Jen went hiking July 11, 2026 11.5 miles 1,500 feet gained
Anniversary weekend with my beloved partner of 30 years! We did a little hike every day. It was cool in the morning, got quite hot in the afternoons. We look forward to returning to explore more in a cooler month.
1) Aspen Peak 4.5 miles, 750 gain. Got a late start, so we drove up to the ski area to avoid the heat. Huge groves of aspen up here. Nothing burned in sight, it must be spectacular in the fall. We hiked up to Aspen Peak which is almost as high as Mt Hood.
2) White Rock Canyon The community of White Rock is just outside of Los Alamos, and has a nice network of trails above and into canyons along the Rio Grande. We visited a petroglyph site that was puzzling to us, as some of the images looked modern- but took obvious patience to peck into the volcanic rock. Modern vandals do not have the patience to inscribe so deeply. We learned later, that the site was adjacent to a former agricultural field ( now to dry to farm), and the colonizing Spaniards in 15-1600s often added their own drawings beside the first peoples' art. 4 miles 500 feet
3) Tsankawi Ruins- this is a small separated section of Bandolier National Monument. It was absolutely fascinating. I was the only visitor early in the morning. It has a former pueblos site, with very little remains, as it has been looted extensively. What cant be stolen is the remaining evidence in the rocks. The rock here is tuff-it is softer than the welded tuff found at Smith Rock. At this location, caves formed from erosion, and the ancient peoples were able to further excavate the caves as dwellings called cavates. Inside the cavates, they added windows, drainages, storage areas, and little cubbies. Outside are carved steps, and sidewalks! Some very deeply eroded from water and tourists' footsteps. The NPS has added some sturdy ladders to allow visitors to visit the multiple levels. 3 miles 250 ft
