New Fall Trail Races - Ultra Santa Fe and Bull of the Woods

There are a couple of new trail races on the schedule this Fall with a lot of potential:
  - The inaugural Ultra Santa Fe at the ski basin (Sep 10th), and
  - The inaugural Bull of the Woods Trail Run up in Taos Ski Valley (Sep 17th).

Ultra Santa Fe - 13mi/50km/50mi, Sep 10, 2016
Santa Fe's first organized ultra at both 50k and 50mi distances. Race directors Peter Olson and Taylor Pardue have done a ton of work and promotion to launch this new race. The courses are terrific (including the first rate maps setup on the race website), starting/finishing at the ski area lodge and descending the network of forest service trails on to Dale Ball in town (great race viewing, cheering, and cow-belling) before circling back up the mountain.

As of this writing there are 66 entries to the ultra distances and another 75 at the half marathon distance. This is going to be the new area test-piece, and the scheduling ties in beautifully to the fall trail racing calendar: it's one week before the Bull of the Woods Trail Run and Buffalo Thunder Half (Sep17), three weeks before Big Tesuque (Oct 2), and five weeks before Pajarito and Duke City (Oct 17).

More details and registration info at the event website here.

SF Reporter write-up - 6/29/16
SF New Mexican write-up - 9/1/16

Bull of the Woods Trail Run - 8mi, Sep 17, 2016
A couple of local trail runners in Taos have managed to get approval at the Northside@Taos Ski Valley trail system to stage an 8 mile high altitude race. The mostly singletrack course runs between 10,000-11,000 feet elevation with magnificent views of Gold Hill, Kachina Peak, and Lobo Peak. The expectation is that in years to come the race will be expanded into offering longer distances, and perhaps a combination run with the Taos Ski Valley Up-&-Over, and potentially part of a Northern New Mexico trail race series!

More details and registration info at the event website here.

Related Posts:

 - Inaugural Plaza2Peak (2015)

 - Our Wild (Trail) Friends (2016)

 - Ravens Ridge - Pecos Wilderness Boundary (2015)

 - 2016 Outdoor Event Calendar

Our Wild Friends

Long-tailed weasel - mustela frenata

Seems like there is an abundance wildlife in and around the city this summer. The pre-dawn chorus of birds has been amazing this week. Set your alarm (4:40am) and brew some coffee, the show is always free. In a separate encounter, my brother-in-law and running partner tells the story of a run-in of his over the weekend with what he thought was likely a litter of young long-tailed weasels along the Winsor - Big Tesuque Creek (not to be confused with black-footed ferrets, endangered and very rare). Bunch of little guys scurrying around, chirping, and looking lively. Looking for mice and squirrels I suppose. Something I've never seen in and around these parts so I imagine I'll plan to head up that way and take a look around.

Also up on the Winsor - near the Borrego junction - there have been sightings of bear as well as a lion and her cub. The lion was actually engaged in a brief chase of a descending mountain biker before the rider smartly dismounted and confronted the animal. His friend descending behind him scared the lion back into hiding. Lions are known to act aggressively toward children (small and vulnerable), and cyclists who are mistaken for deer. Think I'll take a pass on visiting the lions and with luck they won't eat up the weasel family. Be cool lions, be cool.

Lastly there was of course the bear attack up at the Valles Caldera this last weekend, though to be fair I’ve known of several sightings up that way (one was at a previous Valles Caldera Marathon event) that didn’t end in a mauling. Surprising a bear with her cub(s) shouldn't be on anyone's summer list. Glad to hear the runner is alright and hope she returns to the trails for easier miles before the winter months return.

Related (Animal) Posts:

- Bandelier Celebrates its 99th Year

- Edward Sargent Wildlife Area - Chama

- Nambe Creek - TR 160

Winsor along the Chamisa, Bear Wallow, and Borrego junctions

Nambe Creek - TR 160

Getting dirty

Got out for a nice backcountry excursion up in the Pecos Wilderness several months ago as the fall season rolled to a close. A long night reading by lamplight, followed by a beer-breakfast, followed by a long morning run in the montanas; The holy trinity. Thought it'd be fun to share here with photos and such.

The run starts from Aspen Ranch following Upper Borrego (TR150) over to the Nambe watershed, then up the creek (TR160) toward the high peaks. Saw a deer, an eagle, some cows, a hunter out looking for grouse, and even a couple of grouse (run little fellas!). Hadn't been out on these trails for a few years so I was excited for the adventure and new exploration.

Borrego at Rio en Medio

Into the burn area on Borrego. Notice the creek bed with several feet of silt, tree trunks snapped in two.

Just to confirm what I already knew, the Rio Nambe is still recovering from the massive Pacheco Canyon Fire (human caused) that burned through these parts a few years back. It will be recovering for some time. Pretty effing amazing what a fire can do. The area is spectacularly wrecked, even the trail is only just barely there along parts of the creek bed. It's gone entirely in other spots, decent route-finding skills are essential. Lots of downed trees and obstacles. In fact, I'd credit the summer herd of cattle up there for preserving any type of trail/passage at all. I often curse those damned cows, but there they were doing nice things for me. Nicely played cows. I smile uneasily and slow-clap your efforts. *clap....*clap....

Nambe creek at Borrego. Heavily channeled but not destroyed.

Upper Borrego junction, with burn scar tree trunks

Absolute ruin and moonscape up valley

Massive channeling of the creek bed

One of many widow makers still rocking in the breeze

Initial plans were to follow a route that included a climb up to La Vega and the Puerto Nambe saddle but slow-going through the Borrego fire wasteland forced my hand into bailing out and up at Nambe Trail (TR403). This is the dreaded Elevator Shaft. No, I would not recommend this route to others unless descending. Two miles, 2,000ft, ~45min - I suffered in silence but it was a crusher.

Side canyon from a north fork of the creek, scoured down to bedrock

A bit higher the 'trail' tunnels through new aspen saplings 

Junction with trail 403 up to Winsor (charcoaled). The immediate forecast: PAIN

The Elevator Shaft

Topped out on Upper Winsor (TR254). The faint whiff of cow crap down in the Nambe morphed into a faint whiff of dog crap up on the Winsor-Baldy freeway. Motored past a parade of at least two dozen hikers and their dogs over the one mile section descending down to the ski area and Rio en Medio Trail (TR163). I nodded and offered a good morning to all of them. It was a good morning by God, freaking beautiful up there.

Caught a few odd looks most likely because I happened to be running in jeans. The running shorts somehow didn't make it into the truck the night before. Fortunately shorts aren't required running equipment. Running shoes and beer are - and I sure as shit didn't overlook either of those. Interestingly, the extra leg-cover spared me a significant amount of lashing and thorn swipes from the overgrowth and off-trail running in the Nambe. So, best day ever to forget shorts. Sometimes you win some, and sometimes you win some. A very memorable morning.

Junction at Winsor and Rio en Medio, below the Ski area

Rio en Medio falls restore balance after the apocalypto nihilism of Nambe

Distance:  10mi
Max Elev:  10,800ft
Net Climbing:  2,500ft
Time:  2hr 42min

Related Posts:
 - Adventure on the Winsor Trail
 - Rio en Medio Winter Bike Descent
 - Scouting Backcountry Trails by Plane

Adventure on the Winsor Trail

Winsor Meadows

Had an interesting outing on the mountain bike this summer. Up at the crack of dawn with the plan of motoring up Winsor for the first time this year. Arrived at the Chamisa trailhead, rockin’ some Aerosmith (great band or best band?)*, when it became clear that a key piece of equipment didn't make the trip - my mtb shoes. Generally speaking, this wouldn't be a huge deal if I had been wearing shoes of some other type, however this was not the case. No, I had left the house wearing flip-flops for some strange reason. Effin’ flip-flops. FLIP-FLOPPPSSS!! [KAHHHNN!!] Desperation and denial stabbed at my mind: Can there be any imagined scenario in which Aerosmith wears flip-flops? No. fuck no. Not one. Well, there’s a lesson there. 

This is how this works - I have a sleeping 2yr old at home, so I have a short window at the break of dawn to run/ride/(ski sometimes) or, with searing remorse and regret I can rollover and go back to sleep. This being the case, driving back into town to get my shoes meant no long workout and probably no ride till the following weekend. An hour of running would have to replace cycling the Winsor as option A, and my mind that day was not calibrated toward running it was geared-up for cruising in the mountains on the summer’s first ride along the creek up the Winsor. 

So this happened…  >>>

There is literally a skull on my sock and a bell on my handlebars

Can’t possibly be the first time this has ever happened to someone heading out for a ride, am I right? This must happen all the time! How do folks generally resolve this kind of problem do you suppose? I reasoned that they probably just hope for the best, ignore the discomfort of missing gear, and ride - very carefully keeping an eye on toe-crushing rocks and tree branches. A very real danger that I'd simply never considered since it would otherwise be reckless to ride Chamisa/Winsor in open-toed shoes. (Sidenote: I have biked around at a party shoeless before. This is such a bad idea. I cannot caution strenuously enough how this should not be tried). 

Below Pacheco Canyon

Back to the current shady cycling story...Aside from potentially seriously injuring myself, my secondary concern was the possible embarrassment of seeing people see me riding along like a jagger in socks and flip-flops. Not a real danger, I calculated. Nobody’s going to be out this early on the middle stretches of Winsor. Wrong. I saw 23 people that morning [KAHHHNN!!]. 15 cyclists, 6 hikers including a woman who stopped me to ask if there was water up-trail for her dog, and 2 runners. I’m certain of this figure because I counted each one, my face screwed-up in a sideways cringe of awkwardness at each addition. 

It all worked out for me in the end, although I couldn't handle the steep climbing that leads up to NORSKI. I did see two ptarmigan (grouse) in one section, got too excited then veered off trail crashing into some bushes. There were also a few slips in technical sections where I pedaled out of my flop and had to avoid the pedal-whip-into-the-shin hazard. A very acceptable level of harm, all things considered. And it all makes for a good story as well as an important takeaway to share with others - that a cavalier attitude toward footwear has the potential to ruin your entire week. You’re welcome.

Old crossing at Bear Wallow, now much improved

Guerrilla-built drop above Pacheco. Since removed by the NFS

Firecracker penstemon

* I kid, i kid. Zeppelin will always be the best band, Halen a distant second.

Related Posts:

 - Trail Running on Winsor

 - Chamisa Trail
 - Scouting NM Running Trails by Plane

Chamisa Trail - Santa Fe, NM

Schroeder and dog cruise the aspen meadow

Got up early and ran out Chamisa last weekend with Schroeder and Therese, plus dog. We were the first truck at the trailhead, there were more than a dozen when we returned yet we saw only two hikers the whole morning. Such is the enduring mystery of trailhead math.

Chamisa is the most convenient summer trail in these parts. It's the nearest trail to town that's forested, so it's cool and shady when the summer temps peg above 85. The trailhead is only two miles up the road from Dale Ball and Little Tesuque, but that's enough to jump bio-zones from high desert to alpine forest. Importantly this includes tree cover, flowing water (Big Tesuque creek), and birds chirping in the canopy above. Lovely stuff.

The running and biking up there is rewarding but not without a challenge. Climbs and descents the whole way with very few flats. It's an easier go than the steeps of Little Tesuque and La Piedra a mile down the road but you've got to bring your climbing legs. 600+ ft climb from the trailhead to the saddle with Sidewinder. A marvelous descent down to the Winsor meadows, then another 650+ft of climbing up to the Bear Wallow/Borrego triangle. Only one creek crossing compared with the dozen fifteen or so below Chamisa, and there's generally very few folks out in this mid-section of Winsor, sometimes only a bicyclist or backpacker. The run back is pleasant until the climb back up to Sidewinder ridge, but it's relatively short and sweet after the long rest.

Distance:  7.7mi

Min Elev:  ~7,700ft

Max Elev:  ~8,480ft

Net climbing:  ~1,700ft

Daybreak on Sidewinder ridge (courtesy Google images)

Climbing Winsor into the day's first sun

Related Posts:

 - Chamisa Trail Loop (mtb)
 - Little Tesuque Trail
 - Lower Winsor


View Chamisa to Winsor Trail - Santa Fe, NM in a larger map

Elevation profile - roundtrip Chamisa to Borrego

Trail Improvements on Winsor and Galisteo Basin

There was a slowdown in visible trail construction around town this year but that's not to mean that our trails were just lying unloved. The Santa Fe Fat Tire Society and the Santa Fe Trails Alliance continue to add to our existing recreation trail network with trail-work days, volunteer training, and now bridge construction. At least two new bridges went up on the Winsor Trail this Fall (at Borrego and lower Winsor), and one existing bridge saw improvements. If you've volunteered with the SF Trails Alliance you'll recognize some of the tools in the video below. If you participated in last October's IMBA World Summit you'll recognize the red shirts.

There's at least one more month of riding (and running) left before snow settles in on the higher sections of the mountains, so there's time to get one last ride in on Winsor and check out the new work.



BorregoBridge from Santa Fe Fat Tire Society (Brent Bonwell) on Vimeo

Prepping the bridge work

New crossing on lower Winsor - completed

Sawing logs on upper Winsor. USFS certification is required to cut and remove
deadfall in the National Forest. These two have that. 

Kicking man-sized logs to the trail side like a boss(es)

Sheehan fending off an early winter, taking trail work to the next level

Recent Fall improvements included:
  - Needed work on the La Piedra Trail switchbacks to bring them back into shape
  - New 1mi-2mi section of trail in the Galisteo Basin Preserve
  - Clean up and improvements at La Tierra after Septembers flooding and erosion

Early Morning on the Mountain Bike - Chamisa Trail

Photos from this morning's ride on Chamisa and Sidewinder Trails. This linkup used to be one of the best cycling trails in town, it's now just one of many but still a personal favorite.

Patrick Smith Park w/ elm trees

Santa Fe River Preserve w/ willows

Dale Ball with juniper

Chamisa Trail w/ ponderosa

Sidewinder Trail w/ winds

Sidewinder w/ autumn scrub oak and my rig Big Blue

A look back at the peaks w/ pinon

A look down across the valley w/ pinon

Gets a bit steep near fence-line, steep enough to thieve the very life from the trees

Peering down canyon at Hyde Park Rd w/ beetle-downed tree

Little Tesuque, w/ willows and cedar

Goat head massacre back in town

Rail Trail > Santa Fe River Preserve > Dale Ball Central > Hyde Park Rd > Chamisa Trail > Sidewinder Trail > Little Tesuque Trail, Bishop's Lodge Rd > Arroyo Barranca > Rail Trail
Door to door: 2hrs 55min, ride time 2:45
Mileage: ~28mi
Highest Elev: 8,500


View Chamisa and Sidewinder Trails in a larger map

Scouting New Mexico Running Trails by Plane

Trail scoutin' time

One of my trail-running friends is a pilot and flight instructor who happens to own a plane. Recently Mike had this genius idea that we'd motor the plane above the foothills and scout some of the running trails from the air. Sounded pretty good to me but it was much better than good. Certainly one of the finer ideas I've been a part of in awhile, and the following is what we saw.

We got out on a perfect New Mexico summer evening for sight seeing and watching the sun chase the horizon. Fired up our little rocket and shot into the sky Chuck Yeager style - albeit with a propeller in place of sonic jet engines. Our initial flight path took us over Casa Dirt and the new trail underpass at St Francis Dr., then we headed out and over Museum Hill, then east toward Thompson Peak and the city reservoirs. This is a restricted area of the Santa Fe Watershed, restricted to hikers and what-not, but not to planes - suckas! Pretty phenomenal back there, the reservoirs were looking a bit low but the rains are now doing their best to fill them back up.

The Sangre de Cristos viewed from the McClure reservoir

Big Tesuque Creek and the Winsor Trail

The Pacheco Fire burn-scar and Santa Fe Baldy. Borrego Trail follows the drainage along the backside of the burned ridgeline at mid-photo. Upslope is green but the other half of the trail drainage is black. Erosion is undoubtedly a problem over that section of trail.

Close up of the Pacheco Fire damage. SF Baldy towers above.

Nambe Creek amid a charcoal forest. The Puerto Nambe saddle is clearly visible up canyon, SF Baldy (l), Lake Peak (r)

Nambe Creek - A close-up of the silting and flooding damage. That's all ash, silt, and debris.

From there, we headed north to gaze down on the Dale Ball and Winsor Trails. We sort of circled around trying to get a good look at the Piedra connector. We ventured higher and east-er to investigate the Pacheco Fire burn scar from last year's fire season. A lot was burned crispy, a lot was singed a little, and strangely there was some large areas that just seemed to have been left alone. Flooding damage (from ash and erosion) in the upper Nambe drainage there was pretty extensive. The section of Borrego Trail that runs from Aspen Ranch to Nambe Creek was torched on one side but untouched and green on the other. If I remember correctly this is where land managers believe the fire touched off. I need to get up there and check things out on foot.

The flight's true highlight (there were actually a lot of highlights) was investigating a five-year old timber blowdown way up in a remote section of the Pecos Wilderness. We found it up around 10,000ft just west of East Pecos Baldy, which is the second peak north from Santa Fe Baldy, south of the Truchas white-caps.

The forest blowdown, East Pecos Baldy in background

View from above the ridge

Finer detail - note the trees are just laid down whole

Finer detail. Note that those are mature 40-60ft tall ponderosa pine trees.

I had heard about the blowdown from an SFNF ranger (Miles Standish) but was not expecting to witness several square miles of giant ponderosas neatly fanned out on the ground like some odd Twilight Zone event. We circled around a bit to sort of absorb the scale of this madness, particularly in relation to the burn scars we'd just seen. We quickly concluded that had someone been on the ground when it happened there would have been no hope of survival - either you'd be dashed against a tree or rock, or crushed moments later, or perhaps both. Forest managers estimate a 100mph microburst of wind created this mess around the month of August, 2007. Capulin Trail 158 used to pass through the area but is now obliterated and will be abandoned.

Click through the map below to see detail of the blowdown event on Google satellite images. 



View Santa Fe National Forest Blowdown - Pecos Wilderness in a larger map

Mike carts folks out and above town nearly every day via hourly flying lessons. Skip the next obligatory gift of a tie for Father's Day or the birthday tool set or whatever and opt for something way more awesome like a few hours in the skies instead. Highly recommended. 

Mike's flight shop

Mike pilots through a banked turn - we removed the plane's doors for better viewing

Yours truly at the controls (note the sweat-seasoned running hat). I appear tense because I'm trying not to land my friend's plane in a juniper tree

Coming in low over Las Campanas. Sandia and Tetilla Peaks in the background