El Malapais, Narrows Rims Trail

Hiked the Narrows Rims Trail today in El Malapias near Grants, New Mexico with some great friends and boy was it amazing!

Located almost 23 miles south of exit 89 of I-40, a non-conspicuous trailhead in a simple picnic area is the gateway to a 8 mile round-trip hike to an awesome view of La Ventana Arch (the second largest natural bridge in New Mexico) and sweeping vistas of the lava flows which make the area famous.

The trail starts as gradual sandstone steps take you to the top of a mesa which ends up being 500 ft. above the lava flows.

As you follow the rim of the mesa overlooking the expanses of the area, if you pay attention you can see a couple of petroglyphs.

Our day ended up being more than beautiful but we found ourselves hiking in snow under the bluest of skies.

The reward at the end of the 4 mile hike in is a commanding view of La Ventana Arch.

In the distance you can easily see Mt. Taylor and where the lava flows stopped just before reaching the sandstone bluffs.

 

There was still a bit of time to explore some caves, and scramble around boulders as we reached the end of our hike. Our bodies will certainly feel our ambitions tomorrow but it was still a great day!

"Sky City" Acoma Pueblo

I've wanted to visit the "Sky City" ever since I first heard about the pueblo on the mesa top. Located about an hour away from Albuquerque, an ancient pueblo village sits atop a 367-foot sandstone bluff as a sentry to past.

Originally protected by the shear remoteness of place Acoma tradition recounts that the ancients came to the sacred mesa after young scouts heard the promised echos as they called to the cliffs.

This was to be their place in the shadow of Mt. Taylor and under the expanse of the stars.

Those who found a home on the mesa top found natural cisterns to store water,

and a defense with ascent only through secret steps.

History would introduce the Spanish, soon the solitude of the Acoma people would be invaded with the persistent influence of the Conquistadors and Catholic missionaries. It was only through the building of a Mission Cathedral atop the mesa did the Acoma appease their new cultural threat.

 

Today the proud Acoma pueblo are the most gracious of hosts as they let the curious visitors like me explore and experience their traditions and culture. Certainly, "Sky City" is a wonderful place to visit.

Mount Taylor

November 28th, 2009-- After a day of recuperating from the food induced comma of Thanksgiving it was time stretch out the legs and tackle something big. Dubbed our first annual "man hike", me and a few of the guys headed out into the frozen tundra of late November to conquer Mount Taylor. Reaching the peak of Mount Taylor, a 11,300 foot peak near Grants, New Mexico, involves about a strenuous 7 mile round-trip hike with exceptional views of the valleys below.

With an eminent storm coming (Sunday) with the possibility of snows we knew we had an urgency to tackle Mount Taylor as possibly our last hike before winter is really upon us here in New Mexico. The hike begins in a conifer forest with pine needles cushioning every step. In the shadows there was crusted snow and few footprints.

As the elevation increased we found ourselves out of the forested area and into the grassy clearings and extensive meadows that surround the summit of Mount Taylor. We started our trek with temperatures in the mid 40's but the higher we ascended the lower the temperatures dropped. Finding ourselves less than a mile from the summit the exposed clearings did little to shield us from the chilling winds.

Reaching the summit we noticed the frost on the evergreens which stood as sentinels guarding the peak. After enjoying our lunches and stopping to let the sweat on our backs begin to chill us it was time to retreat the summit.

We made great time and enjoyed the feeling coming back to our frozen hands each step we took in the decent. In actuality the temperature never rose above 45 degrees in the valley but it felt great nevertheless compared to the cold at 11,300 feet.

Mount Taylor was a great hike, and excellent opportunity to feel sense of accomplishment after gluttonus Thanksgiving indulgence!