Start: Magdalena, NM
Finish: Peak 7215
Miles: 20.52 / 192.4 total
Ascent: 4750 feet
Hurricane Polo all but dissipated over New Mexico, so after 2 long zero days in a motel room going stir crazy, it was finally time for me to hit the trail again. The rain stopped, and the runoff disappeared again as quickly as it started.
It was a battle packing my backpack this morning. I have 8 days of food which takes up quite a bit of space. After adding some reserve water, I could barely roll the top of my pack shut. Usually the top is about flush with my shoulders, but today it was somewhere behind my head.
The trail heads straight through town, so I was immediately back on trail when I left the motel. There was a few miles of roadwalking to get back into the wilderness though. Walking through town, it seemed like every house had at least one dog, and every single one barked up a storm. The town probably hated me. Someone walking and not driving a truck?
I soon left the paved road and went past the mining ghost town of Kelley. You can walk around and see the town, but there was a chance of more thunderstorms today, and I wanted to clear the high ridge before they could trap me.
The paved road turned into a dirt road which turned into a gnarly 4×4 track, steep and rocky. I was definitely feeling the extra pack weight (and town food) on the way up. I had to take more quick stops than normal, but the nice thing about a steep trail is it gets you up the mountain quick.
As I approached the Magdalena Range, their tops were shrouded in clouds. This was supposed to be a scenic part of the trail, so I hoped it didn’t stay like that.
It was a 3000 foot climb to the ridge, but soon I reached the clouds and shortly thereafter the top of the ridge. I was completely socked in. I could see the forest that was immediately surrounding me, but little else. It was also damp and chilly as you would expect.
After a quick break, I knew I had to keep moving, for the weather and chill in the air. The 4×4 track continued for a while, keeping to the ridge, until it suddenly transformed into single track and the clouds cleared.
In front of me were some rounded rocky cliffs, which I immediately guessed were the draw of this route. The clouds cleared just in time! The rock was fantastic, and seemed completely out of place from the rest of the forested ridge.
White rounded rockbare and sticking out there. It was quite a sight, and I stopped often to take it in and take pictures.
It didn’t take too long to cross though, and the clouds weren’t looking too friendly, so I had to press on.
The trail continued to follow the ridge for a while with faint trail. However, the ridge had reverted to it’s less exciting forested gentle slopes.
I got to the trail I was to take down. There was a sign, but not really a trail. Oh well, more fun for me. I was just following a valley down, so easy to pick my way down.
It did start sprinkling a bit, but no big deal.
Almost from the start of the descent, water was flowing in the usually dry streamed at the heart of the valley. It continued to build as I descended. The rest of the desert is already dry, but maybe the forests hold their water a little longer? I’ll take it in any case. I needed water from the stream on my way down.
The trail gradually picked up, and wound back and forth across the stream which is usually not a stream. Few people have probably had to deal with water while on this trail, but it was never too much of a rock hop.
I stumbled across 2 abandoned cabins near the bottom. One had a porch and bench, and it was about lunch time. No sooner had I sat down on the covered porch than the sky opened up. I guess it really was lunch time. I couldn’t have gotten luckier with that timing.
After just the right length of lunch, the rain stopped and released me to go.
I continued down 4×4 track which paralleled the stream. Obviously this track didn’t intend the stream to be flowing and I had to cross it a fair number of times. All were rock hops, but sometimes I had to look a little to make it work. Side streams were constantly feeding into the stream making it grow.
I didn’t quite reach my turnoff when the road wanted to cross a couple more times. I grabbed some water and cut the corner to head into the hills on my own terms.
Some cross country was coming up to avoid a private in holding. The slopes were gentle, so the hiking wasn’t hard, though I did sink in on occasion since the ground was wet. I crossed a divide and made my own way down to a valley which also had a flowing stream. A bunch more crossing and I found a cow trail that took me to a ridge that made for much easier traveling.
I then hooked into more 4×4 tracks through cow country. Quite the change from the forested ridge just a couple hours before. However, the land was nice and rolling, so it was fairly pleasant.
The route had me leave the road for some more off-trail adventuring. It had me descend a ridge that was vibrant green with a carpet of small yellow wildflowers. I guess they were all trying to bloom from the rains we have been having. It was a surreal stroll down the ridge.
As I was nearing the bottom, I looked to the ridge above me and saw 2 elk in perfect silouette. I was quite surprised, as they weren’t that far away. However, they quickly took off before I could pull out my camera.
Some dark clouds were headed towards me, and it was clearer I was not going to give them the slip. I crossed a saddle and going down the other side found some potholes to top off my water. When I got to the bottom of the valley, the clouds were pretty close, and I found a flat spot to set up my tent. It was 5, so good enough for the day.
I threw up my tent, and it started sprinkling as I was putting the finishing touches on it. I grabbed my gear and dove under cover, and the rain then decided to start in ernest. 2 times in a day I got under shelter just before it opened up. Pretty lucky there.
It rained for about an hour, before it let me out to do my chores.
There is a lot of bugeling going on this evening, the elk are up to something.
Today was pretty good. It had some challenge with the pack weight and elevation gain, but I picked away at it and had some enjoyable stretches of trail. Good to be back on the trail!
