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We both kept trail notes for the 1999 routes we hiked. For those who might be interested, these are the combined notes for our route through New Mexico.
This is long – and won’t make a lot of sense if you don’t have the CDTS (Jim Wolf) Northern New Mexico book as well as the NM maps.
There are many other routes that have been followed – some of them involving long roadwalks through or around the Tierra Amarilla north of Ghost Ranch. But we were here, in part, to check out Jim Wolf’s route through northern New Mexico and in part because it avoided paved roads and went through the mountains in the Carson NF. We thought his route was a good one.
Our route through southern New Mexico was based partly on Wolf’s recommended route, partly on routes suggested by other hikers and BLM personnel (yes, some of them DO know what they’re talking about), and partly on circumstances that forced changes along the way. As you will read, parts of the route were very good (through the Gila, through the Cebolla Wilderness) and parts were not ideal.
We are not recommending you follow our route, just trying to give an idea of what you will find if you do follow all or part of the route. We would love to hear from others who followed other routes, to get an idea of what they found along the way. We have some ideas of what we’d like to do next time, but we’re flexible.
Large parts of the CDT in New Mexico follow dirt roads. We rarely saw any traffic on the roads we followed, so it wasn’t a problem for us, especially after so many months on the trail. We tried to follow trails as much as possible, or dirt roads rather than highways, but a lot of roadwalking was unavoidable. For northbounders, the roads are easy walking, but may be a less interesting way of starting a hike than starting in “real” mountains. Remember, this too shall pass. The real desert is mostly south of the Gila, except a small area around the Chama River. And it is very different from the Mojave or Sonora type deserts. Much of the trail was pinyon/juniper grasslands, except where you go up in elevation – like in the Gila, San Pedro Parks or the Carson NF when we were at 9-10,000’.
As some of you know, there are several contentious sections along what’s projected to be the “official” route – specifically the Chain of Craters route with its 40+ mile waterless stretch through the Malpais (we didn’t go that way), the long highway walk south of Chama, and a long walk through a burned over section of the Black Range with hundreds of blowdowns to climb over and around (we did part of this section and won’t do it again). You’ll have to decide which way you want to go – but I’d advise getting input from someone who’s been there before committing yourself to a particular route.
I’ll repeat what’s been said before – just because it’s “Official” trail doesn’t mean it’s the best, the most scenic, the most hiker friendly, the easiest --- or even worth doing. The “Official” trail, for example, makes a long eastern jog and goes down the Black Range then back west to Silver City, not because it’s the ‘best trail’ but because the ‘bureaucracy’ decided to “minimize traffic” through the Gila and avoid the Cliff Dwellings. We think following the Gila (either branch) is a much more scenic and interesting route. More than that, we were totally unable to find any sign of the official trail in three places where it supposedly crossed our route. Nuff said.
Again – these notes won’t make sense without the maps and, in Northern NM, Jim Wolf’s (CDTS) guidebook. And remember, we were going North to South starting at Cumbres Pass – not at Chama.
At this time (Feb 2005), there are two CDTS guidebooks (the CDTS Northern and Southern New Mexico books) plus the Westcliffe guidebook. When we hiked, only the CDTS northern NM book existed. A few years later the “Official” guidebook was published - and has been used by some thruhikers. Very few of them have anything good to say about it. For our part, a reading and analysis of the book makes it something we're less than enthusiastic about - and highly unlikely that we'll rely on.
The CDTS guidebooks are a far more attractive proposition.
Also keep in mind - due to local political situations, a large part of the NM route is likely to remain ‘undesignated’ for the foreseeable future.
Another point to keep in mind - these notes are the water situation as we found it in November 1999. Wells break and ponds go dry. There may be new wells or more dismantled ones. As private lands are traded to the government (i.e. around the Malpais), the land managers may choose not to maintain the water sources as the grazers did. YMMV
Definitions (in this context) -
“Stock tank” means a metal tank fed by a spring or electric pump. Windmill fed tanks are specified as “windmills”
“Stock pond” means a bulldozed depression that may or may not have water. If it has water, it’s usually a mud-hole and the water is hard to get at. Don’t fall in – the "mud" can be knee-deep.
New Mexico
Carson National Forest, Section 1: Cumbres Pass to US 64 We followed the Land Grant fence instead of descending into Rio San Antonio. There was one nasty gully, but the rest of the four miles was straightforward.
They have bulldozed closed the jeep track from about 27-36. Lots of tank traps. It doesn’t stop the ATVs--the country is open so they just go around--but it is a nuisance.
After 33.6, we got off track and ended up on the highway. We may have missed a turn, or the bulldozer may have buried it.
Section 2: US 64 to NM 110
Reality didn’t quite match the description. There was no culvert or swinging metal gate. There was an immediate split in the road. Left went to a campsite and may have continued beyond. Right was a good used jeep track which we followed, with other tracks splitting off. Never saw a T-junction, just a couple of Ys. Didn’t see a pond at 0.6, it may have been dry at that time of year. There were 3 cabins. The trail crosses beyond (not at) the 3rd. The road heading to the cabin deadends shortly past it.
Mile 3.9: the trail disappears in a rock pile. There was snow on the ground, which didn’t help. We climbed steeply up over the ridge through woods to Rio Vallecito and the confluence with Placer Creek.
Mile 7.0: the north-south fence is gone (still visible to the left, but not near the fenceline.) From 7.1-7.5 there are two ridges, not one. At 8.1 there are traces of an old road and a cowpath leading to the pond. From there, I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to head toward the creek on the left or the one on the right. We went right and followed an old logging road to the shed at 9.3.
Mile 19.1: the junction has become obscure. The FS bulldozed the roads in both directions and put up a half-fence across the road to 15 Springs. It would be easy to miss the turn, except that the fence draws the eye. Once past that, it was easy going. Mile 23.4-24.7: the trail was very obscure and ended as a straight bushwhack down to FR 130.
Section 3: NM 110 to Yeso Tank
We decided to try FR 724A instead of the bushwhack route. It was an easy climb. There was a piped spring about a mile up. The private land had a couple of cabin ruins, but nothing inhabited. The road is obviously used by hunters and all gates were open. Nice views south and west. Harris Bear Spring: you should note that you can get there by staying on the road. I was paranoid about not finding it, especially when the trail we followed from the gully was so faint. Leaving the spring, we just stayed on the road since the cows were blocking the other route. The description makes it sound hard to find, half a mile off the road, but it’s right on the road.
At FR 337, the first road is signed as FR 636, with 636A 100 yards beyond. Past the spring, 636A crosses 636 at an angle, but there is no 100 yard jog to the left. FR 677C isn’t signed any more. It is a nice walk with good views and good dry campsites until it deadends in a logged area. We never found West Cisneros Spring on 636A.
Section 4: Yeso Tank to Ghost Ranch
The descent toward Ghost Ranch needs to be reworked. We bushwhacked down the hill and ended at the "wagon road" but didn’t realize it would take us straight to Ghost Ranch. Instead, we crossed the stream to the "pack trail" (old road) and followed it downstream. It climbed back up to the plateau on the other side. Two hours of bushwhacking ensued before we finally went back to the beginning, the old red road, followed it in the other direction, and found a straightforward, though rough, trail down. It would be much easier to skip the ranch, following the roads around, but the area is so beautiful, it was worth the trip.
The Ghost Ranch Living Museum was closed – we got water there, but that’s all that was available.
Santa Fe National Forest, Section 1: US 84 to NM 96
There is no camping at the Chama River access place mentioned at mile 5.4, though there is an outhouse. There is a dispersed camp area at about 5.8. We couldn’t find the spring at 8.4. The one at 9.4 was barely visible. It’s a green stock trough to the right of the trail that barely shows through the grass and sage.The water at 17.3 may not be evident. Higher up we found water, beyond an impoundment.
Fence at 24.4 is at 10 feet, not 100. There is a gate in the second fence. You could avoid crawling under the fence by continuing down NM 96, I think. The road is used by hunters and wood gatherers, so there must be an opening on the highway.
Mile 25.7: There is a split in the road. We went left and met up with the jeep trail at 25.9.
Section 2: NM 96-Cuba:
There is water in an irrigation ditch beside the road off and on from about 1.0-1.9.
There was confusion re the road numbers, and the maps don’t help at all. At 2.8, 1161 heads right - a very faint track. At 3.3, 1162 heads left - a good road. At 3.7, 1163 heads right. The road at 4.5 wasn’t signed.
Piedra Lumbre Segment, Section 1: Cuba to Ojo Jarido
The windmill at 5.7 was operational.
Ojo Jarido is located about 12.5 miles from Cuba in Arroyo Jarido. The spring is in a cave inside a fenced enclosure on the north side of the arroyo. The enclosure is fenced to keep stock and wildlife out, but there’s a stock tank outside the enclosure that was a better water source than the spring. It’s very green.
Section 2: Ojo Jarido to Cabezon
We missed the turn at 1.4, just kept going to the power line at 3.3 and followed the powerline maintenance road south to Piedra Lumbre Road. It heads due south, so there is no need to bushwhack down to Piedra Lumbre Road. There is a stock pond just south of the junction with Piedra Lumbre Road that had water.
Zambarno Lake was dry.
Past the pump station at 20.7, there’s a stock pond on the left. There’s an electrically pumped well just before the stock pond but it wasn’t operational when we were there. 1 mile before the turn onto NM 279 there are stock tanks on the right.
At the Cabezon turnoff there are 2 spigots located in a vertical drain pipe at the top of the hill. Don’t miss them – some people have and it’s a long way to the next water.
We met Charlie McCarthy of the New Mexico Mountain Club at the Cabezon spigots. He has designed an entirely new route between Cuba and the National Forest. They had completed the 25 miles north of Ojo do los Indios when we met him, and were working on the next 25 miles to Cuba. He said there is no treadway, just cairns. He said it was pretty rough, but a couple of this year’s hikers found it and followed the route. It has water (but not the faucets at Cabezon) but could be slow going bushwhacking through the desert and up to the mesa.
Mount Taylor Segment, Section 1: Cabezon to Ojo de los Indios
At 8.6 - Don’t get water out of Arroyo Chico – it’s salt. Notice the salt deposits through this section.
The turnoff (and sign) to Barrel Spring is at 13.5 – the spring is shown on the map, but according to Charlie, no one can find Barrel Spring, despite the sign.
Ojo Frio is reported to be good, but we didn’t check it. Up on the plateau, all the side roads have been closed off, so the junctions at 21.6 and 22.2 have become pretty obscure. We never saw the second junction.
It’s 24 miles from Cabezon to Ojo de los Indios. At the fence line where BLM 1102 meets FS 239 (the boundary between BLM and FS lands) follow the fence line west. Cross the first ridge to the edge of 200’ deep Arroyo de los Indios. There’s an old road that leads down into the arroyo. The spring is in the bottom of the arroyo and can be seen from the road.
Section 2: Ojo de los Indios to American Canyon
Is entirely roadwalk unless you choose to bushwhack. Not necessarily a good idea.
Section 3: American Canyon to Grants
American Canyon: They moved the road (FR 453) between miles 4.6 and 5.6, affecting access to both springs. For Lower American spring, go straight back toward the canyon at the gate at 4.6 instead of climbing on the road. The old road is obvious – they’ve closed it with tank traps. Or, if you do climb, stop at the open/camp area at the saddle and drop down the gully 200 yards to the old road. The spring is visible from the old road. The new road stays on the west side of American Canyon. At 5.6 there is a T-junction with FR 451. There is no road sign except "American Canyon Green Aspen" at a clearcut at the junction. To get to American Spring, turn left on 451 for about 0.2 mi to the old junction. The spring is downhill to the left, below the rock outcropping. If you don’t need water, go left about 50 feet at the T-junction and follow rough jeep track straight up through the clearcut. It will connect with 453 in about 100 yards.
Cold Spring is on the way up Mount Taylor – but the location is a complete mystery. Certainly doesn’t correspond to the map location and the locals don’t know where it is either.
Gooseberry Spring had water. Then 1½ miles past the Gooseberry Spring trailhead there’s a water tank on the left. Tom Bombaci’s route down off the mesa was hard to find. It was flagged, but we lost the flags after the second one, then picked it up again purely by accident by continuing down the road to where it crossed again. At the bottom of the ridge there was water at Little Turkey Spring. The guidebook only gives details as far as Grants.
Grants to Pie Town:
This is “our” route – sorta. It was recommended by Tom Bombaci, Jim Wolf and the BLM personnel in Grants -- We used the Shearer NM Map book for this stretch. [NB: Recent hikers have said that most of the water sources we used between Grants and the Zuni-Acoma Trail are no longer functional. In fall of 2005, only the last windmill was working.]
From First St in Grants, head 1 mile north on NM 124 (old US 66), then left on NM53. Cross I-40 on the bridge across from McDonalds, then right on Zuni Canyon Road (NM 49)just past the campground. Zuni Canyon Road becomes a gravel road after about 3 miles. Zuni Canyon has an electric-pumped stock tank on the right about 10 miles out of town. Pretty area, but a busy road. The trail could follow the old rail line just left of the road, with very little work.
Turn left on Bonita Canyon Road (NM 447) – El Malpais Spring is supposed to be behind the historical marker on Zuni Canyon Road ¼ mile beyond the intersection of Zuni Canyon and Bonita Canyon Roads. The stock tank is a better source.
The turn down Bonito Canyon is at about 10.5. Memory says there is a stock pond on the right ¼ mile down Bonita Canyon Road and then another about a mile later. The windmill 3 miles down Bonito Canyon Road was broken and had no water. There was a tiny pond just past it. The windmill may have been fixed since then - there was a repair crew out on that road the next morning.
Five miles down Bonito Canyon there was another good well just off the road to the right. There was camping in the pines nearby. Three miles later, about 200 yards to the left, there was a working windmill. It’s 2.5 miles from there to NM 53 and the Zuni-Acoma Trailhead.
Hope you tanked up before this, cause the next water is on the other side of the Malpais. At the Bonita Canyon Road/Rt 53 intersection is the western trailhead for the Zuni-Acoma Trail. There’s an outhouse, but no water at the trailhead. The literature says the Zuni Acoma trail is 7.5 miles across there. If so (and I doubt it) it’s a LONG 7.5 miles. Walking through the Malpais (lava beds) can be fun for a while, but it gets old real fast.
Once you get to paved NM 117 (near milepost 42) turn right. After ¼ mile south there’s a non-operational well on the right. Another ¼ mile there’s a non-operational windmill on the left directly in front of Los Pilares (big rock formation). Across the road, there’s a nasty shallow pond and a couple of dry stock tanks. If you look across the road you’ll see La Vieja – another distinctive rock formation. If you go through the small gate and walk around the back of Los Pilares, theres a stock pond below some houses. There were two hidden ponds, one dry, one with a lot of water. It’s been unused for some time – but it’s still green/brown/grey. But it’s water - and it’s 11 miles to the next water source. Be grateful.
Follow NM 117 south past La Ventana. La Ventana is at MP 39 and has an outhouse, but no water. It is definitely worth a visit. There was a stock pond across the road, but it would be hard to get to because of a new barbed wire fence. There is a (dry) campsite at the Narrows with a port-a-potty at MP 35. We didn’t find the windmill that was supposed to be near MP 34. We followed the BLM ranger’s recommended route through the Cebolla Wilderness. Just past MP 31, turn down an unmarked road, through a gate into Cebolla Canyon.
This is BLM land. There were working windmills near the turn and one mile down the road. About 2.5 miles down Cibolla Canyon, take the right fork and head down Sand Canyon. There’s a windmill on the left fork that appeared to be operational but we didn’t check it out. About a mile further on the road up Sand Canyon there’s a stock pond on the left.
About 10 miles from the highway, turn right at the top of a steep long hill, at the top of the ridge. Make a right through a gate onto a very old jeep track and follow it into Armijo Canyon. There’s a windmill on Sand Canyon Road ¾ mile beyond the turnoff into Armijo Canyon. We didn’t go there, but the BLM advertises it as being operational and there were trucks down there, so it probably is. The ranger said that following that route is longer and with more elevation change than heading out Armijo Canyon.
There was a stock pond 1/3 mile down the hill, and one before the turn toward Armijo. About 3 miles down Armijo Canyon there’s a water tank and the remains of an adobe cabin, the remains of an older wooden one, and another muddy stock pond. The stock pond has water – but Armijo Spring has better water. The spring is in a springhouse at the top of the draw to the right. It’s about ¼ mile and 300 ft elevation above the house, near the top of the mesa. But the water is worth it. Use a filter – the amphibian livestock is active and plentiful. Good protein for your dinner
NM 41 is 5 miles down Armijo Canyon. About a mile from the road we lost the jeep track/cow path we were following, so missed the windmill that is supposed to be at the mouth of the canyon. It may be gone. It was an easy bushwhack out to the road.
For northbounders, it might be as easy to just bushwhack into the canyon. If not, turn opposite the ranch.
Turn left on NM 41. There are 2 non-operational windmills – the first at 3 miles on the right, the second at 4 ½ miles on the left south of the King Bros HQ.
11 ½ miles down NM 41 there’s a cabin/ old store on the right with a windmill in back. The windmill may be operational in 2000. The people who bought the old store (built about 1910) intend to fix their well and were happy to let hikers get water. (Anyone know if their well was successfully repaired?) 2 ½ miles beyond the cabin is Freeland Arroyo, with a broken windmill on the right. Don’t bother – ¼ mile south (up the hill) is an electrically operated stock tank that is operational. There was a good well about 3 miles north of Pie Town, just north of the junction with 601. It was about 85 miles from Grants to Pie Town, by this route.
Pie Town to NM 12:
Pie Town had only one café, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, plus the PO. (Some years there are two cafes.) There is no longer a store there or a gas station. South of town, the only water is at the ranches. It was an interesting walk though, with lots of volcanic plugs and an interesting ridge. There were no ponds or tanks near the road, and the springs off road and the windmills are on posted private land. We got water at a ranch at Greens Gap Road intersection.
There was a windmill about 200 yards off the road (NW) at Cottonwood Draw about 15 miles southwest of town. There’s a steel gate on the left and a small steel gate on the right, between 2 volcanic domes. There’s an operational windmill about 100 yards down the draw to the right.
Another 2 miles south, theres a stock pond on the left. 1 mile south there’s a stock tank on the right at the intersection with the Mangas Road. The well and windmill near the National Forest boundary were broken, as was the windmill at the Jones Ranch. There were 3 or 4 stock impoundments on the way up Mangas Mountain. ½ mile after the cutoff on FS 322 there’s a dry well on the left, but there’s a stock pond above. The well shown on the BLM map isn’t there.
The next water is the Valle Tio Vinces spring on the south side of Mangas Mountain. The horse troughs at Tio Vinces, fed by the spring, were all we found at the campground. Very green! [Hikers in 200 found the springs dry.]
The map shows the trail leaving FR 11 just 1/2 mile past FS 13 on FS 218. There is a road in between that is not shown on the map. It leads to a tiny spring, then dead-ends. There were a few water impoundments, with water, in the 12 miles to NM 12.
It was about 42 miles from Pie Town to NM12.
NM 12 to the Gila :
Reserve was a long slow 35 mile hitch, but the town was a decent trail town, with good grocery, two motels, and several restaurants.
In both directions at NM 12 there are road forks just off the highway. In both cases, take the left fork. One mile south of NM 12 there is a working windmill and tank.
Damian Spring was dry down near the trail, but there was water 200-300 yards up the draw.
The foot trail leaves the road about 0.2 before the spring, just before the ruins of a cabin. It is well blazed, but there was no treadway at the turn. We built a cairn, but it is still obscure. The foot trail climbs 1300’ over Wagontongue. It briefly joins a jeep track about 1 mile down the back side, then takes off along the Divide for another mile before joining a jeep road that leads to FR 289. The blazing is good, so if you lose the blazes, you missed a turn. The road twists and turns much more than the trail shown on the map. It doesn’t follow the Divide, but goes in and out of each drainage.
Just past John Kerr, the trail leaves the road and heads south on a roller coaster pack trail for 6-7 miles to FR 94.
Dutchman Spring is east down FR 94 about 3/4 mile. It is the first water since Damian Spring, 15-16 miles north. It’s very small and may dry up. Another 0.3 down FR 94 was a cattle pond, which looked like a good water source if the spring is dry. Both are easy to find. The spring is at a hairpin turn, about 20 feet up on the left. The pond is about 100 yds left of the road.
If you stay on the route over Eagle Peak the next water is about 7-8 miles, I think. We were told there was burn damage along the ridge from a big fire in 1998 (a controlled burn that got out of control.) We needed water, so took the road instead.
Davis Spring is a metal tank just to the right of FR 94 about 3.5 miles south of Dutchman.
The windmill at the junction of FS 28 and FS 94 was dry. It is about 10 miles from the saddle where we picked up 94 to the first junction with 28. It was 2 miles to the second junction.
There was a little water in a creek beside the road a couple of miles before the junction where a side road turns in to private property.
Turkey Spring, about 10 miles south of Davis Spring, is a good spring 3/4 mile off FS 28.
Negrito Fire Base, if occupied, is a good source for water. The fire crews were friendly It also has two pay telephones. It is about 13 miles south of Turkey Spring. We saw no other water in between.
We couldn’t find Dog Flat Spring. There is a big stock pond just south of FS 512 - Burnt Cabin Cienega. There is water in a creek about 1 mile before the campgrounds at Willow Creek begin.
It was 27 miles from the second turn on FS 28 to Willow Creek campground. The water there was from the creek (which comes past a lot of cabins and may be contaminated.) It was five miles from there to the trailhead for Trail 138, which goes up 3.5 miles to Bead Spring and trail 182. About two miles was through private lands. There was water all the way, but it would be better to get it above the cabins.
On trail 182 it is 12 miles from Sandy Point to Mogollon Baldy (10.5 if you come up on trail 138.) There was water at Bead Spring at 1.6, and at 4.7, 8.6, 9.8 and 11.2. There is fire damage from about a mile before Mogollon Baldy to the Gila River, off and on. Still, the trail was a good one, well built and with beautiful views.
On trail 152, it is 9 miles from Mogollon Baldy to the junction with Trail #151 on the West Fork of the Gila. The only water is at Snow Park, 1 mile past the firetower, and White Creek, 3/4 mile before the junction with 151. Nice camping at both. It is two miles from the junction to the river. On Trail 151 it is about 16 miles from White Creek to the Cliff Dwellings. We crossed the river over 60 times in that 16 miles. Beautiful country though.
It is about 5 miles from the Cliff Dwellings to the village of Gila Hot Springs, where there is a store (Doc Campbell’s) with gas, a phone, limited supplies, shower and laundry, plus campgrounds with hot springs and an inexpensive B&B.
The Visitors Center no longer accepts mail drops. They have no trash pick up anywhere in the Park. By our route, it was about 116 miles from NM 12 to the village of Gila Hot Springs.
Following the Gila River south is probably a better route, but in November the water is very cold and fairly deep, so we decided to go up on the mesa instead of following (criss-crossing) the river. I can’t really recommend our route, as it was pretty obscure and the maps are frequently wrong. However, we picked up the trail near the Grapevine primitive camping area, 1 1/2 miles south of the village (where the trailhead for the Gila River Trail starts.) Instead of following the river north for several miles, there is an unmarked pack trail to the right of the jeep road right after the second river crossing (about 1/2 mile.) We were warned that the landowners have closed the trail that used to go through their ranches. The pack trail climbs to the top of the ridge, then down the back side. It is maintained, albeit a bit rough, but not marked and forks occasionally. We just kept heading in the same direction, and were fine.
We crossed the E. Fork of the Gila 3 or 4 times, then headed up a pack trail just past the place where the river makes an oxbow, before the house. The trail goes through a gate and begins to climb, parallel to Corral Canyon. It is about a 900’ climb, with switchbacks. There are good views from the top.
The trail disappears in the grass, but can be picked up again after about 100 yds. We headed NE toward Tom Moore Canyon. At a gate about 1 1/2 miles from the top of the mesa we bushwhacked east toward Trail #716. (We never did see any sign of Trail #709.) The map is wrong again here. There was a pack trail heading south just past the junction that may have actually been #716, about 1 mile west of its map location. There are a lot of north-south canyons and ridges that don’t show on the BLM map with its 50m contours. We eventually stumbled on 716 and headed west. Once we found it, we had easy walking across the mesa.
We passed two stock ponds with water. It was about 13 1/2 miles from road to road via trails 708 and 716. Trail #72 up Black Canyon was very nice. Easy walking and lots of water. Lots of easy rockhop crossings. The canyon was beautiful.
Trail #73 was a disaster: steep, eroded with lots of deadfall and burned forest. It would be better to stay on 72 instead of trying to shortcut to Reeds Meadow.
Trail #79 was burned out for about 8 miles, off and on (mostly on.) Great views but hundreds of downed trees. There is a tall firetower at Reeds Peak. The side trail to Squeaky Spring was buried under deadfall.
There was water (ice actually) at Willow Spring, Mimbres Lake (ycch!) and McKnight Cabin (turn right on NM 252 about 1/2 mile. The water is in a concrete trough in the corral.)
Trail 129 down Gallinas Canyon is steep and eroded but mostly in good shape. Water was intermittent all the way down. It was 5 1/2 miles from the ridge to the road.
Trail # 721 is 1/2 mile to the right (west) of Gallinas Canyon, not left as shown on the maps. It is rough and steep in places (1200’ climb in less than 2 miles.)
We followed dirt and paved roads from the Mimbres Mountains to Deming. From the NF boundary to Taylor Mountain it is all posted private property. The landowners we met were friendly though, and twice we were offered water as we walked down the road. We followed the highway for about 10 miles to a junction just past Dwyer when we headed back into the desert. There is water in the Mimbres River, some stock ponds, and a couple of windmills, but we were warned that the Mimbres is polluted by mine runoff. Most of the windmills shown on the map are on private land.
The postmistress in Faywood/Dwyer lets hikers get water from her hose, just north of the PO. There are no other amenities there. We went down dirt roads on the west side of Taylor Mountain.
There is a good well at the junction of A011 and A009 (where the two roads around Taylor meet.) The dirt track headed southeast that shows on the map wasn’t visible on the ground. It would be a good route though. It would be easy to bushwhack southeast through the open desert, but it is faster/shorter to just follow the highway the last 12 miles to town. We saw some windmills off the road, but didn’t check them out.
The approximate distance from Gila Hot Springs to Deming was 106 miles. I don’t really recommend the route, but it wasn’t bad, except for the burned zone in the Black Range. It was fast and easy with no real water or navigation problems. The highways have wide shoulders. We got in a hurry because of the cold and the holiday (We wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in town.) Next time we’ll try the Cooke Range or possibly the official route through the Hachets if we ever get any info out of the BLM.
Deming to the Border:
The fastest way to the border is a 30 mile roadwalk straight down the highway to Columbus. We chose an alternate – around the east side of the Florida Mts. and then a swing back across the highway and around the west side of Tres Hermanas – a 60 mile wander in the desert. It is 12 miles to Rockhound State Park if you head east then south, 14 miles if you head south then east. The roads are paved to the park.
Water may be available at the rock shop at the corner of 143 and 141 – nice owner. There was a stock tank just beyond.
There is water and showers at the state park ($10) and a nice view. There was a well/tank about 100 yds left of the road just past the park. Shortly after, paved NM 198 turns right to head toward a new park in Spring Canyon. Don’t follow it. Instead go straight on the dirt road B0023.
The next confusion is at a ranch at Headquarters Draw. The good road turns back toward the ranch. Go straight. It curves back toward the mountains a little bit later. There was a windmill and stock tank by the radio tower.
At White Dome there is good water (3 tanks) at the corrals by the broken windmill. Must be an artesian well now. The next two wells were disabled in ways that were obviously deliberate and not meant to be fixed.
Just before the highway there was a stock pond fed by a windmill. It was really nasty when we were there. Get water there or at one of the houses. The water at the corral by the road was disconnected. The water at the onion field across the road wasn’t water (fertilizer, we think.) From there it is 12 miles to Columbus by highway.
We had intended to circle around the Tres Hermanas, but decided to hoof it down the highway instead after we killed the filter trying to filter the fertilizer. The only wells in the Tres Hermanas are at ranches. The well shown on the map near the airfield about 4 miles north of Columbus is at a house.
Columbus has one motel, 2 B&Bs, 2 restaurants, 1 small grocery, the PO and a library with Internet. There is nice camping at the State Park. Palomas has lots of bars and restaurants.
Hachita:
We stopped to talk to Pat Harris at the Egg Nest in Hachita – he’s a very nice man. He showed us the official route of the CDT on a map. It seems to have water at regular intervals, but the trail actually starts in a really remote location about 10 miles east of Antelope Wells and bypasses both Hachita and Separ. Pat will drive hikers (for a fee) to Antelope Wells, but wasn’t at all enthusiastic about the rough roads to the "official" trailhead. Note: Pat Harris passed away since this was written and the Egg Nest apparently no longer actively supports thruhikers.
Following the road north from Antelope Wells (yeah - we checked it out) would be boring, but we saw several working windmills. (Probably not as bad as following the highway from Palomas to Deming, which many hikers do.)
We weren’t able to get any info from the BLM about the official route through the Big and Little Hatchets. A crew went out at one time and marked some of the roads.
IMO, Columbus seems to be a dryer route, but still is a better starting/ending point. It has much better access and not as many miles of walking across endless sage flats. Unless you get someone to drive you, or have a friend who lives nearby, it would be a very, very long hitch to/from the border.
Silver City:
We stopped to check out Silver City too. It’s very spread out, but has all the amenities on or near the main drag. There’s supposed to be a nice hostel in town.
Created: Fri, 06 Jan 2004
Revised: Mon, 17 Oct 2005Copyright © 2005 Spirit Eagle