Baca Location No. 1 ranch headquarters. Along the way, we could spy a large herd of elk between us and ranch headquarters.
This road has no shade so take that in consideration when deciding whether or not to ride the van. The extra $5 charge includes a van ride both ways.
We were passed very courteously by a few Preserve vehicles. We waved and everyone waved back - friendly people!
My fellow hikers were no slackers - very strong and fast! We left the staging area at 9:20am, made it to left turn at the bunkhouse at 10am and the top of the South Mountain around noon. (Shhh - don't tell anyone: they told us not to go all the way up but we had to! ) We headed down around 12:15pm and got back to the staging area at 2:30pm.
My GPS said the total distance hiked was 11.7 miles but that may be high. Looking at the VCNP's map of the South Mountain hiking trails, I guesstimate it's between 10-11 miles round trip to the summit from the staging area. The Bland and Redondo Peak topo maps show a 1,300' elevation gain. The elevation gain of 1,000' given on the VCNP website is for a point about 300' below the mountain's summit ridge, where the logging roads play out and the official South Mountain hike ends.
This is the bunkhouse cabin at the intersection of VC01 and VC02 where you turn left. We all agreed we'd be happy living here!
If you mistakenly turn right here, you'll walk through the historic ranch headquarters and the History Grove, a tall grove of old Ponderosa pines that was spared the woodsmen's axe, but this is not part of the officially sanctioned South Mountain hike.
We had just stopped to look at the hawk that you see flying away from the snag. This is on VC02 which has tall ponderosa pines shading the road. Rabbit Ridge and Rabbit Mountain are on the left and an heavily timbered arm South Mountain is on the right.
Our leader and driver next to the pivotal stump with the rebar and green flagging. This must have been a truly huge tree -the stump looked about a yard and half in diameter. It marks the beginning of the blue diamond logging roads up South Mountain. If you don't turn left here, you may end up at El Cajete crater.
Our leader unerringly led us up, up, up! There was one part where we thought the blue diamonds and flagging ended. The forest looked chock-full of dead fall. Luckily, we spotted more flagging above us and after wending under and over a double-decker of downed trees, we continued on.
Our reward for all the uphill was popping out into a series of increasingly larger and more splendid meadows. In this one, a piece of orange flagging had fallen to the ground but the hikers quickly affixed it back on a tree. At the nearest edge of this meadow was the last blue diamond I recall. Ahead is the summit ridge of South Mountain.
This is the final climb. It looks idyllic but we had to be very careful not to trip over hummocks of dead grass roots that tower above the ground. What this meadow needs is a good game trail! We saw signs of game - matted grass where elk had bedded down (and pooped in their bed!) but they had neglected to build a game trail!
From near the highest point of South Mountain, 9,795' , looking northeast across Valle Grande at the speckled meadow on the backside of Pajarito Mountain. Even though there are extensive meadows on South Mountain, they are ringed by trees which impact the views. But - who's complaining? How lucky we felt to be able to hike up South Mountain to enjoy these views!
That's Tschicoma Mountain in the far left background and Valle Grande is in the foreground. The views to the north and northeast were the widest available from the summit ridge.
This is looking southeast toward Los Griegos and Cerro Pelado. Hidden on the left is most likely Las Conchas Peak. Moving around on South Mountain's topmost meadow ridge, I was able to see more of Las Conchas from a slightly different vantage point but not a full sweeping view - just a small view through the trees. Near here but further south, I saw a peak I didn't recognize and wondered if it was Cerro del Piño?
After lunch, we are heading downhill toward an aspen grove and another meadow beyond. I was surprised and fascinated at the extent of the meadows on South Mountain. This photo doesn't show it but the meadow we are walking in is quite large and wraps around to the right and below the highest point of South Mountain. These high altitude grasslands are a very worthwhile destination in themselves.
This healthy, tall spruce captured our admiration!
Back in the woods and heading down to the double-decker dead fall. This section that was more like a trail than a logging road.
This is typical of what the South Mountain logging roads look like. Above the hikers is a teensy view of the high meadows on Redondo Peak.
Pumice deposit spilling down hillside. Lots of interesting geological information (and more) about the Valles Caldera National Preserve can be found here.
Even though there were virtually no clouds during lunch on South Mountain, by the time we got back to the Valle Grande, loads of dark clouds had gathered and we could see rain falling to the northeast. On the right is a shoulder of South Mountain extending into the Valle Grande.
Our leader had led us perfectly until I, in my direction-challenged fashion, chimed in about seeing some blue diamonds off to the right and weren't they surely the way we should go instead of the very main-looking logging road we were on! Because of my...ahem, "guidance", we had to cut across this meadow to get back to VC02 but it was an enjoyable diversion.
To the east, the sky contained a pure white cloud surrounded by pink clouds. The little dome of Cerro la Jara is on the right. The Valle Grande Staging Area is hidden behind it.
The VCNP will very soon open a larger temporary visitor center in a more substantial building right next to the small portable building that presently houses the staging area. Eventually, the VCNP hopes to build a permanent visitor center near NM4 to attract tourists driving by.
The sign on the tree says Remuda Grande. Googling remuda, it means a herd of horses from which ranch hands choose their mounts for the next day. Hmmm...I should have asked someone at the VCNP about this!
Las Tres Amigas on the home stretch! At this point, maybe we were fantasizing riding horses or at least bicycles! Truthfully, though, it was exhilarating and enjoyable to have been on South Mountain's gentle summit with its golden grass meadows even though it was a tough hike because of the distance, elevation gain and fast pace. I would like to go back one day.
As we were hiking down, we saw two other hikers - the only other people we saw all day on South Mountain. Since they were so low on the mountain, they must have gotten a late start. The personnel at the staging area felt reassured when we told them the two hikers had at least made it up the logging roads on South Mountain and hadn't missed the turn-off!
A few selected waypoints - 001 is the intersection of VC01 and VC02, 002 is the South Mountain trailhead, 003 and 004 are traveling through the meadows and 005 is near the highest point on South Mountain.
We were told that Monday, August 31 was the last day for the South Mountain hike. I would say that if you want to go, first verify on the VCNP's September calendar if the hike is still available.
As of right this minute, it still on the calendar from September 17- 21 and 24-30 but that could change. When the aspen leaves turn golden, wouldn't it be a good time to visit South Mountain again!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Valles Caldera National Preserve: New South Mountain Hike
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Found: Key to Backyard Hiking Kingdom!
On a recent hike with the Betty Ehart Senior Center hiking group, Walk in the Woods, one of the hikers mentioned a new trail that could be accessed from East Park, Pine Street Playlot, the Jewish Center or the Walkup Center. I was excited and wanted to check it out.
Today I started from East Park and followed it all the way over to the Los Alamos Ranch School Trail (below the Walkup Center). The trail winding down from East Park's Mesa Trail is very steep but quite do-able. It drops down to Graduation Canyon so named because the Los Alamos Ranch School boys used to hold graduation ceremonies at this scenic viewpoint.
The Pine Street Playlot Trail comes down canyon and connects with this trail (I don't even know its name but it's a good bet that it's a continuation of the Pueblo Canyon South Bench Trail) at Graduation Point, below the east end of Rim Road. There are good views into, across and down Pueblo Canyon. It's amazing to look over at the south-facing cliffs of Pueblo Canyon and see houses perched on the edge of North Mesa!
The trail goes around the end of the mesa below Rim Road and along the north-facing slope of Pueblo Canyon. This part of the trail is not wonderful in places. I wish I knew how to fix the spots that are washing away and perilously narrowing the canyon edge trail.
There is one area, before the sewer pipe I had to step over, that has an upper and lower trail. Next time I will take the lower option as the upper was too slippery.
Eventually, I can't tell you exactly where but somewhere below Canyon Road before the Jewish Center, the narrow trail merges into a wider trail that was obviously recently built. I love the one section that so easily traverses down an impossibly steep slope.
Eventually, I came to a chain link fence where a dirt access road went down to the now-demolished Peggy Sue utility bridge. This is below the Jewish Center. Go through a tall gate in the chain link fence and walk along this chain link fence over to where the Los Alamos Ranch School Trail goes steeply down into Acid Canyon.
From here, there are multitudinous options! You can follow the Ranch School Trail or Acid Canyon Trail up to the Walkup Center. Or you can do what I did. I went down into Pueblo Canyon on the Ranch School Trail. At the bottom, though, don't do what I did, turn upstream - that leads to a rubbly canyon that came down from the decommissioned Olive Street sewage treatment plant.
Instead, when you cross the Pueblo Canyon drainage at the bottom of the Ranch School Trail (bridge has washed out but it's easily fordable), make an immediate right turn and follow that up canyon to the Walnut Street Road which goes quite precipitously up a hill to connect with the Pueblo Canyon North Bench Trail.
An alternate route is to take the East Fork Trail, just downstream from the Walnut Street Road, up to where it intersects Walnut Street Road. Walnut Street Road goes out to the golf course and follows a network of trails over to the Bayo Canyon Trailhead (near the pedestrian underpass tunnel). The Pueblo Canyon North Bench Trail has many possibilities but I chose to take it back to the Pueblo Canyon South Bench Trail and then took the Ranch School Trail up to the Walkup Center. I went to the library and then walked home on the streets because a thunderstorm was happening with plenty of rain.
For further information on any of the mentioned trails, see the second edition of Craig Martin's Los Alamos Trails. Also see Los Alamos County Trail Network.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Pajarito Trail 286 to Guaje Reservoir
My friend Annette will be going on a walking tour of 84 mile long Hadrian's Wall. She has been taking long hikes this Spring to get in condition for walking long miles each day. Today, I went with her on a training hike. To be sure I could do it and that my boots were comfortable, I walked 8 miles last Thursday and 13 miles last Sunday.
We started at 8:20 am on Pajarito Trail 286, accessed off the Rendija Canyon Road, FR57. It was overcast which was welcome as the first part of the journey would be up to the Guaje Mountain saddle, through a treeless area devastated by the Cerro Grande fire of 2000. I left my gps, binoculars and camera at home so I wouldn't have to lug along extra weight. Here are a few photos of Guaje Reservoir taken on May 17, 2008 by a bicyclist. The day stayed overcast and on the way home, as we walked eastbound on Guaje Canyon Road, FR442, it rained lightly but steadily for 20-25 minutes so we both unfurled our umbrellas. We never overheated.
The only people we saw all day were at the very beginning. First, a man walking two dogs on a leash and then, right after, a woman with two dogs off-leash.
Notable flowers seen on the hike: white yucca flowers blooming on cliffs below Guaje Mountain and on south-facing slope above Guaje Canyon; further up canyon, velvety hot pink wild roses and clumps of light blue chiming bells that were the size of small shrubs. May have heard owl or mourning dove when we got to bottom of Guaje Canyon and a hermit thrush in the forested area. Saw faint but perfect bear track in soft dirt after we went through first gate in Guaje Canyon. Both Annette and I speculated on how, if we saw a bear, we could open our umbrellas and raise them high over our heads to appear gigantic!
In Guaje Canyon, westbound from the Guaje Narrows to the first gate, a huge iron one located just past the intersection with Upper Guaje Road, regeneration in this heavily burnt area is occurring along the stream with box elders giving attractive islands of green among all the brown and black.
After the first gate, the tall living ponderosas began again and we were in a verdant, sylvan world. Butterflies flitted around. The air was perfumed with the scent of blooming flowers. At some point, we passed through a second, smaller gate.
The Guaje Canyon Road, from the Guaje Narrows, westbound to Guaje Reservoir, is very well cleared of fallen trees by chain saw wielding off road vehicle enthusiasts (we could see their tracks and lots of fresh sawdust). We made 21 stream crossings. The stream crossings were easy as the creek is shallow and mostly narrow. We danced across rocks and sometimes crossed the span in a single leap. It was lucky that the rain did not occur during all the stream crossings as that would have made it slippery. In some short sections, the stream and the road were one. In a few places, we had to go on the bank above the road-stream but the path was well worn by others. Once we came to an open area paved entirely by rocks and small boulders that had washed out of a steep side canyon below a burnt hillside. We both wondered aloud what we would do if it started raining hard and lots of water came rushing at us.
We determined to walk until noon and were amazed to make it to Guaje Reservoir. It is located just past where Mitchell Trail 69 comes down. We found a wooden sign laying on the ground which gave distances to Los Alamos, Guaje Ridge Trail 285 and the Mitchell trailhead. The reservoir area is amazingly beautiful in a setting of gnarled, gray rocks that closed in and towered over us. The water falling from the dam is very loud.
The Guaje Reservoir silted in after the Cerro Grande fire - it's basically now just a stream flowing over the dam. We had to climb a sturdy metal ladder to get to the top. We walked a tenth of a mile beyond the reservoir and were mightily tempted by the beauty of the area to keep going but we turned around and had lunch near the bottom of the Mitchell Trail.
We both had a bathroom stop before climbing back up to Guaje Mountain saddle; this caused us to miss the rock cairn and the Pajarito Trail back up. We walked about a tenth of a mile more down canyon than we needed to but enjoyed the closer look at the Guaje Narrows and agreed that we would like to walk through it one day down to where Guaje Canyon Road and Rendija Canyon Road meet and return via the latter.
We retraced our steps back to the rock cairn on the Pajarito Trail 286 and started climbing out of Guaje Canyon when I was startled by what I thought was the sound of human voices. It was quite a racket of eerie, moaning sounds and was most likely caused by the wind blowing through standing dead trees in the opposite drainage. I joked that it was probably La Llorona and she was sad to see us leaving her lonely canyon!
We got back to the trailhead at 4:20 pm for a total 8 hour trip. Annette's gps read 14.7 miles but that number may be slightly suspect as it couldn't find a signal for a long time as we ascended up canyon. It felt like that much, though!
Check Craig Martin's Los Alamos Trails for more information about the Pajarito Trail 286 and Guaje Canyon Road, FR442.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Ramon Vigil Grant: Some Fence Posts and Benchmarks
These are two fence posts just below the southwest corner benchmark of the Ramon Vigil Grant. The bottom one still has pieces of barbed wire attached. They are located to the west of the Trail to Upper Crossing and on the rim of Frijoles Canyon. Here is the waypoint (Datum: NAD27CONUS):
Zone & Easting Northing Elevation
13S 377180mE 3964337mN 7485 ft.
In Dorothy Hoard's A Guide to Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos Historical Society, 2009, 4th Edition, she mentions the Ramon Vigil Grant's checkered history and writes that "History buffs can still follow the old fence line and benchmarks along the base of the cliffs." A number of these old fence posts are still standing. In places, strands of barbed wire are also on the ground. A few of the Ramon Vigil Grant benchmarks are documented on Waymarking.com.
Dorothy Hoard also wrote Historic Roads of Los Alamos this year. (It is the seventh monograph in the series The Los Alamos Story, published by the Los Alamos Historical Society. Titles of the six other monographs are here and here and can all be purchased from the Los Alamos Historical Society's Online Shop.)
Hoard's Historic Roads of Los Alamos, gives a succinct synopsis of the history of the Ramon Vigil Grant. In 1742, land was granted on the Pajarito Plateau, then owned by Mexico, to Pedro Sanchez. By 1851, the Sanchez Grant was owned by eleven Sanchez heirs. Antonio Sanchez bought the shares of seven of them but the other three refused to sell. Antonio then sold his eight-elevenths share of the Sanchez Grant to Jose Ramon Vigil in 1851.
After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the United States was required to protect the property rights of Mexicans in the newly ceded territory. The Sanchez Grant was confirmed as the Ramon Vigil Grant by Congress in 1860, relying on forged Sanchez Grant papers that Ramon Vigil submitted in 1856.
In 1879, Vigil sold the Ramon Vigil Grant to Padre Hayes who received a rude awakening when the grant was finally surveyed by the United States Office of the Surveyor General and the size of the grant was trimmed considerably. The fault was the language in the forged Sanchez Grant papers which put the northern boundary of the grant in line with the southern boundary of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso instead of much, much further north to Guaje Canyon. It had been commonly understood for years that the northern boundary of the Sanchez Grant was Guaje Canyon but whoever forged the Sanchez Grant papers neglected to put that detail in.
It all worked out though. The good Padre was able to sell the much-reduced-in-size Ramon Vigil Grant for a killing to some eastern investors from Milwaukee and Ohio and a whole lot of the grant's former lands on the Pajarito Plateau opened up to homesteaders.
To find some fenceposts of the Ramon Vigil Grant along the way to Frijoles Canyon, you'll need to walk in the woods to the west of the Trail to Upper Crossing and look for fenceposts and downed barbed wire about midway between the cliffs and the trail. As you get closer to Frijoles Canyon, you'll cross well-defined "elk highways" that come off the mesa above the cliffs. Be careful not to trip over any barbed wire. Some of it was cleaned up but strands still remain on the ground in places.
Top photo is a U.S. General Land Office Survey benchmark at the southwest corner of the Ramon Vigil Grant. It is about a mile in on the Trail to Upper Crossing. The benchmark reads: "RVG, SW Cor, T18NR5E, 1913". Here is the waypoint (DATUM: NAD27CONUS):Zone & Easting Northing Elevation
13S 377177mE 3964334mN 7485 ft.
Bottom photo is of the benchmark pipe at the base of the leafless shrub in foreground, looking southeastward toward Frijoles Canyon. The Trail to Upper Crossing descends steeply into the gully in the middleground, going into Frijoles Canyon via switchbacks.
Top photo is a U.S. General Land Office Survey benchmark along the southern boundary of the Ramon Vigil Grant. It's to the east of the Trail to Upper Crossing, on the rim of gully in which trail descends. It reads: "RVG, AP1, PL, 1934". Someone has scratched on it: "JB, 2002". Its waypoint is:Zone & Easting Northing Elevation
13S 377349mE 3964287mN 7413 ft.
The bottom photo shows the benchmark pipe is encircled by stones. This is looking southward toward the hill up which the Trail to Upper Crossing steeply ascends from the bottom of Frijoles Canyon.
Top photo, another U.S. General Land Office Survey benchmark along the southern boundary of the Ramon Vigil Grant, north of Frijoles Canyon and east of the Trail to Upper Crossing. It reads: "RVG, S1, S6, R5E, R6E, T18N, CC, 1935". What's especially neat about these last two benchmarks is that they are colored gold and especially stand out. Perhaps someone who studies benchmarks could explain the gold color. It's quite striking and lovely. The waypoint is (DATUM: NAD27CONUS):
Zone & Easting Northing Elevation
13S 377457mE 3964234mN 7462 ft.
The bottom photo is again looking south toward Frijoles Canyon. The metal fence post looks newer than 1935 and runs at an oblique angle to the Ramon Vigil Grant boundary. The fence seems to be a divider between Section 1 and Section 6 but why?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Guaje Mountain-Cabra Loop Hike
Went on a group hike today - 17 people plus one dog.
View toward Guaje Mountain, our destination, which is reached by the Pajarito Trail 286. Drive into Rendija Canyon, from Barranca Mesa, and park at asphalted parking lot on left before pavement ends. Trail goes downhill and intersects Rendija Canyon Trail 279 but you stay straight and start up hill that's below Beanfield Mesa.
The trail winds around these tent rocks which are below Beanfield Mesa. This whole area was quite toasted by the 2000 Cerro Grande fire but it's still very beautiful. There were dark clouds when we started out but they blew past and blue skies and billowing clouds prevailed. From Guaje Mountain, I did see snow showers over Caballo Mountain but they blew to the northeast. 
Here's some of the hikers climbing the pumice hill. The hill is so distinctive! From that point, it's all uphill to Guaje Mountain.
This was our quarry - to see pasque flowers blooming. We saw a few when we started out and then didn't see more until we were started from the saddle to the top of Guaje Mountain. The hikers were very game going up. The trail is in very good condition. They had lunch on top and enjoyed the views though they did sit on the leeward side of the mountain as the winds were blowing but not enough to blow us off the mountain. After lunch, all but five of us followed the Pajarito Trail back to the vehicles. We five went west on a mesa that's right at the Guaje Mountain saddle and followed it out to the end where one of the hikers spotted a way down. We interesected Upper Guaje Road, the one that comes out of the Guaje Pines Cemetery.
This is on Upper Guaje Road, looking back at Caballo Mountain. After this, we intersected the upper Cabra Loop Trail and went back to the Pajarito Trail. All told, we did a little over six miles. I like it that this group is so adventurous!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Spring Cleaning Work Party
Well, actually it was more work than party. I went up to the Route. Hadn't been there for a while. There was lots to do - freshening and rebuilding cairns, moving fallen trees, rerouting around fallen trees. It's great exercise with all the bending but I'm hoping I didn't give myself a hernia dragging a tree off the path. Someone cut away a really big fallen tree. I was grateful for that! I left the trash for another day, maybe eternity.
Brought along in a cooler six of the raisin-walnut-pumpkin-applesauce muffins but took them back home again. I had a couple when I got home. They are delicious.
It was helpful to wear mid-cut hiking boots. The canted part of the Route didn't hurt my feet because of the support they provided. My knees benefited from changing my lower leg exercise routine last night. They felt freer moving.
Going up took me 2 1/2 hours and going down took an hour and 15 minutes.
Near Paintball Road, I was surprised to see a woman on a blanket reading, with another blanket and lawn chair near but no other people. Her dog was very friendly and if she hadn't held the dog's collar, it was going to run away with me!
This morning when I woke up, it was overcast. By the time I got to the Route, the bank of clouds had blown over the Sangres. It turned into a blue -sky-big-fluffy-white clouds-day.
