April 18 El Malpais National Monument
Drove to the El Malpais National Monument Information Center; about 20 miles east on Highway 53 from the El Morro Campground. After speaking to Phil with NPS about trail conditions and weather forecast, I walked about 3 miles on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) to the El Calderon site; then walked the 3 mile El Calderon loop and then 3 miles back to the Information Center. The CDT is very well marked (cairns) and gentle relief so it is an easy hike; I averaged just under 3 mph even stopping to take photos and one break. The El Calderon loop is also well marked and relatively gentle terrain; it has 7 interpretive sites. If you haven’t seen lava tubes before, it is an informative walk.
I didn’t begin hiking until 11:15 since I had to go to Grants, NM (nearest town about 41 miles away) to pickup some wood to raise the AS’s front jack stand. I found a lumber store (Diamond G) in Grants and they were nice enough to cut up a scrap piece of 2x12 into 4 1-foot sections. Also fed the beast with diesel while in town.
April 19 (Sunday) Continental Divide Trail
Hike the CDT section between El Calderon Area and the Zuni-Acoma Trailhead; not sure of the distance but it took about 4 hours given the rough terrain and about an hour spent backtracking looking for the intersection of CDT and Zuni-Acoma. The weather was great for hiking; about 55 degrees and cloudy all day.
Great trail but it can be tough going in spots; the lava is relatively recent in this section so soil has not had the opportunity to develop in many places (wish I’d worn high-top leather boots as it was tough on the ankles for my ankle-height lightweight hiking boots). Hence, it is uneven walking on lava much of the way. This section of the trail begins in Ponderosa Pine then transitions to grassland/juniper. One of the most interesting features of this segment is walking in lava troughs; the trough walls vary but were probably 30 feet tall. Ponderosa pine is a fire ecology species and there was plenty of historic evidence of fire in the area; saw elk sign as well as live deer, rabbits, and birds.
I started at the El Calderon Area but returned via the shorter Highway 53; wasn’t sure my ankles would hold up going back through the lava fields. About 6 hours roundtrip.
Because parts of the CDT are ancient trails, some of these cairns are believed to be over 700 years old.
El Calderon area called double sink - lava tube.
CDT is well marked.
Enjoying the many lava tubes and other formations on the CDT.
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