Trip #5K. Pancho Villa State Park (Canyon), NM (13 - 15 Apr 2018)

Trip #5J. Catalina State Park (Tuscon), AZ (6 - 13 Apr 2018)

Pretty cool rest stop as we entered Arizona

Arizona state parks were vote the best, if Catiline is any indicator, it's pretty clear why. Everything is just first rate. This was my first visit to the Tuscon area. The park is located a little north of the city with shopping, grocery stores, restaurants, and other shopping in close proximity. This would be a truly desert experiences.

Catalina State Park

A vast array of desert plants, wildlife and archeological sites are located in the foothills and canyons of this 5,500-acre, high desert park north of Tucson. The environmment at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains offers great camping, picnicking and bird watching -- more than 150 species of birds call the park home. An equestrian center provides a staging area for trail riders and plenty of trailer parking is also available. Miles of equestrian, birding and hiking trails wind through the park and the adjoining Coronado National Forest, as well as an interpretive trail to a prehistoric Hohokam village.

A view from the campsite

Hiking and Mountain Biking Trails

Bridle Trail (2.25 mile out and back) - first hike after arriving on the 6th
A flat, easy trail connects the Equestrian Center with the trailhead parking area. Most of the trails in the park allowed dogs and Mtn bikes. Trail access from our campsite. We hiked from our campsite to the end of the park where the main trailhead locations.

 

Nature Trail (1.2 mile, loop) - Easy loop begins at the Trailhead parking lot, climbs a hill, then meanders through low foothills with typical desert scrub vegetation. Trailside signs feature local plants and animals, in addition to climate and geology information.

 
 


50-Year Trail (8.6 miles, one-way) - A moderate trail that is especially popular with equestrians and mountain bikers. Trail begins at the park’s Equestrian Center and follows a ridgetop 2.6 miles. A 2.2-mile Trail Link connects the 50-Year Trail with the Sutherland Trail. Or after leaving the park, trail continues for 6 miles through open desert. Terrain is up-and-down through the foothills with a few-hundred feet of elevation gain. I road a little over 7 miles. 

maybe my map

Canyon Loop Trail (2.3 miles, loop) - Easy hike through the foothills that begins and ends at the Trailhead parking lot. The loop is created by a link connecting the Romero Canyon Trail and the Sutherland Trail. The trail is relatively flat, about halfway around there is a slope with approximately 90 stairs. There is a bypass trail around the steps for horses. Plan on 90 minutes of walking time to complete the loop. The Canyon Loop Trail crosses a wash several times.

 
  

Romero Ruins Interp. Trail (0.75 mile, loop) — no bikes, no horses Easy loop which begins south of the main road across from the second pull-out. The trail crosses a seasonal wash (feet may get wet) before climbing about 80 steps to the hilltop. The Romero Ruins archaeological site includes the surface features of the remains from a Hohokam village dating back to about 500 A.D. Trailside signs address the archaeology of the site, the Hohokam culture, and the Romero homestead. Plan on 30 minutes of walking time. For the protection of cultural resources no collecting is allowed.

Birding Trail (1.0 mile, loop) - Easy loop begins at the Trailhead parking lot. The trail crosses a wash (seasonal stream flow may result in wet feet) then loops up and down the foothills. Desert scrub, mesquite bosque, and riparian vegetation are seen with trailside signs highlighting the relationships between certain bird species and their preferred habitat.

Mount Lemmon

Mount Lemmon, with a summit elevation of 9,159 feet, is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson. We decided to drive the 40 miles from Catalina SP to avoid the afternoon heat as Tuscon was seeing record breaking temps. This would give us a much needed alpine hike. Typically, the temperature can be 30 degree cooler than the desert floor.

We drove up the steep road as many road bikers were climbing the 6,000+ feet to get the top. We decided to take our hikes from Marshall Gulch parking area. For our hike, we created a loop by going out on the Aspen Trail and then taking Marshall Gulch Trail back to the trailhead for a 4.3 mile hike.

 
 
 

Trip #5I. City of Rocks State Park (Silver City), NM (31 Mar - 6 Apr 2018)

City of Rocks State Park

A short drive of 93 miles from Elephant Butte as we continue to make our way west to Tuscan. We were able to get one of the few full hookup sites in this very scenic and unique park. A little higher elevation, so we had low temperature and a little less wind.

City of Rocks gets its name from the incredible volcanic rock formations found here. The park encompasses a one square mile area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet. The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles, rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. These rocks were formed about 34.9 million years ago when a very large volcano erupted. Then, erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape.

Campsite with incredible sunrise/sunset

 

 

There are 5.5 miles of hiking/biking trails within the park. Really cool to walk thought the rock formations.


 

Trip #5H. Elephant Butte Lake State Park (Truth or Consequences), NM (25 -31 Mar 2018)

New Mexico a new state for our RV adventuring

 

Long drive about 330 miles from Davis Mountain SP to Elephant Butte Lake State Park, but so well worth the change in plans. The park is more about water recreation which is really not are thing. Maybe, not a place we would stay for an extended period. However, there were some great benefits: the campsite was very nice and scenic; crazy multipurpose trail for hiking and mountain biking that travel north-south paralleling the like; a short drive to the Gila National Forest for an alpine trail, and enjoying the near by Truth or Consequences natural hot springs.

We arrived on Sunday after a pretty long drive with a recovery day needed A change for this camping experiences was managing the winds which typically started before noon and lasted until after dark. In our campsite, we were seeing 20-30 mile and hour sustained winds. 

Elephant Butte Lake State Park

Views from around our campsite
 
Incredible deserts sunsets/sunrise
 
 

Pippy in the foreground with a bit of an ominous looking sunset

West Lakeshore Trail (10.5 miles one-way): The trail winds through the desert hills above the lake, with panoramic views. The trail is typically 6’ wide with a gravel surface. There are some sections of uneven surfaces and deep sand. The unimproved trail, usually through sandy arroyos, is marked only with sign posts. The northern most trail started in our campground. The trail was great for some short evening strolls. Also, we used the trail a couple of time for biking. The trail initially looks pretty flat, but many short climbs and descends with challenging riding through sandy washes.

 

Gila National Forest

After mountain biking on Tuesday, we decided to head for the mountain. The trip included passing through Hillsboro and then onto the eastern section of the Gila in an area called the Black Range. The trail we decided on Black Range Crest (5 miles one-way)  follows the crest of the Black Range offering spectacular views of rugged canyons, the Rio Grande River valley to the east, and the Gila Wilderness and Mogollon Mountains to the west. The trail started at an elevation of 8,220 feet with a climb to 9,100 feet. We hiked a good part of the trail totaling 6 miles. It's a beautiful hike however this area had been ravaged by fires in 2013. New Mexico is effected by sever drought.

 
 

Riverbend Hot Springs (Truth or Consequences, NM)

We had been on the road for almost two months.... soaking in a hot springs just sounded like an incredible thing to do. And it was

A little background: Long considered sacred by the Apache and Mimbres tribes of southern New Mexico, the natural, mineral rich water of Riverbend Hot Springs has been relaxing and rejuvenating warriors and peace-seekers alike, for centuries. Now we bring you these legendary waters from our gorgeous riverside locale in the historic downtown district of Truth or Consequences (formerly Hot Springs, NM).