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5407 Hits
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71.06% Score
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1 Votes
Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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34.81150°N / 106.4029°W |
Route Type:
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Hike/Scramble/Bushwhack |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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Walk-up |
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Approach
From Albuquerque, go east on I-40 and take the Tijeras exit. Stay right when the off-ramp splits after a couple hundred feet. Go straight through the light onto Highway 337. Follow this road for about 35 miles until it hits NM-55 at a “T” intersection. Turn right and continue to the town of Tajique. Immediately after the central cluster of buildings a large brown sign points to Fourth of July campground, which is on the way so turn here onto what will become Forest Road 55. Pass the turnoff to the Fourth of July Campgrounds and continues to the Cerro Blanco Trailhead (No.79) after the road begins to get pretty rough and rocky.
Route Description
For a short distance the trail stays pretty level up a canyon, but soon after that, the trail climbs several hundred feet up the side of a small peak called Cerro Blanco. Continue along the trail beyond the ridge at the top of the canyon and at about a mile away from the trailhead, you’ll intersect the trail that comes from the Fourth of July Campgrounds. Pass the trail by and half a mile later, you’ll hit the Crest Trail. Take a right onto the Crest Trail and follow it around a large bend onto a saddle where a large mud puddle (maybe dry) lies right in the middle of the trail. At 4 o’clock (when facing straight across the mud hole) is the continuation of the trail. Follow the trail until you hit the third meadow where a sign marks the intersection with the Mosca Trail. At this point turn west and begin bushwhacking and climbing your way to the top. The trees are large and give plenty of space for passing at first, but as soon as the incline picks up, the brush takes over and doesn’t let up much until the summit.
Essential Gear
Basic climbing gear with the aid of a machete should cut it. Pants, not shorts, are strongly recommended.
Miscellaneous Info
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