After living most of my life in New Mexico I was surprised to hear of the ghost town of Hagan, NM,  not far from Albuquerque!  Elaine of the Turkey Road Kill story, came up with another good one; this time in the form of a terrific trail ride involving ghost towns, petroglyphs and suicide cliffs!

Hagan was apparently started under the assumption that the railroad would be coming through the area.   The hotel was built along with several homes and a depot for the train.

Doorway to the past

The Grand Hotel in Hagan, NM

A large adobe wall of the hotel remains showing the only one wall of what was once probably a grand structure.  The wall exhibits remains of ceiling vigas for large beamed ceilings that would reflect the Indian influence in southwest architecture.  All that is left of the depot is a crumbling structure that is falling into the arroyo.

Crumbling walls of the Depot

It was a very pleasant ride due to the beautiful weather, probably about 60 degrees and miles of sunshine!  That’s why we live in NM!  We all voted that this ride would be too hot in the summer so we delegated it a spring and fall ride.  Don’t attempt it if there is rain in the forecast as it is near some major arroyos and flooding is a distinct possibility!  The dirt road is fairly wide with good visibility for most of it which is good because we did have to move over for a few cars.  The so called suicide cliffs on the right and a ship rock like cliff on the left make for some beautiful scenery along the way!

The bird’s eye view on the crest of the hill at the beginning of the ride was amazing!  Three ski areas could be seen at once;  Los Alamos, Santa Fe and the Sandia ski trails were all plainly visible from one vantage point!  Just north of Cedar Crest and east of San Pedro Creek is a very easy and interesting ride.  Between the San Felipe Casino off of I 25 and La Madera road from N 14  is the ghost town of Hagan.  It is about a 2 hour ride from where we parked off of La Madera Rd.  There were cattle guards to negotiate around through wire gates so it would be more expedient to trailer past the last cattle guard.  I would advise to at least trailer to the junction of Puerticito and La Madera.

La Madera ride

As always the view is better over a horse’s ears!

Happy Trails!

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.