{"id":11260,"date":"2026-09-27T15:30:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T22:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yetihikes.net\/wordpress\/?p=11260"},"modified":"2026-09-29T09:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T16:18:43","slug":"grand-enchantment-trail-day-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yetihikes.net\/wordpress\/2026\/09\/27\/grand-enchantment-trail-day-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Enchantment Trail: Day 9 Into Magdalena"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Start: La Jancia Creek

Finish: Magdalena, NMMiles: 12.26 \/ 171.88 totalAscent: 1150 feetIt was a different kind of night last for the desert. There was a lot of noise. Birds squaking, insects chirping, and some larger animals off in the distance. I even thought I heard an elk bugeling, but I didn\u2019t think that could be true.I started up a side wash to exit my oasis at first light. The small canyon the wash was in was just carved out of the dirt, not rock. However, this gave an interesting perspective. The wash was actively eroding away the dirt with each passing storm, and juniper and other bushes were being slowly consumed by the erosion as well. Before they succumbed, I could see that even the smallest bushes had roots going down 10 feet or more in their desperate search for water. It was quite an interesting cross section of the earth.<\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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As I ascended out of the wash and again onto the flat desert plain, I saw what I thought were elk prints in the sand. I was skeptical of my classification though since, again, I didn\u2019t think there were elk out here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I regained the plain and followed cow trails until they stopped at more cow tire troughs. Then it was just up to me. There was a checkerboard of public and private land ahead that the trail wove its way through trying to stay legal. This time there weren\u2019t even fencelines to guide the way and ensure I stayed on the straight and narrow. That meant it was once again compass time! With the wide open landscape, it was perfect to let me make my own path with minimal effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As I was crossing the land, I saw a couple elk in the distance. I guess my prior observations weren\u2019t nonsense after all. I took many pictures as I got closer and closer to them, since they were along my route. Eventually they grew impatient and jogged off with their odd head tilted up saunter. There was another group on the other side of me bugeling occasionally as well. Quite the unexpected sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My cross country jaunt came to an end at a county\/forest service road, and I soon entered a patch of National Forest, where the forest was only sparse juniper bushes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From there it was an easy stroll through the \u201cforest\u201d and across some more ranch land before my road dumped me straight into the center of Magdalena. I got my bearings and headed off to the only open restaurant for their biggest burger and a beer, much deserved I thought after the challenges thrown at my by the land and weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I got a motel room since the weather is supposed to turn south once again and started in on all my town chores. Magdalena is an interesting town that has a lot of potential with quaint old-time charm, but most businesses are closed at this point, unfortunately.I\u2019m unsure what the next couple days will bring in terms of weather. I\u2019m being fought every step of the way so far which I had not expected starting this trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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