My early-morning annual treks to Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge are always beautiful and invigorating. This year my timing unknowingly coincided with Festival of the Cranes, which meant a more crowded and less fulfilling experience. The waterfront areas were almost completely lined with tripods, high-end cameras, and their seriously-geared operators. Since this isn't the experience I want when I'm out in nature and trying to observe wildlife at sunrise, I left to drive some of the loops in the refuge and gradually worked my way north in Socorro County.
Below are just a couple of shots I took at Bosque del Apache this year after elbowing my through the crowds (yes, I'm exaggerating a bit).
I found a 'Place I Want to Go' labeled in my maps app and remembered that a friend had highly recommended San Lorenzo Canyon for hiking and exploration. Google Maps directed me to a locked gate at a boundary of the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge, so I had to drive to the Visitor Center several miles north to get better directions. I took advantage of this unexpected detour by driving a few county roads and through the sparsely populated village of Alamillo (~200 people). I found an old church and an abandoned schoolhouse that was built as part of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) program in the 1930's.
Upon arriving at the Sevilleta Visitor Center, I was excited that there were several hiking trails accessible from the parking lot. In my 2+ miles of hiking, I was rewarded with groups of scurrying quail, beautiful views of the surrounding mountain ranges, the panoramic Rio Grande River valley and some colorful canyons.
Below is the view looking west, from not too far behind the Visitor Center
Looking east/northeast, a view of the Manzano and Sandia Mountains (below)
Another view looking west, but from a higher elevation, facing Ladrón Peak (9,186') in the Sierra Ladrones range. Mesquite shrub in the foreground showing off its fall color (below).
After hiking the Ladrones Vista Trail, I drove south again toward the San Lorenzo Canyon, which required about five miles on a dirt road (at the time, doable in a low-clearance car). There are several designated trails in the canyon, as well as other nooks and crannies that are hard to resist exploring. The canyon would be an amazing place for camping and further exploring during sunset hours.
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