Green and Enchanting - Graduation Canyon

End of April, 2017:

Pajarito Environmental Education Center Passport II post at Graduation Canyon point overlook.

When I saw this, I thought how much my 4 year old grandson would enjoy it. To him, it would be huge forest! Graduation Canyon is a tiny, green canyon very close to the heart of downtown Los Alamos, accessed either from East Park/Los Alamos Mesa Trail or from Pine Street Playlot.

I hadn't been here for a long time so had forgotten the towering rock formations. Hidden up above are "mansions" on Rim Road. Understand that my definition of a mansion is colored by the fact that I live in a 50 year old government built Group 18 house.

A man-made wonder reposes in the canyon. Wonder the year, make and model? Doesn't look driveable!

Clematis

A very new-looking bridge!

Fruit tree in blossom along Graduation Canyon creek.

Cliffs of Graduation Canyon point overlook. Looking north.

Pipeline-Perimeter Off-Trail

When you walk up Pipeline Road in Los Alamos, NM, starting from Quemazon and Torreon in Quemazon Community, after about a mile you come to a saddle that separates the north Pueblo Canyon drainage from the south and a ridge that trends south from the saddle. Follow the ridge and at first there's a distinct trail which soon ends at the top of a  rough, steep downhill to the Perimeter Trail on the hillside above Quemazon Community.
I've always wondered what happens if you continue further south on the ridge, into the trailless Cerro Grande burn area. I usually quash these off-trail explores with inner warnings to not go it alone because there could be mountain lions, bears, coyotes, rabid bunnies, I could break ankle. Or, I chide that I really need to get back home soon because there are chores to do. But this time, the end of March, I took the bait and diverted from an easy, familiar downhill on Pipeline Road to instead follow the ridge into the burn area to see what I could see.  Pipeline Road is the road cut on the mountainside.

These young trees were planted by volunteers after the 2000 Cerro Grande wildfire. It's wonderful how much they have grown since then! To avoid falling, I walked very slowly over all the downed wood from the forest here before the fire. I followed wherever it seemed most open and least full of tripping hazards. Purposely placed rocks here and there showed that others had been here too.

Looking across a south branch of Pueblo Canyon toward Pajarito Mountain, a veritable forest is growing back. The green patch, lower left, is kinnikinnick. It was still early spring and I saw very few flowers.

I would have chosen it to be less windy for my walk here.  Some of the snags are so fearsomely massive that I waited until the wind stopped gusting  to walk by. I knew this to be a largely ineffectual strategy since snags fall when and where they want but it made me feel better! On the way downhill, I stuck close to Pueblo Canyon and eventually intersected the Perimeter Trail which I followed back to my car.

One of many "last looks" back to appreciate the scenery. The cairn was built by someone before me. Even though walking over and around all the obstacles made for very slow travel and the wind speeds got too high, this area has a raw, unforgettable beauty. And even though the forests that used to thickly cover the Jemez mountains west of town are gone forever in my lifetime, I feel joy in having traveled through this transformed landscape. The thick forests before the wildfire were mysterious because in them, I couldn't always see where I was. The off-trail sections of the Cerro Grande burn area beckon me all the time but mostly remain mysterious because I'm less likely to be patient enough to walk within. Trails are, of course, easier! When I do go there, though, it is worth it.

Ad Hoc Hikers: American Spring Road/Forest Road 181

The Ad Hoc Hikers decided to check out American Spring Road/Forest Road 181 this morning. We were pushing the season as there was still some snow on the road. The hikers thought it would be more dried out and it is somewhat in places. Overall, though, it's mostly a mix of snow, ice and mud. We were lucky to go early (the group starts at 8:30 am) before everything thawed.

The group gamely went as far as the turnoff to Red-Tailed Hawk Point where they turned back. I continued to the meadow near where the road swings south and downhill to West Jemez Road. I avoided the muddiest portions by going off the road onto a little trail that goes over to one of the broken down elk exclosures (left over from after the 2000 Cerro Grande Fire) and then parallels Forest Road 181 almost over to the meadow. This avoided three mini-lake-sized puddles. The portion of the forest road that faces south has terrible drainage problems, all made worse by the vehicles that drive in when the road is snow-covered. Too bad someone doesn't discover a threatened species so the road can be closed for "resource protection" from January to April like Dome Road is. The deep tire ruts in the mud only worsen the drainage. I saw today where a vehicle had pulled off onto the grassy shoulder and created deep ruts which now direct runoff into one of the mini-lake-sized puddles.

On a happier note, Armstead Spring is gushing like crazy - lots of water running out of the old, rusty water pipes!

Burnt Mesa Windy Day

Thursday's hike with the Ad Hoc group was on Burnt Mesa. The trail was nicely dried out. I have to admit that even though I don't like tripping over the logs embedded across the trail at frequent intervals, they do a superb job of keeping the trail from getting cupped.  Walking on a flat trail surface instead of in a ditch is so much easier.

It was a very windy day - blowing at our back on the way out. When the group decided to turn around about 1 1/2 miles in, they realized the wind would be in their face. I continued another mile or so to the trail's end where you can look over into Frijoles Canyon and see the Long Trail in Bandelier National Monument. It was truly a hat-brim-flipping wind on the return journey.  I saw three other hikers. Bet they also had read on the Los Alamos Trails Facebook page that the Burnt Mesa Trail was in fine condition and we all went for it!

San Miguel Mountains, which include Boundary Peak and St. Peter's Dome, from Burnt Mesa.

Snowy, south side of Pajarito Mountain from Burnt Mesa Trail.

Ancho Springs Trail to Red Dot

Group hiked Ancho Springs Trail to Red Dot (via River Trail) on Wednesday. It's a 7.5 mile, one-way hike per the leader.  I thought about just hiking down to Ancho Rapids and right back up because I wasn't sure of my ability to keep up with the group on the full hike but when we got to the River Trail turnoff, I decided to go for the full hike. Several times the group stopped to look at petroglyphs but I continued on so I wouldn't fall too far behind. When they stopped for lunch, I continued, eating my LaraBars while walking. The trail to follow was clear and the group always caught up with me.

On the group's last petroglyph stop, near the bottom of the Red Dot Trail, I and some others started up the very steep Red Dot. I had a brief, scary spell of "stupid feet" near the top - where your feet get "tangled-up" with a not-very brilliant mind of their own. I waited a little at the top for a ride back to the Powerline Point/Ancho Springs Trailhead where my car was. Really grateful for the ride and the chance to do this great hike. The trail is in wonderful condition. Someone has "white-dotted" the River Trail from the turnoff in Ancho Canyon to where the trail crosses Water Canyon. Guess white dots are appropriate since it's in White Rock Canyon.

A slice of the Rio Grande River, probably not too distant from the River Trail turnoff.

Where the River Trail crosses Water Canyon, with wonderful, columnar basalt cliffs.

Beanfield Mesa

On walk this morning with the Ad Hoc Hikers. This is Beanfield Mesa. We had just walked on the Pajarito Trail beneath those picturesque cliffs, far below Beanfield's rim.

Ponderosa Campground-Frijoles Canyon

Wednesday, on Upper Crossing Trail, starting from Ponderosa Campground, looking upward at cleft in Apache Spring Mesa (my made-up name). Five fast hikers are ahead of me. They have a big task - go all the way to Bandelier Headquarters in Frijoles Canyon. Mine is only to amble down into Frijoles Canyon and right back up.

And amble I did, stopping to look at these pretty, snowy woods. The trail was snow-covered in places and trending to frozen mud in others.

Alas, whilst in Frijoles Canyon, I took no photos but saw these quirky turkey tracks on the mesa top while walking back. These are apparently very hardy turkeys as their tracks wandered everywhere! Oh, digress for a moment back to Frijoles Canyon: At the second crossing of the Rito de los Frijoles, for one brief, wild moment, I envisioned continuing downstream to Bandelier Headquarters and hitching a ride back to Ponderosa Campground but instead, lazily walked back up to the mesa top. The Rito, though, was running finely after our Monday snowfall.