Ojitos Canyon to NM84 13 mi :: 545 mi :: Sunny, windy, warm We look forward to meeting up with Peter Gould from the moment we start today. Ann had made only quick arrangements to camp with him and his son Jesse on the Rio Chama. We have no phone signal, so we just hope…

Cecilla Canyon to Ojitos Canyon 16 mi :: 532 mi :: Sunny, windy, cold We hike a few miles to NM96, then hike four miles east on the highway. It’s memorial day, Ann realizes, and there seems to be some holiday traffic. The dirt shoulder is good though, and the Ponderosa forest is pretty. The…

Circle A Ranch Hostel to Cecilla Canyon 17 mi :: 516 mi :: Cloudy, cold, afternoon rain and snow We’re up early to take advantage of the hostel kitchen for breakfast with hot coffee, toast, cereal, and brownies made by some other guests. Then we take off on small roads and trails through the ranch…

Cuba to Circle A Ranch Hostel 6 mi :: 499 mi :: Sunny, warm The morning is a race to checkout time at 11 am. We hit the Cuban Cafe for breakfast, then I go to the Post Office while Ann starts the laundry. We sort our boxes in the laundromat. We got an extra…

Arroyo Piedra Lumbre to Cuba 22 mi :: 493 mi :: Cloudy morning, sunny warm afternoon It turns out the windmill is only a few minutes’ walk from our camp. It also turns out the old adobe ruin next to the windmill is now rebuilt and occupied. It’s behind a locked gate with a NO…

Arroyo Chico to Arroyo Piedra Lumbre 21 mi :: 471 mi :: Morning overcast, then some clouds, warm, breezy We start following cairns into the mesa lands today. They are visually appealing formations with sculpted clay and sandstone, and lots of blooming wildflowers. There are often fabulous views of the jumbled surrounding country. We stop…

Canyon los Indios to Arroyo Chico 15 mi :: 449 mi :: Thin overcast The sun rises behind some high clouds, making for a cold morning. We walk around to stay warm while we eat breakfast early to avoid carrying the water. The high clouds persist, making for nice walking. We’re having lunch at Ned’s…

Antelope Flats to Canyon los Indios 20 mi :: 434 mi :: Sunny, warm, breezy We follow more old roads and tromp through a field to FS239, the road we’ll follow for the rest of the day. It rolls across the top of the large Mesa Chivata, through woods and meadows. We come to our…

Horace Mesa to Antelope Flats 15 mi :: 414 mi :: Sunny, warm, breezy It doesn’t take long to reach Gooseberry Trailhead, packed with big vans. We grateful to find a good piped spring just off the trail, and have a good breakfast to celebrate. Since Grants we’ve noticed that Mt. Taylor is divided into…

Grants to Horace Mesa 15 mi :: 399 mi :: Sunny, warm, breezy We return to the Uranium Cafe with Elaine. I have determined to attempt to eat a Uranium Yellow Cake with eggs. Ann and Elaine opt for the smaller Silver Cake, a pancake the size of a dinner plate and half an inch…