Bruce Grubbs - Best Easy Day Hikes Albuquerque

Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes Albuquerque

Bruce Grubbs

Copyright 2010 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC

TOPO! Explorer software and SuperQuad source maps courtesy of National Geographic Maps. For information about TOPO! Explorer, TOPO!, and Nat Geo Maps products, go to www.topo.com or www.natgeomaps.com.

Maps by Bruce Grubbs Morris Book Publishing, LLC

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Grubbs, Bruce (Bruce O.)

Best easy day hikes, Albuquerque / Bruce Grubbs.

p. cm. -- (FalconGuides)

ISBN 978-1-4930-0482-9

1. Hiking--New Mexico--Albuquerque Region--Guidebooks. 2. Albuquerque Region (N.M.)--Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV199.42.N62A438 2009

917.89'61--dc22

2009029484

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Contents

The Hikes

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Diane Souder, Petroglyphs National Monument, for reviewing the manuscript. I would like to thank my many hiking companions down the years whove put up with my incessant trail mapping and photography. Thanks to Duart Martin for her support and encouragement. And finally, thanks to my editors at Globe Pequot Press, Scott Adams and John Burbidge, for making a book out of my rough manuscript.

Introduction

New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, is certainly enchanted for hikers. The mountains, mesas, and canyons of this rugged state offer a great variety of hikes. Sometimes, though, you dont want to drive long distances to enjoy a hike. Luckily for residents and visitors in the states largest metropolitan area, Albuquerque, there is plenty of hiking near the city.

This guide lists easy to moderate hikes within 90 miles of Albuquerque. Some of the hikes lie within the city itself, while many are in the Sandia Mountains. Other hikes are in the nearby Manzano Mountains and the hills and mesas north of the city.

The premier Albuquerque hiking destination, the Sandia Mountains, dominates the eastern skyline and rises more than 5,000 feet in a series of steep slopes and rock buttresses to the 10,000-foot Sandia Crest. Belying the rugged appearance of the western escarpment of the Sandias, the crest and eastern slopes are gentle, forested slopes. Dozens of trails climb or contour along the slopes, and the Crest Trail runs the length of the range from south to north.

The mountains around Albuquerque are part of the northern Mexican Highlands and were created by the gigantic mountain-building forces unleashed during the formation of the North American continent. Numerous north-tending fractures, or faults, formed as the rocks broke under the strain. Some of the resulting blocks sank to form the valleys, while others rose to form the mountains. As the faulting continues to lower the basins and raise the mountains, erosion from water flowing downhill tends to wear down the mountains and fill the valleys. The topography we see today reflects the fact that the faulting is still active enough to keep the mountains from being worn down to a flat plain.

Hazards

Dehydration

Even in the mountains, where the summer air is cool, dehydration is a serious concern. Because the humidity is usually very low, your body loses moisture insensibly. Carry and drink plenty of water, and eat high-energy snacks for fuel and to help keep your electrolytes in balance. Both these measures are necessary to prevent heat exhaustion, which can develop into life-threatening sunstroke.

Plants and Animals

Various plants and animals can pose hazards to hikers in the New Mexico desert and mountains. Plants that are hazardous to the touch include poison ivy and stinging nettle. Spiny plants like cactus are easy to avoid. Never eat any plant unless you know what you are doing. Many common plants, especially mushrooms, are deadly.

Animals will normally leave you alone unless molested or provoked. Never feed wild animals, as they rapidly get used to the handouts and then will vigorously defend their new food source.

Rattlesnakes cause concern but can easily be avoided. They usually warn off intruders by rattling well before you reach striking range. Since rattlesnakes can strike no farther than half their body length, avoid placing your hands and feet in areas you cannot see, and walk several feet away from rock overhangs and shady ledges. Snakes prefer surfaces at about 80F, so during hot weather they prefer the shade of bushes or rock overhangs, and in cool weather will be found sunning themselves on open ground.

Mosquitoes are occasionally around in small numbers after snowmelt at the higher elevations. Spring rains can sometimes bring out a few mosquitoes in the desert. Because mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus, use repellent and sleep in a tent when they are present. DEET in various concentrations seems to be the most effective repellent.

Africanized bees, originally released in South America, have spread north and are now well established in the New Mexico deserts. Avoid all concentrations of bees, especially hives and swarms. If attacked, drop your pack and run. Protect your eyes and dont swat at the bees. Try to get into brush or dense foliage, which confuses the bees.

Old mines and prospects are common in these mountains. While hazardous areas are supposed to be signed and fenced, in practice this doesnt always happen, and some people ignore the warnings and get hurt or killed every year. Vertical shafts are a serious hazard, especially in brushy areas. Use a flashlight when walking through brushy areas at night off trail, even around camp. Never approach the edge of a pit or shaft; the edges are often unstable or undercut, and theres no way to tell how deep they are. Stay out of horizontal shafts and mines in general. They are often unstable, there can be partially covered or hidden vertical shafts, and poisonous or radioactive gasses may be present.

Weather

As a desert region, New Mexicos weather is stable for long periods. Even during the winter, when storms drop snow on the high peaks and rain on the desert floor, long periods of clear weather are the rule rather than the exception. Desert hiking is especially fine during the winter, when the mountaintops are buried in snow. Spring and fall are normally dry and offer the best weather for hiking at all elevations. After wet winters, spring often brings fantastic displays of wildflowers to the desert. When the heat of summer blasts the desert, it is best to either hike early in the morning or retreat to the alpine trails of the Spring Mountains. Late summer brings a second wet period, the North American Monsoon, an influx of seasonal moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Later summer mornings usually dawn clear, but by noon towering cumulus clouds usually form over the mountains and develop into massive thunderstorms. Plan summer hikes to be off exposed ridges and summits by noon to avoid the thunderstorm hazards of lightning, high wind, and hail.