NM Adventure Series

The GET THE HELL OUTTA DA HOUSE Run

Where: Exploratory trip through the Jemez. Start at Cochiti lake dam, and head north via FR289 west of the Dome Wilderness, up to Hwy 4... then back out via Vallecitos de Los Indos through Paliza canyon and back down to Jemez Pueblo > Bernalillo > ABQ.

When: Sat Apr 12

Who:
1. TomTom
2. Sgt Taco... Passenger with tomtom
3. BigFishAllDay
4.Ariyan
5.
6.

Required: Food, water, CB, Recovery Equipment (hooks & straps are a min.), Toolkit, etc.

Meeting Spot: Super 8 Motel (I-25 & US 550, just west of 25 on 550), 9am-ish... better spot, less backtracking

Map: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...rdb5412222.pdf

(throwing this out there to get it moving. Apr 12th is coming up quick.)
__________________

 

I'm looking forward to a fun day tomorrow. Sent you guys a PM with contact info, just in case.

 

We are so gonna run over some dirt. And maybe some rocks too. Especially if they don't get out of our way.

 

What time do you think you will be up at 289/hwy4?
I might be able to meet you guys up there.

 

We're meeting up in Bernalillo at 0900. I'm guessing we'll be at the dam around 0930 and maybe the intersection around 1030. I have no idea though. Not familiar with the area. Just judging off of some maps.

I'll bring the switch just in case.

 

Hope you all had fun. My son did not want to get up early for bday. Please post pictures on site

 

It was a lot of fun. I didn't get to many good pictures seeing I forgot my camera.

 

Ranks as one of the best NM adventures. Ranks up there with the Monticello Canyon run. Pictures later tonight. Just suffice it to say, at times I felt like I was in the Lewis & Clark expedition and at other times, the Donner party.

Edit: Might take a bit, 183 pictures taken.

 

The meeting place:


Some guy left the motel with 2 women, one of which appeared to only be wearing a blanket. Some fun shit must go on at the Super 8 in Bernalillo.

Would've made for a very short run:


Circled the wagons to air down:


Heading off into the NM landscape:


First water crossing:

The runoff from the fire scars were sobering:




Remnants of the fire in the midst of some interesting rock formations:




Scott's leg, sunk to the calf, in a mix of ash and runoff:


Fire scarred NM scenery:


A tent rock poking up from the canyon:


The orchard that was destroyed:


More fire scarred scenery:


Shield yourself from falling trees by using your arm:



If there be a sign on a FS road in NM, there's a good chance it has at least one bullet hole in it:

Getting out of the fire zone:


Ponderosa country:


Stopped for lunch, Nick explaining the tatanka scene from "Dances with Wolves":


A nice shot of the 'Runner:

We started treading on the path less traveled. Nick had to get out the implements of construction several times:

A series of shots of the ever elusive 'Runner:



Justin's white stallion:


A nice group photo:

 

Justin tippy-toeing over a felled tree:


A fun sequence:







Another fun sequence:







It sprinkled several times and at one point, was snowing:

More shots of the ever elusive 'Runner. And yes, that be snow:



We missed a turn somewhere and the trail got tighter and tighter. Had to get out and walk some lines:


A Tacoma within a Tacoma:


Finally got to the end and found out we were on a primitive road that is "hazardous to public travel"



While we had not intended to go this route, we found it made it way more interesting. We found out we popped out on the main road just 1/2 mile up from where we had originally planned to pop out. Several horse trailers and some 2WD vehicles came down out of the the route we had planned for that we decided we had the better adventure for it.

Stopped at the Ponderosa winery:

Heading home:


It was fun. Always good to hang with SGT Taco and BigFishAllDay. Got to meet Justin and he proved a stock Tacoma with a mild lift is pretty damn capable. Hopefully he didn't get too much trail rash.

Thanks to all that went for a fun time. Thanks to Nick for putting the planning together. Definitely need to get out and enjoy NM more.

 

Each one of our adventures we need to come up with a mascot word...

Monticello... Hot dog
Jemez... Flavor stick

 

Nice. ...your trucks are very nice too...

 

Dang, I just saw the trip from yesterday. And I was looking for something to do. Next time.

 

Stay tuned in to this thread. As summer is approaching, and a few of us get some work done on our vehicles, we'll be planning more trips.

 

Yeah I also have some work to do. I will be staying tuned for any wrench days!

 

Not much trail rash at all, some minor scratches on my headlight and a few on one of my wheels.

 

Most excellent trip fellas! I had a great time, and got to explore some new country which is always a bonus for me.

I've got some pictures I'll put up later tonight, and I'll add a bit to Tom's comedic write-up of the trip (which was great).

BTW, Tom is there any way I can get access to full resolution versions of those photos? I tried to get them through photobucket, but it looks like the display resolution is the max available. You got some great shots that I'd like to add to my collection.

 

Nicky, most certainly. I have the full RAW files. Can burn them to a disc or something.

BTW, there was 164 total so there might be others I didn't post that you would be interested in.

 

To expand on Tom's write-up....

This was a perfect "GET THE HELL OUTTA DA HOUSE " run. It was stock friendly, even 2WD friendly for the majority of the route, and led us through some new areas full of incredible scenery, geology, and examples of nature's process.

After a failed attempt at keeping tradition alive via the ceremonial #1 Blake's breakfast burrito, we departed B-town... the drive to the trailhead went fast.





Coming out of the huge arroyo at the beginning of the trail. After a few good rains, I can see this arroyo becoming a serious gatekeeper for this trail. It's 50+ yards across and littered with huge boulders, whole trees, deep sand, and debris. There is a clear path through... for now.



Continuing on, we passed some crazy rock formations.



The trail climbed higher and higher...



This spot was like kind of like Moab's "Top of the World" but in NM.





We traded off lead position so that our air filters could share the dust...



Stopped at a water catchment that has been set up for wildlife in the area. There are few places for water to collect and someone was nice enough to help the critters. We figured it would be a good place to stop for a frosty beverage.







Then it was back on the trail...



Bandalier Canyon... scorched.





If it ain't one thing...



It's a MF'n 'nother... Word to your granny, and your daddy, and your mother.



I think the "tree falling" sign may have had some memorial roots, seeing as how there was a huge fallen tree trunk behind the sign (see photo above).

Beyond the trail hazards, some nice views presented themselves...



After navigating a maze of forest roads south of Hwy 4, we stopped for lunch. Interesting conversation followed. This one is for Tom...



Beyond the lunch spot, navigation became questionable. We saw some ranchers. We heard some banjos. None of our maps could come to an agreement. Somehow we ended up right where we wanted to be.

Tom, dropping through a tight spot after some impromptu trail clearing.



More trail clearing allowed this passage...





Some minor trail construction ensured the safety of the next...



The farther we went, the tighter the trail got..





Full sign text: "Primitive Road, Not Maintained, Hazardous to Public Travel"



When we finally popped out into a sandy arroyo, we weren't sure which way to go. Shortly after, a family came walking up the trail and we knew we were close to the end.





All in all, it was one of the more entertaining day trips I've been on. It would have been nice to have a couple more hours at the end to get some wine and eats, but otherwise it worked out about as well as it could have.

I retraced our route on Google Earth after I got home and I'd say that a large amount of luck, along with the navigational resources of the group, was all that got us through on the planned route. This would be a hard path for anyone to retrace due to multiple unmarked paths/intersections. Looking back at it, I'm surprised we didn't end up lost once or twice on this one.

 

Thanks nick, I don't have any pics to contribute due to taking them with toms camera. I really enjoyed the yrail and company. Hope to get back out soon.