A Southwest #Adventure – #Hiking Tonto Natural Bridge, Arizona

Today’s armchair travel takes you to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. 

The Southwest is full of state parks, national parks, and historic sites. It would be easy to miss this one, but it’s well worth a visit. A short trail takes you to several viewpoints where you can see down into the canyon. Even walkers and wheelchairs could make it to some of the viewpoints.

If you like hiking, plan to spend several hours there! The trails are all short but steep and strenuous. They’ll take you into the canyon and underneath the bridge. On a hot day, the splashing stream and the breeze across the water are refreshing. You might have to drag the kids (or yourself) away.

The entrance fee is $7 for adults, $4 for ages 7 to 13, and younger children free. Unfortunately, you can’t camp at the park, and it closes at 5 PM. But it’s certainly worth a stop, especially if you’re in Payson or traveling between Winslow Arizona and the Phoenix area on Highway 87.

Picnic tables near the parking lot (at the top of the bridge) allow for a rest and snack, although it will likely be extremely hot in summer. The historic lodge has exhibits on the geology, prehistoric inhabitants, and history of the Lodge. Groups can reserve Goodfellow Lodge for daytime or overnight events.

Kris Bock lives in New Mexico, where she enjoys hiking, watching the sunset from her patio, and hanging out with her husband and their ferrets. Her BFA in photography is used mainly to show Facebook friends how lovely New Mexico is.

Kris writes novels of suspense and romance in dramatic Southwestern landscapes. In The Mad Monk’s Treasure, friends hunt for a lost treasure in the desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, relatives compete to find a buried treasure. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, reader favorites Camie and the cat Tiger help track down a missing man.

Whispers in the Dark brings romance and suspense to an archaeology dig among ancient Southwest ruins. In the romantic mystery What We Found, a young woman uncovers a murder. In Counterfeits, stolen paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico mountain town.

Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell should try Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog

#NewMexico #Adventure - hiking the Gila National Forest

The Gila National Forest includes three wilderness areas for a total of 3.3 million acres. According to the US Forest Service, "The Gila National Forest includes more wilderness than any other national forest in the Southwest. This undeveloped natural country can refresh the human spirit simply by its grandeur, purity, and remoteness." You can find campgrounds as well as plenty of opportunities for backcountry camping. Recently we visited the northwestern part of the Forest, in west central New Mexico, close to the Arizona border. As you can see from these photos, I loved the interesting trees there.

What do you think? Would this landscape inspire you to camp, hike, or at least stop and take a few photos?

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.

In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

#Hiking #NewMexico - Bursum Springs, Quebradas, part 2

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. Last week I shared photos from the first part of the hike. This is an area near an old mine where you can find azurite and malachite, plus large chunks of barite crystals.

Here the guys are standing on an outcropping that is primarily barite, a mineral that forms large crystals.

Barite isn't particularly rare or valuable, but it can be quite impressive! This sample is as big as a dinner plate.

A mining shaft leads into the rock.

It doesn't go very far. Either it sloped downward and it got filled in with debris, or they finished collecting the malachite from the seam that ran through here. (Note the two figures crouching at the end of the currently accessible shaft.)

In the detritus from the old mine, you can find small, brilliantly colored samples of azurite (blue) and malachite (green), as well as larger chunks that show the color but aren't pure. 

I've lived in New Mexico for almost 17 years and didn't know the mine was here, even though I've hiked nearby. Just one of the many surprises always waiting when you explore the Southwest! Learn more about the Quebradas Backcountry Byway from the BLM or New Mexico tourism.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance featuring outdoor adventures in Southwestern landscapes. E-books are available from $.99 to $3.99, or free with Kindle Unlimited. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. The Southwest Treasure Hunter novels feature feisty heroines and supportive heroes tracking down mysterious treasures in New Mexico and Arizona. Each book stands alone, starting with The Mad Monk’s Treasure. 

Kris’s other titles include Whispers in the Dark, a gothic drama at an archaeology dig in the Four Corners area, What We Found, a murder mystery set in small-town New Mexico, and Counterfeits, a suspense set near Jemez Springs.

#Hiking #NewMexico - Bursum Springs, Quebradas

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.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance featuring outdoor adventures in Southwestern landscapes. E-books are available from $.99 to $3.99, or free with Kindle Unlimited. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. 

The Southwest Treasure Hunter novels feature feisty heroines and supportive heroes tracking down mysterious treasures in New Mexico and Arizona. Each book stands alone, starting with The Mad Monk’s Treasure. Kris's other titles include Whispers in the Dark, a gothic drama at an archaeology dig in the Four Corners area, What We Found, a murder mystery set in small-town New Mexico, and Counterfeits, a suspense set near Jemez Springs.

New Mexico #Hiking North Baldy Trail

A couple of weeks ago, my hiking partners and I wanted a good trail without too much heat. The elevation of our part of central New Mexico (around 4800 feet) keeps it cooler than, say, Phoenix. But it's still pretty hot to hike in the summer.

Water Canyon, in central New Mexico between Socorro and Magdalena, has dozens of trails. The trail starting start at the bottom of the mountains can be good for cooler weather. Most of them head up the mountain, so they're an amazing workout. On hot summer days, hikers can start at the top of the mountains. It's about 20 degrees cooler up there, at around 10,000 feet, making it possible to hike even in July and August – but with such thin air, but use sunscreen!

To get to the North Baldy Trail, drive up the long, winding road from the campground. (Signs still claim this road is not good for passenger vehicles, but in recent years it has typically been fine. In summer you should have no problem even in a low-clearance car.) It takes about half an hour to drive up the road from the campground to the top. This is the view from the trailhead, looking away from the trail. Note the observatory in the upper right.

The Timber Ridge Trail also starts near here. North Baldy Trail, No. 8 as the sign indicates,  starts on the north side of the road. The trail takes you from South Baldy to North Baldy Peak, with views of Sierra Blanca, Mt. Taylor, the Sandias, Manzano, and Jemez Mountains. This trail starts in the forest, on a narrow, single file track. Soon it comes out onto the ridge. 

For much of the hike you can get amazing panoramic views in both directions (roughly east and west – the center of this picture is roughly north.)

We had some questions about this loose rubble. It looks like it must have fallen down from a higher peak, but this is the highest peak! We described it to my geologist husband, who suggested that these rocks collapsed on each other as the surrounding earth eroded away. A reminder that even the tallest mountain today might have been much taller in the past.

As a round-trip out and back, the hike is just over 10 miles. Of course, you can always turn around sooner!

Information on this and other local trails from Magdalena.

Kris lives in New Mexico, where she enjoys hiking, watching the sunset from her patio, and hanging out with her husband and their ferrets. Her home office looks out on nature, complete with distracting wildlife such as roadrunners and foxes. Her BFA in photography is used mainly to show Facebook friends how lovely the Southwest is.

Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell will love Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

#Hiking Deer Trap Mesa Trail, Los Alamos, New Mexico

It's time for another visit to Los Alamos, New Mexico. While most famous as the birthplace of the atomic bomb, Los Alamos is also a hiking paradise, with hundreds of trails near town. This is Deer Trap Mesa Trail, which starts from a trailhead at the edge of town. At the start, signs talk about homesteading in the area. Then you head down a steep, narrow stairway cut into the stone. The stairway is hundreds of years old.

At the bottom of the stairway is the deer trap (bottom of picture). It's a shallow pit designed to trap game driven from Barrancas Canyon. It's not deep now, but perhaps it would be deeper with the debris cleared out. 

From there the trail flattens out. There is very little shade, and hiking on top of the mesa would not be pleasant in heavy wind. This would be a great trail for sunny fall afternoons or mild spring days. While most of the trail is pretty flat, the beginning is steep and a bit tricky. The views are great the entire time. I don't know this officially, but we're guessing the early people of the region lived in some of the mini caves in the next mesa (the dark spots dotting the cliff wall).

Officially the trail is three miles, but my GPS tracked us at about four miles. If you want to stick to three miles, be sure to carefully read the trail instructions. Otherwise there are several side trails and viewpoints. 

Info on Deer Trap Mesa Trails, including a map, from the city of Los Alamos.

More on the trail from The Los Alamos Nature Center.

A more detailed map.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.

The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Hiking the Frijoles Canyon Trail, Bandelier New Mexico

My husband and I recently made a trip to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to visit a friend. While there we hiked Frijoles Canyon Trail. We started at the Ponderosa Campground, which was almost empty even on a Saturday in July. You can do the trail as a 13-mile loop, or hike eight miles one way and end up at the Bandelier National Monument Visitor Center. We made a seven-mile out and back hike.

The 2011 Las Conchas fire destroyed many of the larger trees and allow for subsequent flooding. However, smaller vegetation is coming back with a vengeance, and the lack of trees provides clearer views of the lovely cliff faces. 

The stream is at risk of flooding during heavy summer rains, but during our visit it was easy to cross and pleasant for taking a break to cool the feet.

Wildflowers grew in abundance, and we saw birds, a deer while we were up on the plateau, and a variety of interesting insect life.

This boulder, which must have fallen from the cliffs years (or centuries) previously, appeared to have holes cut into it like a ladder. We were, after all, close to Bandelier, where the Ancestral Pueblo people lived from approximately 1150 CE to 1550 CE.

As we did the hike, it started out fairly flat, then headed down a steep trail to the valley. After hiking along the river for a couple of miles, we turned back and had to do the steep trail again. This hike not only provided great exercise, but also excellent views and a variety of nature!

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.

The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Hiking at Fenton Lake and Valles Caldera New Mexico

My husband and I recently made a trip to Los Alamos to visit a friend. On the way, we stopped at Fenton Lake State Park New Mexico where we were greeted by this golden-mantled ground squirrel.

Fenton Lake is a popular spot for fishing, and it has campsites, though they're pretty close together. If you prefer a more remote experience and don't need amenities, you'll find plenty of backcountry camping nearby. 

Still, we had a lovely three-mile walk around the lake, admiring the many wildflowers.

Fenton Lake is in the northwest part of New Mexico, a few miles north and west of Jemez Springs. From there, we headed more or less eased through Valles Caldera National Preserve. This circular depression, caused by a spectacular volcanic eruption about 1.2 5 million years ago, is America’s newest national preserve. 

Some areas are restricted or require permits, but parts of the preserve are open to hiking, biking, hunting, and fishing. We stopped at a couple of random pull offs alongside the highway. The first trail was temporarily closed (I can't recall if it was fire danger or flooding danger, but both are risks during New Mexico summers.) The second was less of a trail than a few crisscrossing cattle paths, but we had some great views.

Fun trivia – the TV show Longmire is set in Wyoming but it is filmed in New Mexico, mainly in Las Vegas New Mexico and the Jemez Mountains. Sheriff Walt Longmire's cabin is actually an old cabin in Valles Caldera.

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.

The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle.

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.