View Full Version : Anyone hike in the desert?
desdemona
01-13-2008, 23:47
This is moderately high desert (altitude before you even climb anything is a mile-- same as Denver, btw). We have a neat little mountain 'range' nearby called the Sandias. (Actually the top of the Sandias changes climate zones
and is more like Alpine stuff with pine forests and the like, but I haven' t gone that high.)
It's very dry (I think we get 5 inches of precipitation a year average). So of course there are the problems of hydration and sun exposure. Nice thing-- no bugs. OTOH, we have some annoying little sticky plants and the prickly pears. I got off the trail by accident and ended up in a whole thicket of some sort of sticky plant. Getting rid of them? Burning my clothes comes to mind.
Still I am having fun. Haven't gotten good, but have discovered mildish scrambling. Crawl up using your hands and go down on your butt like a slide. All interesting activities for a woman of my advanced age. :D
I can't believe all this great natural beauty is available just a bit over walking distance away, is free (or nearly so-- minus equipment), and most of the city is not out here (thank goodness).
--des
Sure, I hike in deserts in AZ, S. Cal., NV, and UT. I see you've found out the desert isn't really deserted. It's got a surreal beauty and solitude U don't find every where else, but SHHH don't tell every one!
I hiked lots of CDT in NM but haven't down the Sandias yet although I've spent some time in Albuquerque. I'll be passing through in the next couple weeks any snow up there yet, at what altitude?
Oh yeah, add the deserts on the PCT, Red Desert in WY twice and Superstition Mountains in AZ. Will be going to Death Valley soon. I like the desert.
My parents lived in Santa Fe until a few years ago. Great hiking around there. The Dale Ball Trails were a terrific addition to the local day-hiking scene.
New Mexico is one of my favorite places! But I'm prejudiced, since I was born there.
_terrapin_
01-14-2008, 09:36
New Mexico is one of my favorite places! But I'm prejudiced, since I was born there.
My wife and I did a day hike down into the gorge of the Rio Grande, at some park north of Taos, in fall of 2006. It was gorgeous. Some photos here (http://www.terrapinphoto.com/cpg143/thumbnails.php?album=7). I'd go back in a flash.
Hiked in the deserts on the CDT, PCT and in Utah.
The Red Rock country of New Mexico and Utah was some of my favorite hiking, ever.
It ha been almost two years since I've been to Utah. :(
I've hiked in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Absolutely love the desert, it's the only place I've ever actually felt like I escaped civilization completely. Also have to agree with Mags, red rock country is awesome. So is the back country in the Grand Canyon. There are plenty of beautiful trails there that no one knows about. Hopefully I can make it out there this year. School's killing my finances.:)
desdemona
01-14-2008, 16:22
I hiked lots of CDT in NM but haven't down the Sandias yet although I've spent some time in Albuquerque. I'll be passing through in the next couple weeks any snow up there yet, at what altitude?
Oh yeah, add the deserts on the PCT, Red Desert in WY twice and Superstition Mountains in AZ. Will be going to Death Valley soon. I like the desert.
CDT?? Yeah there's snow. I'd say a bit higher than I am (1 mile). I'm guessing 10,000 there is bound to be some (I'm not sure exactly). There is skiing on the top of the Sandias with something like 75% open right now.
We could meet up if you don't mind slower hikers.
Yeah I love the desert. except for them sticky thingies.
--des
I got started as a hiker in Arizona - day trips and weekend backpacking trips near Phoenix, AZ. There is sooo much public land out there...meaing free and empty.
Many ways to die in the desert though, so exercise caution....dehydration (bring a gallon per day per person and don't rely on sources flowing, especially given ongoing drought conditions), overheating (in hot deserts like around Phoenix), sun poisoning (which I had once, WITHOUT a sunburn or without dehydration), severe sunburn or burns on the bottoms of your feet (can get up to 3rd degree burns), etc.
Not to discourage you...I dappled in all of these dangers, and have survived to tell of it.
Also, once I got too close to a jumping cholla and spent the better part of an hour pulling spines out of my butt. Ouch! Much to the amusement of my husband.
CDT=continential diviide trail. I did grad research in island in the sky in utah. loved it!
CDT=continential diviide trail. I did grad research in island in the sky in utah. loved it!
Ooh, Island in the Sky was one of the prettiest places I saw in Utah, second only to Capitol Reef. Dead Horse State Park (great names out west) at sunrise is just unbelievable. Hundreds of square miles of absolutely nothing but red rock colored by the rising sun, with the Colorado and Green rivers for contrast.
fiddlehead
01-14-2008, 23:27
I've been desert hiking since '95 and love it.
I was lucky enough to be taught by a good friend of mine many important things about desert hiking: how to find water, how to conserve water, what "sticky plants" to watch out for and which ones are fairly safe. (this is important for bushwhacking of course and most of them are ok, but those few that are not can really make your trip a disaster), etc.
We often don't take a tent. we camp in some of the most beautiful places cause once you find out that you don't need water to camp near, you start searching out the high cliffs and fabulous view spots instead.
Yes, the high desert of NM is cold from what i remember (2 cdt hikes) I had minus 3 deg fahrenheit going into the lava flows south of grants (forget the name of that forest service land, El Malpais or something?) but like you said, it's dry and clear and the views were great.
Enjoy. Cholla are the worst! give them lots of space! and if you do get jabbed by one, don't try to shake them all out, you'll only get more.
Jim Adams
01-14-2008, 23:43
**** the desert!
hain't no desert on the AT!
geek
ps. BTW, ***the desert! is the new tattoo that i'm getting.
if you happen to ride the cog railway, you'll probably get to see it!!!!
Jim Adams
01-14-2008, 23:47
BTW, if you hike in the desert and especially the PCT and you are against mooning, don't stop at the Anderson's.....aka Casa de Luna!
geek
Cholla are the worst! give them lots of space! and if you do get jabbed by one, don't try to shake them all out, you'll only get more.
Jumping cactus! How do they do that? I got nailed a couple in the Superstitions. They hurt! :mad:
desdemona
01-15-2008, 00:40
I got started as a hiker in Arizona - day trips and weekend backpacking trips near Phoenix, AZ. There is sooo much public land out there...meaing free and empty.
Many ways to die in the desert though, so exercise caution....dehydration (bring a gallon per day per person and don't rely on sources flowing, especially given ongoing drought conditions), overheating (in hot deserts like around Phoenix), sun poisoning (which I had once, WITHOUT a sunburn or without dehydration), severe sunburn or burns on the bottoms of your feet (can get up to 3rd degree burns), etc.
Not to discourage you...I dappled in all of these dangers, and have survived to tell of it.
Also, once I got too close to a jumping cholla and spent the better part of an hour pulling spines out of my butt. Ouch! Much to the amusement of my husband.
That plant mighta been a cholla, yikes. Nasty! Aside from that, I am not doing backpacking-- this is daypacking. And Albuquerque isn't as hot as Phoenix, even at its worst. Still I wear/carry sunscreen even in winter, and also wear sunglassess for UV. I have never seen any source of water other than a trickle or two.
Sorry guys, I introduced myself in the intro. Was looking for a serious high traffic site that wasn't solely rock climbing or long distance. There just isnt' that much. Someone sent me a Utah site that may be a bit more relevant terrain wise. Anyway I just decided to crash your party! :-)
This is an other trails thread anyway.
--des
Lone Wolf
01-15-2008, 08:06
I hiked and camped here once. great. http://www.nps.gov/archive/pefo/Wilderness_V_Tour_2/wild_home.htm
tallfran
01-15-2008, 08:08
I'm another fan of the high desert southwest. Spend about two weeks out there this past August. On my first day, I took the tram to the top of Sandia Peak and hiked the La Luz trail down. It just about killed me. I think the living at sea level was part of it, but it was also very hot after I got out of the Alpine zone into the open sun. Luckily I had taken a lot of water.
Spend 2 nights at the hostel in Albuquerque, one night at the hostel in Santa Fe, 5 nights at Ghost Ranch up at Abiquiu, 2 nights at the hostel in Taos, and 2 nights at the hostel in Cuba. It was a wonderful trip. I hiked all those places except Santa Fe, and just wasn't there long enough.
BTW, there are some very nice trails up at Ghost Ranch. It is open to the public.
Spirit Walker
01-15-2008, 11:51
I've done a fair amount of desert hiking. I was raised in Arizona, hiked the CDT and PCT, and have wandered a bit in southern Utah and northern NM. Each desert (Mojave, Chihuahua, Sonora and Great Basin) is different - each has its own beauty. The hardest to hike in, to my mind, is Sonoran desert because the plant life is so lush. If you wander off trail everything bites and you really can't touch much. The great basin is a dry sage grassland which is fairly easy hiking, except when the cheat grass is in seed. NM's Chihuahuan desert was also easy to do cross country because it was so incredibly dry there was little vegetation. OTOH, northern NM has a lot of lava, which can make walking difficult. But it's beautiful.
Des - backpacker.com has a number of NM people in it's southwest forum.
desdemona
01-15-2008, 16:21
I've done a fair amount of desert hiking. I was raised in Arizona, hiked the CDT and PCT, and have wandered a bit in southern Utah and northern NM. Each desert (Mojave, Chihuahua, Sonora and Great Basin) is different - each has its own beauty. The hardest to hike in, to my mind, is Sonoran desert because the plant life is so lush. If you wander off trail everything bites and you really can't touch much. The great basin is a dry sage grassland which is fairly easy hiking, except when the cheat grass is in seed. NM's Chihuahuan desert was also easy to do cross country because it was so incredibly dry there was little vegetation. OTOH, northern NM has a lot of lava, which can make walking difficult. But it's beautiful.
Des - backpacker.com has a number of NM people in it's southwest forum.
Any nonbackpackers (though I think this here is mostly backpackers!)??
Yeah be useful to figure out how to get out the little stickers, etc. if this is possible. As well as desert orientated safety.
There are a lot of plants here. Also very rocky and lots of loose pebbles and sand, which is a problem since I haven't gotten my new shoes broken in. There are areas with lots of lava, but I am not really hiking there (at least right now). MOst of where I go is accessible minutes from my house, which is such a cool thing. All this great stuff and I only need to get out of the house!! Day hiking appeals to me, I don't have to pack much and am ready to go pretty fast. So I can just get out there!
--des
Spirit Walker
01-15-2008, 19:06
Most backpackers also do dayhikes. It's all good.
Patrickjd9
01-15-2008, 19:19
This is moderately high desert (altitude before you even climb anything is a mile-- same as Denver, btw). We have a neat little mountain 'range' nearby called the Sandias. (Actually the top of the Sandias changes climate zones
and is more like Alpine stuff with pine forests and the like, but I haven' t gone that high.)
I did a modest day hike on Sandia Peak in the summer of 2006 on the Sunday afternoon before a business trip in Albuquerque.
I was hiking at 10,000 feet about 3 hours after getting on a plane in Houston:eek:. Yes, I know it was crazy--I stopped at the snack bar after about an hour and stopped for about an hour chatting with college professor I met there.
After the break and a second dose of Advil, I finished up my hike of 4-5 miles.
desdemona
01-15-2008, 23:03
I did a modest day hike on Sandia Peak in the summer of 2006 on the Sunday afternoon before a business trip in Albuquerque.
I was hiking at 10,000 feet about 3 hours after getting on a plane in Houston:eek:. Yes, I know it was crazy--I stopped at the snack bar after about an hour and stopped for about an hour chatting with college professor I met there.
After the break and a second dose of Advil, I finished up my hike of 4-5 miles.
You guys are doing serious altitude changes here. I think people who move here must spend a couple months getting really used to the elevation. When I first moved here my nose bleed at the slightest twitch. The next year I was carrying eye drops everywhere. Still I'm not moving back to Chicago. Still not everybody has a couple months.
BTW, Sandias mean "watermelon mountain". The name is from the color the mountains take at sunset.
--des