My time in the Land of Enchantment was coming to an end, but I had all morning to explore. I decided to do a nearby peak before returning to Albuquerque. Just a few kilometers north of the house was this unnamed peak.
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| The actual peak is along a ridge behind that high point. |
I tried following other directions to the north side of the peak, but a No Trespassing sign stopped me. Instead I just parked along the side of the road to the east and walked across the mesa. This was slow going for the first mile as I had to pick my way through the knee-high sage. As I started climbing the slope the floor opened up and I just had to go around the trees.
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| Looking back towards Wheeler peak. |
It was a bit steep, but nothing compared to some of the peaks I had been on earlier in the week. At the ridge I followed it along to the high point. I found a rock to sit on and got set up. I was in no rush, so I worked all the bands I had.
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| The summit is there. |
I just retraced my steps back to the car. Overall this peak was not nearly as nice as the ones on the Iconic Peaks list, but I was glad for the excuse to get one more hike in.
Trailhead: Side of Camino de Lovato
Website: SOTA Site.
Maps: AA6XA SOTA Hikes map.
Route: Walk across the mesa to the base of the hill. Climb up the hill to the ridge, then walk along the ridge to the high point.
Red Tape: None.
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| The Rio Grande gorge nearby is worth a stop too. There was a raft going by when I stopped. |
There are some great trails going to the bottom of the gorge. They are near Questa to the north, and known as Big Arsenic and Little Arsenic spring trails. Very sorry didn't get to hike with you!
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