The Valles Caldera Preserve, (VC) has recently been incorporated into
the National Parks System. Operating
under the new government entity has brought new fees and new access. Byron suggested we visit before throngs of
people take advantage of the new system.
To find out more about the Valles Caldera go to http://www.vallescaldera.gov/
New Mexico has been enjoying a wet May, the first in many
years; with drought conditions receding across the state. We knew
we would be taking a chance on the back roads of the Preserve when we saw the
National Weather Service reported that a half inch of rain fell the previous
day. Actually as we drove out of the
Jemez Valley approaching the VC we saw a dusting of snow along the way. Great photography awaits.
Before we arrive at the visitor center we stop to shoot the
dusted landscape. We made reservations
for one of the limited number of back road passes; but they are given away if
you don’t get there by a certain time.
As we are shooting several cars go by; we look at each other hoping that
the last car that just passed us is not the one that gets the last back road
pass for today.
Walking into the visitor center we find out that there are
still several unspoken for back road passes.
After registering, signing a release and paying our entrance fee we
turned on our GPSs and begin our drive into the heart of the Preserve. I have seen sections of the Preserve on
guided tours but never on my own. Byron
has been here before on one of his fishing expeditions with a number of other avid
fly fishermen. It’s a 12 mile graded gravel
road between the Visitor Center and the junction at the San Antonio Creek. Passing through the trees and on the west
sides of some of the small lava domes we come across melting snow forming
rivulets along and across our road depending on the slope. We pass several of these domes that have
grown out of the bottom of the caldera. The
road is quite good; I would want a truck or some other type of high clearance
vehicle to make this drive. In dry conditions I would attempt it with my 2WD
Ford Ranger; but I would want a 4WD in wet or the promise of wet conditions: the
monsoon season.
On the way to the San Antonio Creek Road we made many
stops photographing vistas and vignettes.
Small streams flow through each of the valleys we cross. Other locations have groves of healthy
looking pines standing next to skeletons of trees left over from one of the
recent fires that have passed through the area.
In all it took us over 90 minutes to go 12 miles to the junction with the
San Antonio Creek Road.
The creek is muddy from all the recent rains but Byron is
game to try his luck fishing. His backup
plan is photography. He covered both bases
bringing his fly fishing and photography backpacks. It’s a good thing we won’t be wandering far
from the car today. The Creek winds back
and forth more that we are familiar with and Byron can fish 100 feet of stream
but is only another 25 feet away from me as the crow flies. We can see the water level is up from normal;
there are grasses and small shrubs in the flow of the river that would normally
be high and dry.
After a while when we have had our fill of fishing and
photography we pack up to explore another location for a different view of the
valley. This spot is in the center of
the valley providing a 360° view of the valley and creek. Being 100’ above the valley floor reveals the
creek’s circuitous route. This valley is
remarkable; it’s only about 6 miles long by 1 mile or so wide, so it is not
huge. The thing that grabs my attention
is that it still looks pristine. There
are a limited number of gravel roads and only a building or two in the entire valley. You can also see some tracks cut into the
sides of some of the domes for logging.
Other than ranching this area has pretty much been untouched. 
Our next stop takes us east, upstream. On the way to the
east end of the road the valley narrows then opens into another, wider
valley. The creek is not more than a
couple feet wide at the end of the road, but it is relatively clear even with all
the rain. We are not able to follow the creek
to its headwaters mainly because we saved visiting this part of the creek to
the end of the day. Byron, skunked
earlier today regarding fishing, has to get out the fly rod for one more
try. With the creek being clearer here
he feels he has a chance for a trout. We
know we have to start back in less than 40 minutes or we may miss getting out of
the Preserve before the gates close. I
put on my backpack, place my camera on its tripod and head off for a few more
photos. Byron pulls out the rod, preps
the line and heads to the creek.
Elk must frequent this area, all along the creek are fresh
elk droppings; unfortunately they are somewhere else this afternoon.
As I find the high ground looking down on where Byron is
fishing he excitedly calls me on the radio “I caught a trout”. I can hear the joy in his voice, as I aim my
camera to shoot a fly fishing image of Byron, he disappears. I look around and see him running off to the
car, then running back to his spot on the water. When I asked him about it later he admitted
that he left his camera behind not feeling particularly positive about pulling
in a trout in this water, in the short period of time we had before leaving. By the time I hiked back to the car he had
caught two more large trout. Returning to the car he was
grinning from ear to ear.
Not knowing how long it takes to get back we decide to start
90 minutes before closing. We got back
to the visitor center in 50, no photo ops on the way back.
As the sun moves off to the west and the dark gray clouds
move in we stop at the East Fork of the Jemez.
The river is at least 15 feet wide, flowing fast and clear. Byron wants to fish one last time today. I decided to try some closeup photography of
some of the flora along the river. After
walking in a few hundred feet I started sinking into the very wet marsh. I decided that maybe I should try some long
exposure imagery from the bridge instead.
While shooting from the bridge the local redwing blackbirds are coming
and going and watching me. Their singing
takes me back to when our family went camping and we heard them all the time.
This has been a good day.
Thank you for stopping by,
Mark
WOW totally missed this post, these pics are breathtaking!
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