Arizona, New Mexico Hiking Suggestions

[MattS]

Hi,
Around Thanksgiving I am taking a two week vacation in the southwest. My plan is to fly in and out Pheonix. I plan to start visiting the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Then make my way to Santa Fe and Taos for Thanksgiving (where I will be meeting up with my family) and them continuing down towards southern New Mexico (maybe Carlsbad caves) and southern Arizona.
Do you have any suggestions?

With the exception of the four day thanksgiving weekend in Santa Fe/Taos, I will probably be on my own and am flexible to change my plan. For experience I have climbed several class two scrambles and I am a four season hiker. (I don't have much rock climbing experience) so I will would like to stick mostly with hiking that does not involve a rope.


Thanks

Matt

 

[audrey]

Here's a neat hike in Sedona that we did:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/wilson-mtn-tr.shtml

Just driving through Oak Creek Canyon was a treat too.

 

[sapblatt]

I did not hike there on my trip(s), but if you go to Carlsbad you will be just above the Guadalupe Mountains in western TX - they were beautiful.
I was there the same week as you are going - expect cold nights and moderate days - I did see snow the day I left between SF and Albequerque!
Have fun - it is a great place.
White Sands is really cool too - well worth checking out - near Alamogordo.

 

[sli74]

http://www.americansouthwest.net/new_mexico/white_sands/national_monument.html

Try the White Sands Monument in NM . . . it is wonderful.

sli74

 

[woodstrider]

AZ Trails

I just returned from a trip to AZ, NM and OK.
I hiked to the top of Humpreys Peak and had a great day it. Closer to Phoenix one can always do the Superstition Mtns.

 

[Tom Rankin]

With the exception of the four day thanksgiving weekend in Santa Fe/Taos, I will probably be on my own and am flexible to change my plan.

There is a peek just over 10K 'near' Taos, not sure exactly how far, called Hermit's Peak. You start out in the 7K+ range though, so it's not a huge hike. A lot of switchbacks and interesting features as you go. The switchbacks get you up a huge headwall, slowly but surely.

http://home.hvc.rr.com/trankin/hermit.jpg

It was really weird for me to drive thru a mountain pass out there, with mountains high over head on both sides, and seeing the altimeter reading 9,300 feet!

 

[runnynose]

gila cliff dwellings

http://www.darkisle.com/newmexico/gila/gila.html

this is one of the coolest places i have ever visited. it is hell and a handbasket to get to...20mph windy roads but the nearest town to the south is a step back in time with a really cool, reasonable, historic hotel, and well worth a visit to. the park the gila caverns is on is riddled with hiking trails (we didnt allow time for hiking) and is part of that big hiking route...the mexico to canada route. we met several peope en route to canada, one guy from maine! i would love to spend a week in this park someday just to hike. beautiful and remote.

if you are more towards south eastern nm we did climb mount lookout..i think that is what it is called. outside of ruidoso, nm. it is a ski mountain in the winter but fantastic views. we didnt make it to the summit, lost the trail in the snow. no tree markings there like in the whites! found out later it is a popular climb. 10k feet if i recall.

in the hills above the white sands is a town called cloudcroft which is known for mt bikng but has some short walks/hikes with superb views of the white sands down below.

enjoy!

 

[runnynose]

gila

http://www.nps.gov/gicl/

heres the official website.

 

[Gris]

Been a couple of years since I been out there, but used to go regular. Best hiking area IMO is near Las Truchas on the high road from Taos to Sante Fe or vice versa. Truchas is VERY picturesque, so much so Reford chose it to film the Milagro Beanfield War. Anyhoo, great open ridge hiking to Truchas peak 13K+ after emerging from Ponderosa pine in Carson National forest. Legend has it still some puma out there... Make sure to eat at restuarante de Chimayo and visit the Chmiyao misson/chapel near to the restaurante and get some holy dirt. Chimayo is closer to Sante Fe than Taos. Gotta hit Canyon Rd. in Sante Fe as well. Go no further than El Farol for strong ritas and great tapas with mellow live entertainment. Thank me later you will for all this.

 

[Puma concolor]

Well if you're into state highpointing, Wheeler Peak, NM is just outside of Taos. I stayed in Taos for 3 days and climbed Wheeler (elev. 13,161) a couple of weeks ago. In snow conditions, the longer Bull-of-the-Woods route might be a better way to go than the shorter, steeper Williams Lake route. The Bull-of-the-Woods trailhead is right at the ski area. Have fun.

 

[poison ivy]

I was also going to suggest Wheeler Peak, (without knowing snow conditions though... as I've only been there in summer) which is one of my top three all-time favorite state highpoints. It is an absolutely beautiful peak.

- Ivy

 

[MattS]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think whether I reach the high points will depend on the weather and conditions. I plan on bringing my winter boots and crampons, but not my snowshoes nor my cross country skis. Do you think there would be any need for them at the end of november? (I can probably rent them in Taos if I need too.)

Matt

 

[RGF1]

I second Gris 's recomedation . along with Wheeler peak Unnless you are very avalnach savy if ther is a lot of Snow do not try the peak from Willaims lake .
they are is a avalanmche alley . The Wheeler peak trail that is longer but worth it most of the route is abouve timberline .
Truchas pleak is a just as nice more rugged and less visted though you will need a high clearnce 4x4 to access it in the winter .
Ther is only one store in Taosthat sells gear for climbing . i do not know if they rent . Santa Fe Has a REI IIRC . Both Taos and Santa fe have a number of great places to eat . Finda place to park as they are mainly walkng cities unless you are in a residentail area .
A nice 12 k peak near Taos is Lobo peak though most of the routes are very prone to avalanching . It is a very differnt experince than the NE you will go from a high destert to forested slopes and alpine tundra .
Another area is the Jemez Mts west of Santa FE you drive right though Los Alamos stop inot Bandlier National monument check out cool remains from Anzani cliff dewlings and if you have time take a drive inot a Huge Caldera into what is to become our newst national park
check out Jemez Hot springs a easy 1 or two mile hike depending on where you start .

have fun

 

[woodstrider]

SW Suggestions

Mount Taylor, in NM, is also a great place to visit. It is just North of Grants, NM. There may or may not be snow there. It has great views, lots of camping available in the Cibola National Forest, either "at Large" or in a campground (Coalmine Campground at approx. mile 10 on NM547 but limited facilities) Look up Summitpost's webpage for more details.

Just south of Grants is the Malapais- lots of hiking and mountain biking there and a chance to visit an area shaped by the volcano activity. It is flat in in a warmer and more arid area of NM.

Wheeler Peak- I summited this US high point the end of Sept. this year and there was already some light snow cover. I went up from Williams Lake (having camped in the vicinity of the lake) and the route was fine, little snow. It is steep and most people seem to just stay in the shallow gully, but I can see that in snow conidtions it can avalanche. The other side of the ridge looked much better as a winter conditions route, with less avalanche danger. This would be the Horseshoe Lake side. This can be combined for a long day hike loop or backpack. Anyway that you hike it -is a wonderful hike/ backpack.

 

[Jim lombard]

I just returned from a trip to AZ, NM and OK.
I hiked to the top of Humpreys Peak and had a great day it. Closer to Phoenix one can always do the Superstition Mtns.

I also liked Humphrey's Peak allot. Their website reports 2" on the ground as of Oct-9. arizonasnowbowl.com/

 

[weatherman]

Here's an easy one...

If snowy at the higher elevations and you can coax the family out on Thanksgiving (?burn off turkey?) in Santa Fe, drive just a bit north and go to Bandelier NM. It's really fun to explore the cliff dwellings and likely warmer/not snowy, as it's low elevation. Easy to get to, most trails would be just a few miles but ideal for half day or short daylight trips. I went there during a long break from a meeting in Santa Fe last year, left town at 1 PM and was back by 6:30 PM (though I easily could have stayed much longer).

Weatherman

 

[marty]

My wife and I were at the Grand Canyon last week. The main two trails down the Canyon were absolutely mobbed and loaded with mule dung. We took the free park shuttle out to Hermit's Rest and did the Hermit's Trail. It was quiet, wild and lots of fun.

The suggestions given by the others are probably your best bet, but if you want to hike down the Canyon, this one was pretty good.

Have fun.
Marty

 

[markv]

southern arizona

I've recently (half-)moved to Tucson. If you're seeking mountain or desert hiking and the other places already mentioned are covered in snow, send me an email and come down here. I haven't had time to check out much past Saguaro National Park, but we are surrounded by mountain ranges around 8000', and i'm being given countless tips for "must-do" hikes. Let's try something. (p.s. would have to be a week post-thanksgiving...i don't know when your 2 weeks are up.)

 

[rdavisiii]

Hikes in Az

I just moved from NH to AZ this summer. I have been out hiking here and it is endless. If you are in Phoenix, South Mountain and Camelback are nice but no more then half day each, although South Mountain Park offers miles of trails that can keep you busy. I just returned from the Grand Canyon on a 5 day trip, I will second Hermit trail, if you are day hiking on the south rim you can go down the hermit trail to Santa Maria spring easily, it is about 4 miles round trip. I spent 5 days in the area of hermit creek, granite rapids and did not see many others, seemed to be a ton of helicopters. There is a ton of stuff in Sedona and Sedona is close to Phoenix, only two hours.