Hiking the Blue Dot Trail - merged threads

[bwray]

I've been threatening to post some pictures of "Beautiful New Mexico", so here goes.

Your guide for todays excursion is.....yours truly.

Here we are at the trailhead looking east. The Blue Dot trail, so called because blue dots from a can of spray paint have been used to mark the way, descends from the edge of the Pajarito Plateau to the Rio Grande eight hundred feet below. Apparantly, search and rescue got tired of tracking down lost hikers in the canyon and took steps to make the trail easier to follow. The Blue Dot is actually an ancient Anasazi trail that is now maintained by Los Alamos County.

Looking North (upriver), the Rio Grande emerges from the mountains around Taos.

To the South, the river flows past the Red Dot Trail (another one of my favorites) and on to Frijoles Canyon, site of the Bandolier National Monument Visitors Center. From there it flows by Santa Fe, through Albuquerque, and on to the Big Bend country of Texas. Finally, several hundred miles later, it empties into the Laguna Madre on the Gulf of Mexico at Brownsville.

The trail is narrow and rocky and passes through some of the most rattlesnake infested country in New Mexico. Not a problem this time of year, but I've had several close calls in warmer weather.

During the 800 ft descent the terrain varies from barren and rocky to lush green along a spring fed stream that emerges about three quarters of the way down.

The river disappears from view at some points along the trail,

only to emerge again a little farther on.

CONTINUED . . . . . .

 

[bwray]

Before reaching the river the trail passes through a P-J forest (Pinon-Juniper, also called pigmy forest for the small trees). This type of terrain is a notoriously difficult place to hunt deer; you can't see them unless you're right on top of them, but they can smell and hear you a long time before you get close.

Finally, a view of the Rio Grande emerges from the forest. This shot is taken looking downriver

and this one looking upriver.

Continuing North on the River Trail I took another shot looking downriver

and one more before turning around for the climb out of the canyon.

The shadows have lengthened considerably by the time I approach the rim.

I like to stand on the rim and enjoy the view for awhile after I reach the top. Those are the Sangre de Christo mountains to the east on the other side of the Rio Grande. That's Santa Fe Baldy peak to the left and the Santa Fe ski hill near the center.

What's amazing to me is that during the week I almost never encounter anyone else on my favorite hiking trails. On the weekends I might have one or two encounters with other hikers. But, for the most part, you can be alone in the middle of this magnificent scenery. While I was still working for the Laboratory, I would hike these trails during my lunch hour, or later in the afternoon if the weather was hot. Since I was getting all of my exercise outdoors I had to be philosophical about the weather. "There's no such thing as bad weather .... only inappropriate clothing."

There are literally hundreds of hiking trails in Los Alamos County, and I have about a dozen favorites that I rotate through to keep things fresh and interesting. What a life.

 

[DaddyDett]

Thanks for the pics. I miss the west, and NM in particular.
Roswell, where we lived, was a good jumping of place for trips to alot of cool places. Bottomless Lakes, Carlsbad, Lincoln National Forest.
I was maybe 7 when we got there, and nine when we left for Germany, but
The Land of Enchantment sure got to me.

DaddyDett

 

[Ad Astra]

Those ARE nice shots... goes to show how spread out we all are.

Desert's beautiful. Thanks, Bill.


Ad Astra

 

[bwray]

Thanks for the pics. I miss the west, and NM in particular.
Roswell, where we lived, was a good jumping of place for trips to alot of cool places. Bottomless Lakes, Carlsbad, Lincoln National Forest.
I was maybe 7 when we got there, and nine when we left for Germany, but
The Land of Enchantment sure got to me.

DaddyDett

Thanks DD. I hunt antelope and quail between Roswell and Portales. That area has it's own stark beauty. The state itself is largely unknown. I'm always surprized how often I have to explain to folks that New Mexico is part of the United States.

 

[bwray]

Just bumping this thread up closer to the continuation.

 

[Howard Wallace]

I've done a little hiking in the area around Las Cruces and White Sands. It is beautiful and rugged country.

Here are a couple of pictures of our fellow forumite Red Flower at White Sands.

Ever encounter any cattle? I had an interesting encounter with a free-ranging bull in the mountains to the west of White Sands. You can see those mountains in the first photo above.

Another unexpected surprise was the tasty fruit available in the desert. The barrel cactus had some very good fruit on top, as did prickly pears, and some other unidentified plants. I did get some nasty little stickers in various body parts though.

 

[Astrodada]

I may have to consider moving out from the concrete jungle.........

 

[bwray]

Ever encounter any cattle? I had an interesting encounter with a free-ranging bull in the mountains to the east of White Sands. You can see those mountains in the first photo above.

Another unexpected surprise was the tasty fruit available in the desert. The barrel cactus had some very good fruit on top, as did prickly pears, and some other unidentified plants. I did get some nasty little stickers in various body parts though.

I've never had a close encounter with free range cattle, but I've heard they can be extremely dangerous. Did you have anything along for protection when you had your encounter?

In South Texas they make a jam out of prickly pear fruit. Pretty good stuff. Most menacing cactus further North is the cholla. It can grow up to head high and has barbed spines. Have to watch yourself.

P.S. Thanks for the pics Howard. White Sands is otherworldly. Most of the critters out there are also white to match the sand. The lizards are like ghosts - extremely elusive.

 

[bwray]

Bumping up again. Didn't thinks of this problem when I posted. Was unaware I had too many pics for a single post, then found out the only way I could submit was in two parts.

 

[Aardvark]

Nice pictures, Bill. Looks like it was a great hike.

 

[medbill]

Great pics and thanks for posting them, I can't wait to move out west!

Billy

 

[bwray]

Bump it up again.

 

[Howard Wallace]

I've never had a close encounter with free range cattle, but I've heard they can be extremely dangerous. Did you have anything along for protection when you had your encounter?

In South Texas they make a jam out of prickly pear fruit. Pretty good stuff. Most menacing cactus further North is the cholla. It can grow up to head high and has barbed spines. Have to watch yourself.

P.S. Thanks for the pics Howard. White Sands is otherworldly. Most of the critters out there are also white to match the sand. The lizards are like ghosts - extremely elusive.

Mountains west of White Sands, not east. I got mixed up in my memory. I went back and edited my first post.

Red Flower wasn't with me on the trip when I met up with the bull. I came around a bend in the trail. I had heard some noises ahead and was wondering what was making them. He was right in front of me. Fortunately there was a tree nearby which I quickly put between me and him, and kept it there till he decided to leave. I had flown into the area and was pretty much completely unarmed except for a pocketknife.

Cholla, is that this one?

... yes ... I ate those friuts too. Little yellow ones. I cut it in half with my leatherman tool, and then tried to scrape the tender flesh out with my top teeth. It was a good plan except the remainder of the tiny spines embedded themselves in my lower lip in the process. I figured out later you should singe them off first ...

Here is the barrel cactus and its fruits. They were very good.

And here's a fruiting prickly pear.

I'd better not even get started on the beautiful desert flowers or the panoramic views. New Mexico can be a beautiful, and a harsh, place.

One last view, yours truly on the military reservation, ground zero of the first atomic blast. It felt kind of warm there ...

 

[bwray]

Thanks for the additional photos Howard. That's cholla alright. There are a number of species of cholla and that resembles the worst I've ever encountered, the "jumping cholla" of Joshua Tree Natl. Mon. So many spines it looks white and such tenacious barbs it seems to jump out and grab you. As you are walking along it will attach to one boot and when you swing that boot past your other leg it impales your ankle. Happens over and over again.

After 27 years at Los Alamos, I have never seen Trinity Site. Kind of ironic. Thanks for the shot. Pretty barren. Many people confuse Los Alamos with Trinity Site because of the way the Manhatten project is usually reported. Of course, Los Alamos is over 200 miles North of Trinity and located at the base of the Jemez Mountains in completely different terrain.

 

[bwray]

Bump it up again.

 

[DaddyDett]

Cholla, oh just owwww.
Before moving to NM, we lived in Tucson, AZ.
The side yard and front yard were cactus garden, withe the other side and back yard being grass and fruit trees.
One day my twin and I got to chasing each other, who knows why, we were about 6 or so. I went smoking around the corner into the side yard, and low sided my PF Flyers. I went tumbling through a cholla. My Dad was a Doc,
so, Into the kitchen I hobbled, and here come the pliers. Over and over and over. Man, that was NO FUN!
Mother nature has an eye on those cactus fruit, and sure doesnt want em messed with.

DaddyDett

 

[bwray]

Bumping it up again.

 

[Astrodada]

The trail is narrow and rocky and passes through some of the most rattlesnake infested country in New Mexico. Not a problem this time of year, but I've had several close calls in warmer weather.

CONTINUED . . . . . .

You need some long blades........

 

[bwray]

You need some long blades........

Yeah, do you think my 20" Kumar Kobra would work here? Like they say, it's fast. But is it long enough?