Hello from Farmington!

After a LONG tough stint at work, I finally finished the project I was working on and took some much needed time off. Michelle and I headed out to northwest New Mexico for our most ambitious hiking trip so far: two back-country hikes in remote areas in three days. (Bisti and Chaco Canyon).

We took the scenic route up through Abiquiu and Chama, then west through a portion of Carson National forest, paralleling the Colorado border. The San Juan mountain range was visible to the north, still heavy with snow.

We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard in Farmington, which worked out great as a staging area. It backs right up to the Animas river, which was flowing fast with all the spring snow melt. The staff there was very friendly and they recommended the perfect local place to eat, Three Rivers Brewery.

Our first night, there was a Navajo (Diné) community fitness walk along the river walk. Hundreds of families out in the warm spring evening. It was a cool introduction to the local vibe. The river walk extends over 40-plus acres of land that was donated to the city and is lined with huge cottonwoods for shade. There were tons of ducks, Canadian geese, and even a few deer.

We did our first hike in Bisti the next morning. We planned for about 6.5 miles, but ended up doing about 7.25 with all the “what’s that over there?” detours. This one is not for beginners. There are no marked trails and it’s easy to become disoriented if you’re not prepared. Temperature was perfect, but there is ZERO shade to be had out there, so hats, extra water, and lots of sunscreen are musts.

We took a down day in between and visited the Aztec Ruins National Monument (in the town of Aztec). Which was actually a perfect set-up for our next hike in Chaco Canyon. Both sites are 1,000-year-old Pueblos. Getting to Chaco is a bit of a challenge. 10 miles of dirt roads, some parts of which are really rough. Once there, however, the park is set up beautifully and is, for much of it, pretty accessible. We took a back country hike up the South Mesa trail (4.5 miles). All went smoothly until a dust storm rolled in and chased us the last 1/2 mile back to the trailhead and the truck.

Took a different route home. Highway 550 goes south of the Jemez mountains and into Bernalillo. This is definitely the easier drive, but I’m glad we did both. Happy to be home again!