The view over Casanova's ears

Snow and cold weather has not been conducive to riding in the mountains for a few weeks so we headed off to the Paseo del Bosque trail by the beautiful Rio Grande River.  After a few weeks of not riding we were all suffering from riding withdrawal.  Just off Coors; one of the busiest thorough fares on the west side , a short jog takes you into the Bosque.   Bosque means forest or woods in Spanish for the uninitiated!  When you live in the desert, which Albuquerque technically is, you really appreciate magnificent trees, water and woods!  Albuquerque Parks and Recreation has thoughtfully provided a parking area big enough for horse trailers.  However the one draw back which they haven’t addressed yet is no porta pottie! I’ll have to speak to the mayor about that!  Motorized vehicles are not permitted so there are no surprises from an ATV roaring up behind you.

Six riders, all but one on gaited horses; Paso Fino’s, Peruvian Paso and Single Footers,  kicked up some dust on that beautiful sunny day.  The weather was near perfect, 50 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, just a few contrails but miles of beautiful sunshine!  The horses were frisky and so were the riders!  Since we all had cabin fever we were more than ready to kick up our collective heels!  The ride out has taken as much as 3 hours when we had timid riders with us and we mostly walked.  When we checked our watches we had covered the same distance in 1/2 the time!  We gaited and cantered through the woods, only slowing down to give the horses a breather.   The trails are well marked and clean so a perfect area to pick up the speed.  Occasionally there will be hikers but the visibility is good so they can be spotted before coming up on them.  On the ditch bank where the dirt is hard packed you can really get some speed up as there is quite a lot of visibility!

Along the east side of the river the snow geese and cranes were resting and watching us across the river.  This picture was taken trying to photograph the cranes as they flew over but with the delay in the digital timing I missed them entirely and only got the beautiful sky!  Beautiful just the same, we’ll catch the Sandhill Cranes the next time!

Happy trails, may you be always be cantering through life!

The La Cienega Trail in the Sandia Mountains is accessed by taking Hwy North 14 from I 40 east of Albuquerque to the Crest Road and then just a few short miles to the trail.  It is just before Doc Long’s picnic grounds.  There is a large area for parking horse trailers.   Several trails can be followed from the trail head.  We took the Faulty Trail for the entire loop.   At the summit you feel like you are on top of the world, for some of us with acrophobia that is not a good thing.  A narrow trail with a significant drop off preceded by some large stone blocks resembling stone steps.  Even as surefooted as these horses are we choose to dismount and walk down the trail until it leveled out.   Casanova, the terrific Peruvian Paso who is my main mount took good care of me.  Along the way we were treated to several sightings of the Abert Squirrel, a rather large squirrel mostly charcoal but with white markings as well.  At first you might think you were seeing a small skunk running up the trees.  They are distinguished by their large ear tufts and are found mainly where there are large Ponderosa Pine trees as they subsist on the pine cones.  However after saying that I must add that we had a rogue Abert squirrel show up on our 3rd floor deck, how in the world he got there is anyone’s guess!  He must have scaled the side of the house as we have no trees that reach that high.  Of course I was worried that he would starve so I supplied him with food and water.  He enjoyed my seat cushions for a day or so before he decided the woods were more inviting and he disappeared.   I might also add that we don’t have any Ponderosas near us only Pinon so I guess he high tailed it for higher altitude and Ponderosas.

All in all a beautiful ride

A good time was had by all as usual in the Corrales Christmas parade last Sunday!  It is a yearly event hosted by the Village of Corrales and the local Marine Corp to benefit children who might have a less than Merry Christmas!  Its usually quite a show to see who can outdo who with their costumes and hanging red and green glittery things on their horses!  Then it is a show to see how the horses will put up with all this foolishness!  Kids and adults alike line the streets and hope that Saint Nick will come by and grant their every wish and hopefully have some candy to share as well!  It is quite a party and a great way to start the holiday season!

Corrales is located to the north and west of metropolitan Albuquerque.  It is a very horse friendly village and as such they are very tough on anyone exceeding their 30 mph speed limit!   Its a sleeply little village nestled next to the Rio Grande but don’t let that fool you there are many homes that exceed a million dollars!

In celebration of our beautiful November weather there were 3 rides last week!  The weather has been treating us to mid 70′s and the bluest of skies, only in New Mexico do you get the azure skies with the golden leaves!  Truly all the beautiful colors!  Wednesday, Casanova, a fantastic Peruvian Paso, took me over the ridge from La Cienega and one of the steepest trails I’ve see and successfully I might add or I wouldn’t be penning this!  Then over the weekend Amazing Grace, a Singlefooter took me on several amazing rides.  These horses have everything going for them, amazing gait, great temperment and a great mind.  Grace is just 3, only went through training in the spring and is calm and secure!  All in all a very satisfying ride!  The name Singlefooter came from the fact that as they show their tremendous speed, pictures will show they only have one foot on the ground; pretty darn close to flying.  Some of the faster horses have been clocked 25 mph or more in gait!  Check back here for information on the upcoming Amazing Gaits Farm website, featuring gaited horses.

I’m sure you’ll be sorry you missed it and you will be to when you see these pictures! The colors may hold for another week!

Located approximately 1.5 hours from Albuquerque this is one trail that is not to be missed! The colors in the fall are incredible due to the largest stand of Large Tooth Maples in New Mexico in Tajique Canyon in the Mountainair Ranger District.  Terrain ranges from steep climbs to some rocky trails.

The newly opened Gutierrez Open Space is a great afternoon ride, just 15 minutes from Tramway Blvd and Central in Albuquerque.   it is located  between Hwy 14 and Gutierrez Canyon Rd.  It can be accessed from either Gutierrez Canyon Rd or Hwy 14.  Just behind the post office there is a parking area and a fenced area with a hitching post, they even planted corn for the horses to snack on!

The 400 acres was rescued from development by the Milne family and Mayor Martin Chavez who took on the task of having the city manage it through the open space network.  The $2.2 million purchase was funded by the City of Albuquerque, capital outlays from the New Mexico legislature, and New Mexico Land, Wildlife, and Clean Energy funds.  Key support was provided by Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Sue Wilson Beffort, Senator Kent Cravens, Representative Kathy McCoy, Representative Mimi Stewart, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, and Albuquerque Councilors Isaac Benton and Martin Heinrich.  Thanks to all of them for keeping the area for all of us to enjoy!

The ride takes about 1.5 hours each way.  There are a few steep and rocky areas but mostly just a fun trail ride!  We opted for lunch at Ribs but there is also a coffee shop/deli called Woobies that is terrific as well!  (Tell Linda I sent you!)

Our friends Radu and Daniela joined us from Texas with their Arabian endurance horse and Paso fino; they took these great pictures.

Here is the Utube video taken by Daniella as we rode, of course it was mostly of the guys they are the publicity hams!

gutierrez canyon ride

Meadow in the Valles Caldera

Last weekend was the last ride of the season for the Valles Caldera. It is now closed for the winter.

What a gorgeous fall ride we had, the weather was perfect and the leaves had just begun to change.

The roads were a bit dusty since there had been no significant rain but it was kinda fun kicking up all that dust! Just like the western movies!

Be sure to put this on your schedule for next year, It is not to be missed!

Until next time canter on!

Redondo Peak in the Valles Caldera

The most fantastic ride that I have been on in New Mexico has to be the Valles Caldera ride in the Jemez Mountains. It is between Los Alamos and Jemez Springs. You can reach it from either area. Created many millions of years ago it is what is left of a large volcano.
The Valles Caldera National Preserve was a private ranch until 2000, when Congress created it from a well-known ranch known as “the Baca Ranch” in New Mexico’s volcanic Jemez Mountain Range. This 89,000 acre property is situated inside a collapsed crater. Studded with eruptive domes and featuring Redondo Peak (11,254 feet), this old ranch property is now being developed to explore a new way of managing public lands.
The preserve is open to the public but we guarantee you’ll find the visit unlike any other you’ve had in a park or national forest. We keep the numbers of visitors small for any activity so you’ll feel like you have the place to yourself. Don’t expect big crowds, a shortage of parking, or a shop full of trinkets. Instead, we offer a chance to get out and really experience a sense of solitude that we hope will leave you refreshed and relaxed. You’ll see much wildlife, beautiful vistas and learn about the preserve’s rich history and geology. The most delightful drive to get to this fabulous area from Albuquerque is as follows:
• Take I-25 North and Exit on to Highway 550 (Farmington Highway – old Hwy 44). In San Ysidro, take Hwy 4 to Jemez Pueblo and Jemez Springs.
• Follow Highway 4 at fork at La Cueva (stay right).
• Preserve is about 22 miles from Jemez Springs. Look for the Main Gate at Mile Marker 39.2.
• Driving time from the Big-I is about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Once there you are required to sign a release and pay a $20 fee. There is plenty of parking for horse trailers and restroom facilities.

Once you are saddled up and ready to go get ready for some fun! Don’t forget to grab a map of the trails or you could get sidetracked and end up at a on longer ride than you may have planned. The trails are old logging roads and have recently been graded so if you are into gaiting or cantering this is the place to do it! Enjoying the scenery is a must; we were so busy cantering we missed a herd of elk calmly watching us pass by as our friends told us later. They were watching the elk watching us; who is the watcher and who is the watched? We spent most of the time on the Duke Trail which is highly recommended for both meadow and mountain views!
The elk herd is the second largest in the state (the largest is found in the Gila Mountains in southwest New Mexico). During the early summer (late-May into early-June), solitary cow elk with their newborns at their side may be spotted. Often calving in the open, the mothers find a safe place to hide the newborns until they are old enough to keep up with herd.
Later in the summer, the young elk are minded as a group by several cows in a “nursery herd.” By fall, the cows are ready for breeding and “the rut” (breeding season) reaches its peak by mid-Sept. As winter snows deepen, many elk leave the preserve for lower elevations and more food. Some head south to grasslands in an old burn area in Bandelier National Monument, southeast of the preserve. Others may head north and west of the preserve in search of forage.
By late spring, the elk return to the caldera again. The bull elk drop their antlers in late March and into April, and the new antlers begin to grow soon after. The elk feed hungrily on the new spring grass, dropping their heavy coats as the days lengthen and warm.