Spring has definitely come to New Mexico, and although it
can get very windy, the weather is often fantastic for hiking. These photos are
from the Quebradas, a wilderness area near Socorro, New Mexico. As soon as you park at the edge of the dirt road, you have great views of the surrounding hills and distant mountains.
The level of water in Bursum Springs is low this year. We have in the past climbed up the low cliff behind the pond, but a trail leads around as well.
The hike goes up a dry (most the year) river channel that is sometimes smooth gray rocks and sometimes like this:
At several places you can find exposures of barite, a mineral that forms large crystals.
Here's a close-up of that large rock on the right-hand side of the picture above:
You might also come across historic artifacts, like this wall. Possibly a sheep pen from some nineteenth century shepherd?
This area is good for fossils as well. Some rocks are chock-full of fossil stems from crinoids, a marine animal also known as a sea lily. Other areas have imprints of coral fans. Note the patterned areas in this sample.
One option for this hike leads to an old mining area where you can find debris containing azurite and malachite. More on that next week! Learn more about the Quebradas Backcountry Byway from the BLM or New Mexico tourism.
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