Trail Angels in New Mexico
Above: Mike Beer, of Oregon, says New Mexico's Continental Divide Trail's trail magic "meant the world" on his through-hike last year. Photograph by Jay Hemphill. FROM MEXICO TO CANADA, the…
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Tag: Hiking & Trails
Thoughts Left on New Mexico's Highest Peak
Above: Hikers head to Horseshoe Lake after bagging the state's highest mountain. Photograph by Ellen Miller. YOU JUST REACHED THE SUMMIT of Wheeler Peak, at 13,160 feet. Perhaps you ambled up the…
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Hiking in the Gila - the West Fork Trail
Above: The Gila Wilderness. Photograph by Laurence Parent. A good introduction to the lower part of the Gila Wilderness, this easy 6.2-mile hike requires multiple creek crossings. Bring water shoes…
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Boots on the Trail: Big Skylight Cave
Above: Pick a cave adventure at El Malpais National Monument. THIS EASY 2.2 MILE TRAIL loops through an extensive system of lava-tube caves in El Malpais National Monument. Tack on extra distance (and…
Read MoreParallax | Go. See. Do. | April 2018
When I moved to New Mexico 12 years ago, the sheer volume of stars suspended in the night sky amazed me. With our high elevation, clean air, low population densities, and high number of clear nights…
Read MoreParallax | Go. See. Do. | March 2018
The word parallax , broadly interpreted, means “new insights gained from the addition of a second vantage point”—a metaphor with enough meaning to earn an appearance in my wedding vows. Astronomers can…
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Boots on the Trail: Fort Bayard Champion Tree
Above: The state's largest alligator juniper awaits hikers near Silver City. This easy 3.5-mile hike takes you to an enormous alligator juniper, a state-sanctioned record-size tree, in the foothills…
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Boots on the Trail: Baylor Pass | Go. See. Do | February 2018
Excerpted from Laurence Parent’s Hiking New Mexico (4th edition available this spring, FalconGuides/Rowman & Littlefield). Above: Baylor Pass in the Organ Mountains, outside of Las Cruces…
Read MoreParallax | Go. See. Do. | February 2018
February’s crisp air provides a clear view of our dark New Mexico skies. Cold air vibrates more slowly, which allows for better viewing. Low precipitation, pollen counts, and wind speeds favor early…
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Etchings on the Heart
The petroglyphs of Salinas Pueblo Missions tell an ancient story. SINCE MY FIRST visit to Mountainair and the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument in the late 1960s, the area’s reddish sandstone…
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