Moments in Dirt and Ink

Las Cruces District BLM (map link) I was free! Well, almost. The last hammer blow that the builder felt she couldn't quite do herself had fallen. It had been a little longer than the one, maybe two months expected and I seemed to have been kept quite busy through it all, also not expected. Inspectors came and signed off on it, but I still had a couple days to keep a small farm going while the usual farmer was gone. That is just keeping the ducks, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, cockatiels, parakeets, and guineas all got fed and chicken eggs gathered and a few things watered. The dogs have automatic feeders. This actually does give me plenty of time to do other things. It had gotten way too hot in that extra month, unfortunately. Still, I needed something for May, didn't I? And there lurks Big Hatchet, still to be climbed. Big Hatchet will continue to lurk for me. Maybe I can get there, maybe I can't. "You've got a short wheel base, that will help." The st...

Las Cruces District BLM (map link) I meant to park at Rainbow Wash, but instead found my backup parking at a road beside a benchmark. It was tempting to leave Lightning Dock Mountain to the end of the hike when there was actually a chance of some lightning. Poetic. Exciting. It seemed more sensible to go up it first, since it was likely to be dark by the time I got to it at the end. I walked a few steps along the road then turned cross country to the lumpy peak that looked so delightful on my way to (North) Pyramid Peak . The light this day wasn't giving it quite so nice a showing. I encountered the first range fence of the day almost immediately. I ducked under it at a wash, let a couple steer run off in unnecessary fear, and strode on. The little used road of my start with Lightning Dock Mountain a short way off. South Pyramid Peak might be the point on the right. Cotton City for a bit of civilization. There was a laundromat once. The ocotillo haven't leaved ou...

Las Cruces District BLM (map link) I arrived back at the Continental Divide Trail kiosk along NM-9, this time directing my attention to the south of the highway. Multiple people were moving around and it looked like someone was resupplying the water in the cache box. I passed three hikers before I'd even felt properly on the trail, which weaves a little with a dirt road before heading south. It was fairly distinct for a lot of the way. A kiosk on the other side of the fence marks the spot where the CDT crosses NM-9. The tiny, but eye catching plains flax was the first flower of the day. The feathered dalea presented likely the most flowers overall. I passed a few more people as I crossed the not-quite-flat flats. There's actually a small hill down and then I gradually found myself to be in washes of varying frequency of water occupation. The trail traverses a few ditches before dropping into the wash-like area. Turquoise Mountain is part of the short stuff...

Las Cruces District BLM (map link) The only thing in the New Mexico bootheel area I can find on AllTrails are a couple routes added by a local (to the state, at least) peak bagger and the bike route for the Continental Divide Trail. Even the "community content" tab is pretty sparse and not useful. Of one, he says there's mining history to pass, but no actual trail. It looked like a nice loop, so I decided to give it a try, give or take. Little Hatchet Mountains Road is an unpaved county road and currently in pretty good shape as far as I took it, right now, discounting the spots where I felt like I was swimming in a bit of sand. I got just past a windmill to the next wash and hit the brake rather than crossing, then found I'd already passed the parking spot I was aiming at. The windmill has parking but is technically on private property (by Caltopo public lands layer), so I parked a little further back at a 4x4 road. It was generally hard to get off the maintain...

Las Cruces District BLM (map link) I picked out Coyote Peak, the high point of the Coyote Hills as best as I can tell. It sits very near to the actual divide and near to the Continental Divide Trail. It would be shorter from the north, but I decided it would be more interesting from the south. This was entirely due to gut feeling while meditating upon the USGS map of the area. It looked a little like rough land until I noticed that the major contours were 100 feet, which makes the minor contours only 20 feet. There's a lot of detail. I was able to make an earlier start than the previous hike via the all paved approach to the trailhead. I could easily spot the CDT by the information kiosk on the south side of NM-9 and parked trying not to block the Border Patrol roads. (Apparently they need a lot of dirt roads running parallel to perfectly good highways. I can't explain this.) The kiosk south of the road is the easiest to see indication of the crossing of the CDT. The L...