Thanksgiving family hikes near Santa Fe

[Bob W]

With family visiting from out of state and not wanting us all cooped up in the same house all weekend, I decided to take the whole bunch of 'em for an overnight trip to Santa Fe for some outdoor adventures. In particular, my young niece wanted a hiking destination and wants to be a vulcanologist when she grows up.

First day's hike, the edge of a basalt flow on BLM land not far from the Santa Fe airport. It's the La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site. The trail is somewhat informal and visitors can freely explore the canyons, bluffs, and boulders looking for rock art. It's a great place for families; the site is close to a marked parking lot, it's impossible to get lost, and everyone can wander and explore at their own pace.

Here's an informational website from the BLM: http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/taos/la_cieneguilla.html

Printed maps showing property boundaries, roads, and hiking trails are available at the Public Lands Information Office in Santa Fe. The area in the vicinity of the petroglyphs is a mix of private land, Indian lands, BLM, and Forest Service, so getting a reasonably detailed map is recommended. If using the BLM Land Status maps, the area is on the Las Alamos map, not the Santa Fe map.

 

[Bob W]

Day 2, a short drive onto the Caja Del Rio Plateau. Now in the Santa Fe National Forest, USDA. You can get a S.F.N.F. map, or continue using the Los Alamos BLM map. The Caja Del Rio Plateau includes most of the land between Santa Fe and the Rio Grande River. Directly across the river to the northwest are the Los Alamos National Lab, Bandelier National Momument, Tent Rocks, several pueblos (Santa Clara, San Ildifonso, Cochiti, and others) and the Valles Caldera National Preserve - this area is absolutely a national treasure.

It would take weeks to explore just the bulk of the Plateau, but we were on a single-minded mission; to climb a volcano. Picked one at random, parked the car, and started walking. Not much more planning involved than that.

How's this one?

Labeled on modern maps as Ortiz Mountain, it was apparently previously known as Pankey Peak. I have seen maps with both names, and the USGS survey marker says Pankey Peak. The name Ortiz Mountain, while there may be a very good reason for it, is confusing because of the similarly-named Ortiz Mountains, a mountain range SE of Santa Fe.

Pretty good view from the top, looking west towards Bandelier and the National Lab property.

Looking east-ish, towards the Santa Fe Mountains, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains.

 

[camoninja]

Great pictures, what snake is that ?

 

[Bob W]

One more stop, more educational than adventurous, on the way home. The Pecos National Historic Park. And talk about history! Prehistoric pueblo, early Spanish mission ruins, Santa Fe Trail, and even a Civil War battlefield. It's still an important area today located on I25 and the Southwest Chief Amtrak route.

The self-guided walking path meanders through grass-covered mounds, which are actually the collapsed ruins of a 3-5 story pueblo dating to 1100AD.

Coronado visited here in 1540, and in 1619 the Spanish built a large mission church. That original mission was destroyed and abandoned during the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, but in 1717 the mission was rebuilt. The site was permanently abandoned by both the Native Americans and the Spanish in 1838 and left to ruins. The ruins became a National Park in 1965.

The Civil War battlefield of Glorieta Pass, we didn't visit on this trip but it's on a separate bit of land not far away. You have to check in at the park visitor center for a map and access information.

 

[Bob W]

Great pictures, what snake is that ?

As far as I can tell, some sort of Gopher Snake.

 

[jmh33]

Very NICE!! Thanks for sharing!! John

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Thanks for posting

 

[jdk1]

Beautiful pics Bob. I love New Mexico, but don't get up to the northern parts. I need to. Maybe we can meet up and go squatching In all seriousness though, there's a real beauty to the mountains of the desert southwest and the history is amazing.

 

[Bob W]

I spent years working in the desert and hills of southeast New Mexico - Carlsbad, Hobbs, etc. It's also scenic and wonderful, but it takes a special sense to appreciate it. :thumbup:

 

[daizee]

Pretty good view from the top, looking west towards Bandelier and the National Lab property.

You can see my old office!
Gorgeous out there...

 

[Bob W]

You can see my old office!
Gorgeous out there...

Wife took a class there years ago, an education program for science teachers. :thumbup:
And many years ago I spent a couple of weeks near Jemez Springs conducting an archaeological survey. Doubt I could ever find the exact area again, but we came across many prehistoric field houses and the ruins of an old logging camp.