jdzaharia wrote:It looks like last summer's fires affected the Pecos Wilderness, and portions may still be closed.
I would still be open to heading to the Pecos if the snow load is light. You might consider going to
Hermit Peak It is lower than most of the Pecos, is non-technical and absolutely scenic. It is one of my favorite mountains in New Mexico.
It looks like they hit Bandelier National Monument pretty hard, too. We probably will skip Bandelier this trip.
If you are in the Santa Fe area, I would still consider going. Upper Frijole Falls is really neat and it is a very pleasant trail to the falls.
jfrishmanIII wrote:...you can still hike down the canyon to Upper Frijoles Falls (Lower is closed, but Upper is better anyway). You could still have a very nice day seeing the main attractions in Bandelier if it fits into your plans.
Jackson, do you have any idea when they will have the trail down to the lower falls and the river rebuilt?
jdzaharia wrote:Is Capulin Volcano National Monument worth visiting?
It is nice and worth a stop if you are passing through, but I would definitely not go out of my way to get there. You basically drive to the summit and take the short hike around the crater. The views are great, but it is not worth going too far out of your way, especially with so many other good options at your disposal.
jfrishmanIII wrote:The Sandia mountains right outside of Albuquerque have great hiking that time of year, pretty spectacular even if they are right over the city. Wild Rivers north of Taos could be another good option in your time frame, definitely snow-free and nice when the rivers are up.
I agree with both of these statements. In the Sandias, the
La Luz Trail It is awesome, non-technical and you can take the gondola down from the summit. The
Rio Grande and Red Rivers are certainly scenic and the trails down into the canyons are a lot of fun. There is also a trail along the gorge south of the bridge on Highway 64. If you are going that far, you can also spend a day doing some fun scrambling at
Tres Piedras