Julianne led us on a great loop hike through one of the Dale Ball Open Space Areas in the foothills east of Santa Fe. We began the hike at the St. John's College trailhead along the neighborhood of some ~$2 million homes before entering the Open Space Area. The trails were all clearly mapped and numbered so it was very easy to follow the trail up to Picacho Peak, the highest point of our hike at an elevation of 8,577 feet with an elevation gain of ~1200 feet. Usually not that hard of a hike for us...but I felt my lungs trying to break through my chest as I had been at sea level for a month prior to this hike. We had great views of Santa Fe, the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo Mountains along the trail...and our lunch spot at the top of Picacho Peak...well, talk about a room with a view!!! After lunch we passed by some beautiful pegmatite rocks and there were quite a few of us gathering rocks to bring home. The hike was about 6.25 miles.
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| The Hoofers: kneeling, Karen and Judi P.; Second row: Jennise, Judy A., Sally, Kathleen, Helene, and Jean; Last row: Ginny, Julianne (our leader extraordinaire) Barb, and Jan. |
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| And Rose, after 3 times trying to get me in a group picture with all those Hoofers --I just gave up! |
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| Heading out on what appears to be an overcast day, but the weather just kept getting better |
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| Note the 2 brand new turkey feathers on my hat! |
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| A beautiful bunch of fall Asters!! |
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| Riddell's Groundsel |
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| Fall Colors |
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| This mailbox was encased in petrified wood |
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| Silvery Lupine |
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| Reaching the trails |
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| The black rocks are "mafic" which are a dark-colored granite younger than some of the other rocks in the area. They were "emplaced" into the gneiss, but are still Pre-Cambrian. |
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| View of a rock outcropping |
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| A bit of fall color amongst the evergreens |
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| The trunk of a very large fir tree |
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| Views along the trail |
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| A huge Ponderosa Pine |
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| One of the many trail maps along the way. Our hike began on the Cruz Blanca Trail (highest trail on bottom left) then we passed by the following numbered markers in this order: 43,42,32,31, and then climbing the switchbacks to Picacho Peak (our lunch spot), then to 34, and 35 to the St. John's Trail which led us through a major arroyo back to the cars. |
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| The long, hard climb to Picacho Peak |
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| It just keeps going up! |
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| Stopping to enjoy the views |
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| Fall colors below |
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| A small trickle of spring water flows along the boulders |
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| Scarlet Gilia (Skyrocket) |
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| The swirls of various layers of flowing minerals forming this beautiful rock |
Taken from Julianne's description:
" the pink and white veins are indeed “simple” pegmatites. That means large crystals of ordinary minerals, nothing unusual. Those that we saw consisted mainly of quartz (white and gray) and alkali (potassium) feldspar (pink). "
"This igneous melt slipped along fractures in the older “coarse-grained, foliated biotite rich granitic gneiss”. Gneiss is a banded, metamorphic rock. Foliated means banded - where the rock has been re-heated and put under pressure so that like minerals group together and align their directions. This was the folded and banded rock that had the younger pegmatite veins in it."
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| A beautiful sample but a bit too large to pick up and haul home |
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| Finally we reach Picacho Peak !! |
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| I was not the only one taking pictures! |
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| I told you it was a room with a view! |
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| Enjoying lunch, the views and conversations: Jennise and Barb |
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| Helene and Jan |
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| Jean and Julianne |
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| Karen, Judi A., Kathleen and Ginny |
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| Sally and Judi A. |
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| and Rose, so happy thinking that the rest of the hike is downhill! |
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| Jemez Mountains in the distance |
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| Zooming in on a building I was told was a chapel |
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| The campus of St. John's College |
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| More views from Picacho Peak |
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| And now, the downward trek |
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| Wooly Mullein |
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| Bahia (Yellow Ragweed) |
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| Nice Lichen on the feldspar rock |
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| The heart-shaped pool in a huge boulder that Jennise couldn't see so this picture is for her! |
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| Great rock, great sample, just a bit too heavy... |
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| Right now I am kicking myself for not taking this rock home with me |
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| Wilderness boundary fence |
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| Return hike is through an arroyo |
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| Hooker's Evening Primrose |
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Near trail's end.... a great hike on a day that turned out beautiful as well...and a pocket full of pretty rocks for me and some special friends!
This hike and blog posting is dedicated to a great friend and sister Hoofer, Jane, who would have been with us today if she could... we all love you Jane, you are a great inspiration to all of us with your ability to hike even the most difficult of hikes.
Keeping you in our hearts always!
The Happy Hoofers |
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