Click on any image for a larger view
It certainly doesn’t look like a canyon could exist between
the Acacia and Lemitar exits west of I-25.
I have heard of the San Lorenzo Canyon from several people, some of
which lived in Socorro several years.
Everyone recommends it.
There’s only a couple signs pointing the way, if you look
too hard you may miss them. After
leaving the paved frontage road you follow a westerly gravel road which turns
into a hard packed portion of a dried arroyo.
We saw several people driving their small SUVs as we followed the
track. This is not the place to visit
during the monsoon season since the road follows the arroyo for at least a
couple of miles. The area is flat for
the first few miles, as we were driving I was wondering if I had missed a turnoff. A BLM sign at the formal entrance to the park
assures us we are on the right track. After
three miles, low walls of a canyon start to appear. Another mile or so we were in the middle of
the canyon with walls stretching high above us with different rock formations
and different rocks in every direction.
The road comes to an abrupt end where a series of boulders
block everyone’s path. There is a small
stream flowing down the middle of the canyon from the recent snow. Laurie and I search for an easy path through
the boulders but none is found. We can
see the canyon opens up on the far side of the boulders but we decide to get a
top view of the area scrambling up a dried runoff between rounded mesas. We are on our own here; we did not find any type
of trail other than following hoof prints from horses; these serve as our ‘official
trail’ until we find another. Once on
top we have a 360° view of the area; I-25 and the Rio Grande valley to the
east, the mountains near Socorro to the south, open space to the west and
north. This little canyon is only a few
miles long being a part of the Rio Grande Rift.
The US Fish and Wildlife and detailed information on the canyon; https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/San%20Lorenzo%20Fact%20Sheet%202009%20reduced%20size.pdf
Laurie and I are hikers/wanderers; sometimes, but not always, we actually follow the trail. Returning the way we came is not an option for wanderers. From up here we can see our general destination;
the bottom of the canyon. Working our
way down we have to pick and choose our way.
Loose gravel, an occasional cactus and potential drop-offs command
our attention as we make our way to the canyon floor. We each scout out potential paths to the
bottom but more often than not we retreat back to a high spot searching for
plan B, C, D, … |
| Brownie with white icing, anyone? |
Once back on the canyon floor we follow the stream as it randomly
flows down the canyon, then disappears in the thick loose gravel several
hundred feet from where it appeared. As
we round a bend the stream reappears then disappears again and again until we
find our way back to the truck. Even
though we can see the truck we have to scramble over one last boulder field, the
one right next to the trail we made when we started our hike. At the last spot by the stream I notice how the
water pools but goes nowhere. I open one
side of the dam holding the pool to see it flow a few more feet then
sink back into the gravel.
We really only stuck to the main canyon this time. We saw many other options both on the drive
up and when we were looking down from our high perch.
More trips are needed.
Thank you for stopping by,
Mark
Nice!!! :)
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