Month: June 2019

Rendezvous Taos Ski Valley

  • NNML 2019 Day 18, June 27, Thursday
  • Start Questa mile 272 (sec5mile0)
  • End neareTaos Ski Valley, mile 285 (sec5mile13)
  • Miles walked: 13

After walking for a few miles along the highway east out of Questa, Columbine Campground appears. Columbine Creek Trail heads south and up along the creek, with no wet foot crossings necessary, climbing to 11k elevation.Reaching the ridge, mountains and ski trails offer views.Gavilan Trail down the mountain is steep with loose rocks. Emerging at the edge of Taos Ski Valley village, I walk along the highway for two miles west, where members of the NMVFO (New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors) are arriving at a campsite, to work on nearby trails for several days.What serendipity that the group’s schedule matches mine, and that their camp is so close to my route! Some members are surprised to see me, knowing that I am out hiking. I camp here tonight, and will pause my journey for a day to help with trail work.

Questa

  • NNML 2019 Day 17, June 26, Wednesday
  • Start mile 22 of Rio Grande Highwater route
  • End mile 34 of Highwater route
  • Miles walked: 12

All morning the route is on forest service road, until arriving in Questa, a small village located close to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and near trails into the Rio Grande Gorge.I get cleaned up at Questa Lodge, a pleasant RV park along the Red River, the type of campground that has decorative gardens and shady trees and even a river walk near my tent.A recently restored adobe church represents the village’s historic roots.Tomorrow I hope to meet friends near my trail.

Dunn Bridge

  • NNML 2019 Day 16, June 25, Tuesday
  • Start near Arroyo Punche corral mile 248 (sec4mile38)
  • End on mile 22 of Rio Grande Highwater Trail, which departs from NNML at mile 260 (sec4mile50)
  • Miles walked: 34

After the route goes around one of those isolated rounded hills, I have a choice of continuing to Sheep’s Crossing to ford the Rio Grande, or take the alternate route south along BLM dirt roads for 15 or so miles to John Dunn Bridge, and then back up. Since this is such a high snow-melt year, I choose bridge. Most of the dy is road walk, so crank up the audiobooks, stretch out the stride, and the view mostly looks like this.Later a whole forest of dead sagebrush, with just a few living ones near the road, come into view. Is this a bad omen with my namesake?Near the bridge site high vertical cliffs on both sides constrain the water to a narrow channel, compared to what was at the Bandelier crossing.Here is the bridge. Several people are taking in or launching rafts and watercraft at a nearby ramp.One rafter tells me I made a good choice skipping Sheep Crossing.John Dunn built a hotel near the bridge, whose remains can be seen today.On the other side of the river is the village of Arroyo Hondo, which I must pass to get to public lands, so the day is late when I find a campsite.