16 replies to this topic

[Barko1]

In Creede, Co right now, report coming, heavy frost this AM!

[MarkBC]

In Creede, Co right now, report coming, heavy frost this AM!

I love in-progress trip reports!

[Hittheroad]

In Creede, Co right now, report coming, heavy frost this AM!

Crede is a great place - don't leave too quickly. But north of Crede is great too - just have full provisions.

[Barko1]

Crede is a great place - don't leave too quickly. But north of Crede is great too - just have full provisions.

Good point, at the Lost Trail Campground down FR520 it is about an hour to get any provisions. Just got back today after spending a great day just West of Wolf Creek Pass on FR 725. Having some trouble attaching, think they are too big but here is one picture from yesterday. This is just off US 160, several waterfalls, a few nice campsites, free , and good roads for the atv and bike.


Two more, Southern NM and headwaters

[Barko1]

Path of the Rio Grande

Where I live, just outside of Las Cruces NM, the Rio Grande is a tightly controlled waterway who's primary mission is the storage and delivery of water for the chile, cotton, pecans that grow in the Valleys. It's brown and is choked to a trickle when the irrigation season finishes near the end of summer. The Rio Grande is well know, has a rich history, but when it comes to moving volumes of water is is far down the list. Years ago my mother visited from Chicago and of course had always heard of the Rio Grande from books, history lessons, and cowboy movies but was she disappointed in the lazy brown stream that I showed her.

The Rio Grande runs from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, TX stretching nearly 1900 miles and is the 4th or 5th longest in the US and the 22nd longest in the world. I have seen it through the canyons of Big Bend, at the Amistad Reservoir, and as far East as Laredo but this trip is about the Rio Grande from Las Cruces at the Southern most point in New Mexico @ 3900' to the headwaters Northeast of Creede, CO and the continental divide at Stony Pass, 12,600'. It flows 175 miles in Colorado and 470 miles in New Mexico.
At Radium Springs, 40 miles from TX and Mexico.

And a bit further North at Hatch, NM. Chile capital of the world thanks to the brown waters.


Here it is at work


As you head North a monument to the Camino Real, the Royal Road of commerce and exploration over 400 years ago. It stretched from Mexico City to Santa Fe. There is a state monument, the Camino Real International Heritage Center, that we stopped to visit but in spite of what they posted they were closed on Sunday Ah New Mexico, complaint registered.

So heading North we cross again just South of Albuquerque, looks about the same.

Are we there yet?

As you get North of Santa Fe the character starts to change, this is by our campsite just up river from Pilar, NM. Here is some history: http://en.wikipedia....lar,_New_Mexico




Next we head to the Gorge.

[Hittheroad]

Your pictures bring back great memories. Can't wait to get back. If you get tired of roughing it and need to lighten up on the cash supply try The Antlers for dinner.

[Steve Scearce]

Nice report! Love the headwaters of the Rio.

[Hittheroad]

Also don't miss Wheeler Geological area if you are up for real adventure. We hiked in (about 14 hours round trip) and were told that is much easier than taking the ATV trail.

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Thanks, Barko. It's fun following your report on the Rio Grande!

Stew

[Steve Scearce]

Also don't miss Wheeler Geological area if you are up for real adventure. We hiked in (about 14 hours round trip) and were told that is much easier than taking the ATV trail.

Wheeler is very cool. We hiked it as well to avoid the spleen-rattling road. Nice Bryce-like formations at even higher altitude.