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> Please share your favorite Beautiful New Mexico hiking spots!
From Albuquerque:
(1) La Luz - you can't go wrong with this trail - even if you only go up for an hour and turn around. Alternatively, you can spend 3-4 hours on it and ride the tram down or hike up-and-down.
(2) Drive to the Crest and hike along the Crest Trail.
(3) Out of the 4th of July Campground in the Manzanos, take the 4th of July trail. This is especially nice in the fall due to the red, Rocky Mountain Maple trees there ( gold aspen higher up )
(4) From the Santa Fe Ski Basin, Windsor Trail.
.... (a) hike to the rim of the Pecos Wilderness in about 3 hours
.... (b) hike to the top of Santa Fe Baldy from the rim above
.... (c) just hike for a couple of hours and turn back
(5) Mt Taylor -- a relatively easy 2.5 mile hike to a view of Albuquerque and many volcanic formations along the large plateau N of the dormant volcano.
Note to all. If you have to ask where to hike and where these places are, be sure to take the following:
(1) more water than you think you will need
(2) twice as much water as you think you will need
(3) more food than you think you will need
.... assume that you will meet someone up there who is totally unprepared
.... and who will die if you don't feed them and give them drink
(4) more clothes than you think you will need + hats + gloves
.... you can get some very light ski pants and jackets that will pack down
.... to a little ball and won't be heavy
~~~ it can snow in the summer on the tops of the peaks ~~
~~~ it might not stick, but it will freeze your tush ~~~~~~
(5) rain gear/poncho -- EVEN if there isn't a cloud in the sky when you start
(6) small 1st aid kit
(7) fully charged cellphone
(8) flashlight
oh, and finally:
(9) more water than you think you will need
Note that I almost never need all that stuff, but I *HAVE* been out on a simple day hike where I DID.
If you are new to hiking, also know that if you start to feel the least bit tired and you are not within 5-10 minutes of your planned ending point, TURN AROUND NOW. You can't imagine how exhausted you are going to be by the time you are heading back and still more than an hour from your car. You can always do the hike later.
Don't let your kids run along the trail ahead of you. Wild animals are known to attack small children who tend to look like prey. It probably won't happen, but it sux when it does.
Finally, don't take hiking suggestions from Vinegaroon. He's in better shape than you and stuff that is just a walk-up for him will kill most other people.
Thanks so much for the links et al! I was on that silly website but for some reason didn't click on "recreational activites" link. Don't ask, I have no idea what I was thinking.
The google maps info is cool! and everyone needs a smart hiker refresher..thanks!
The bring plenty of water post reminded me of another place. Check out the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks at Lake Cocheti. It's beautiful. Just make sure to take the trail that goes to the right. It's easier that way. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument Do bring plenty of water to drink.
The bring plenty of water post reminded me of another place. Check out the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks at Lake Cocheti. It's beautiful. Just make sure to take the trail that goes to the right. It's easier that way. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument Do bring plenty of water to drink.
If you want a wider scale, go to Google Maps and enter [ Truchas, NM ] in the search box.
From there, navigate to the E-SE to the 2 mi/5 km scale where you can see Truchas on the upper
left, Cowles, lower center and Gascon on the right.
The Trampas lakes area is on a line between Gascon and Truchas slightly E of due N of Cowles.
Switch your view to [ Terrain ] and look for the markings showing Truchas Peaks.
Now, zoom in to the 1 mi/ 1 km scale and find Jicarilla Peak - N of the Truchas Peaks.
In a long, glacial valley that opens to the North, you'll find a pair of lakes S-SE of Jicarilla Peak.
There ya go.
Mr Senior Powder Inspector:
--------------------------
How is parking there? Do you keep someone back at the car who is armed to guard it?
Do you get dropped off? For many years, I've heard about bad "mischief" there involving
break-ins and such.
Mortimer:
Parking is available at the trailhead. Yes, anytime you go hiking in Northern New Mexico, there is a fair chance you will return to find your vehicle vandalized. I have a beat up junker that I drive to my favorite hiking trailheads, and I leave a sign on the dashboard that in Spanish that says "Please don't tow, vehicle broke down, going to relatives for help." I shouldn't reveal all my tips and tricks, but that's one of them. When I get back to the car, I simply remove the sign and drive back home.
Parking is available at the trailhead. Yes, anytime you go hiking in Northern New Mexico, there is a fair chance you will return to find your vehicle vandalized. I have a beat up junker that I drive to my favorite hiking trailheads, and I leave a sign on the dashboard that in Spanish that says "Please don't tow, vehicle broke down, going to relatives for help." I shouldn't reveal all my tips and tricks, but that's one of them. When I get back to the car, I simply remove the sign and drive back home.
Are you kidding me?!!?
-somehow I missed this first time around. It must have been the part of my brain that likes to preserve my sanity-
-somehow I missed this first time around. It must have been the part of my brain that likes to preserve my sanity-
Not kidding. I also have a bumper sticker on my old beater that says "Nuestras acequias, vida, cultura, tradicion" When in Rome, fool the Romans I always say.
Anyone know if you can take a dog with you hiking in the Sandia Ranger District (the trails off of the road to the crest)?
We want to take our new puppy (don't worry he's huge and thinks nothing of 4 mile walks) hiking with us when the weather warms up and the crest road is the closest place to find trails besides just walking around our area.
> ... can take a dog with you hiking in the Sandia Ranger District ...
People take their dogs hiking all the time. They go anywhere and
everywhere. Be sure to pack adequate water and food for your
dog also - even if you think you won't need it.
Also, if it poops on the trail, please find a branch and flick it off the
trail. It's just rude for dogs or people to poop on the trail and just
leave it there. I never do.
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