Probably one of my favorite hikes in Bandelier is Alcove House. One of the great things is that it’s not that much longer to take the Main Loop to the Alcove House Trail, so you get to see the cliff…
Climbing Ladders into Caves on Bandelier’s Main Loop
It’s not every day you get to climb a wooden ladder into the home of ancient American Indians. Maybe in Mesa Verde, on an official tour, or another tour with a guide or park ranger standing close by. But on…
Incredible Rock Formations in the Valley of Dreams
Last week, I posted about our trek to and through the Valley of Dreams East. As spectacular as it is, even more interesting (to me, at least!) was the Valley of Dreams. It’s only about 1.25 miles down the…
Visiting the Valley of Dreams East
I’ve loved the rock formations in the Bisti area ever since my first visit in 2003. Somehow the ability to explore without trails, to discover rock formations – the first person ever, maybe – with no signs telling you what…
Wheeler Peak – the Highest Peak in New Mexico!
For three weeks now, we’ve been talking about climbing Wheeler Peak. We visited Williams Lake (a worthy short side trip from the Wheeler Peak Trail), discovered Williams Falls (a little lengthier, but still worth visiting), and then up Mount Walter,…
Mount Walter – the Second Highest Point in New Mexico!
Mount Walter might well be seen as the handsome little brother of Wheeler Peak, the highest Point in New Mexico. Located only 0.4 miles north of – and 62 feet lower than – Wheeler Peak, Mount Walter is overlooked by…
Discovering Williams Falls
After arriving at Williams Lake, we thought we would hike a bit further before ascending Mount Walter and Wheeler Peak (our actual destination for the day). Like most alpine lakes, there are a number of social trails leading hither, thither,…
Hiking to Williams Lake, New Mexico
I wanted to climb Wheeler Peak. It’s not just that I liked the pictures others had taken from the top – I figured climbing the highest point in New Mexico would be fun. It would be an accomplishment. It would…
Pueblos, Lizards, and More on the Pueblo Alto Loop
There are members of my group who have wanted to hike the Pueblo Alto Loop for about 23 years. That was when they saw a photo of Pueblo Bonito on the cover of their AAA road map and decided to…
Sneak Peak: Southwestern Variety at its Finest
I just got back from another hiking-adventure trip across the western US! It was different than any before, even as we visited old and new sites across Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and even Utah and Wyoming. There were high…