News:
Valles Caldera Rim Trail Update
November 2011
In July 2011, an aspen tree fell over a power line near Las Conchas in the Jemez Mountains. It was a time of drought and high winds in northern New Mexico. The Las Conchas Fire eventually burned over 153,000 acres across the mountain range, by far the largest wildfire ever recorded in the state. The fire consumed the eastern half of the rim of the Valles Caldera, from Peralta Ridge on the south rim, across the entire east rim above Los Alamos, to Garita Gate midway on the north rim. A few sections of the burn are spotty, but the forests on most of the rim and sides of the caldera were severely burned. From what we can see from the floor of the caldera, the trees resemble stark, black toothpicks silhouetted against the sky.
At this writing in the first autumn after the July-August burn, the U. S. Forest Service and the Board of Trustees of the Valles Caldera National Preserve have closed the burn area to all entry. They give no indication of when the areas may be reopened. So we don’t know the extent of the damage and may not for some time. However, we can say with certainty that, someday, the views from the rim will be truly spectacular without all those trees to hide the vistas.
In 2010, New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman introduced a bill to transfer the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. Bingaman’s bill includes a provision for the park service to study the feasibility of a rim trail. The bill was included in a public lands omnibus bill with many similar land units. The larger bill died in the U. S. Congress before it could be acted upon before December 31, 2010. Senator Bingaman reintroduced the preserve bill in spring of 2011. Unfortunately, the new omnibus bill is stalled in controversy over management of other areas and is unlikely to be acted upon in 2011. Transfer of the preserve to the park service was of special concern to Senator Bingaman, who has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2012. His proposed transfer may well die with his departure.
According to the legislation establishing the Valles Caldera National Preserve, the Board of Trustees has until 2015 to prove that the preserve can become financially self-sufficient. Subsequent boards have made heroic efforts, but it has become clear that such an objective cannot be achieved. The legislation states that the property will then revert to the U. S. Forest Service.
In the meantime, the Board of Trustees governs management of the preserve. The board and staff are incrementally loosening up on public access on the floor of the caldera. (You still cannot drive your personal vehicle.) A rim trail is not on their horizon. And so, we will continue to nag.
On May 26th, 2009, Dorothy Hoard and Greg Kendall visited with the New Mexico Delegation's Staff at Senator Bingaman's office in Santa Fe. The new Executive Director of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Gary Bratchers setup the meeting and has been very supportive, so far, of the Rim Trail Concept. (Terry McDermott, the Preserves commmunications and marketing manager has also been assisting.) This is a nice turn around from the past and may be an indication of forward progress in the future. The purpose of the meeting was to gain staff support for the Rim Trail project and then to later have staff gain the support of the Delegation. We are waiting to hear back from the Delegation.
Dorothy created a report to present at this meeting. It's rather large so be patient when downloading:
VCNP_Rim Overview Cover (3 MB) - This is a cover page with mostly photos.
VCNP_All_RimOverviewReport (21 MB) - This is the report itself. (Slow to download.)
Dorothy Hoard has created three proposals and a report that will be presented to the Valles Caldera National Preserve management (all in pdf format). They are rather large files so you'll have to be patient as they download.:
North Rim Viewpoints Proposal (11 MB)
Rabbit Ridge Trail Proposal (14 MB)
Cerro Grande to Pajarito Mountain Trail Proposal (9 MB)
VCNP Rim Report (45 MB) (Very slow to download.)
Additional comments by a Rim Trails supporters may be read here:
http://vallescalderarim.blogspot.com/2008/12/valles-caldera-national-preserve-rant.html
http://vallescalderarim.blogspot.com/2008/12/give-your-feedback-on-public-use-and.html
An Introduction
to the
- VALLES CALDERA RIM TRAILS -
The Jemez is a small mountain range located in north-central New Mexico west of Santa Fe and northeast of Albuquerque. A single paved road crosses the mountains. At the center of the range is a caldera, a bowl-shaped collapsed volcanic structure formed by eruptions from multiple volcanic vents. The caldera is not particularly large—12 to 15 miles in diameter—and it is quite young, only 1.2 million years old. Consequently, it has not had time to erode away; it looks like a volcanic crater.
Over the years, various parts of the Jemez Mountains gained recognition for scenic and cultural values. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson established Bandelier National Monument; in 1965, Congress established the San Pedro Parks Wilderness; in 1990, Congress established the East Fork of the Jemez River as a Wild and Scenic River; in 1993, Congress set aside the Jemez National Recreation Area; in 1998 Congress declared Sate Road 4 the Jemez National Scenic Byway; in 2000, Congress authorized purchase of a private ranch occupying approximately eighty-five percent of the caldera to establish a national preserve. During all this time, various environmental laws forced federal agencies to manage their holdings in sustainable ways that mitigated logging, grazing, and mining activity in the Jemez Mountains.
The caldera is the most striking of all these features. A series of large grasslands fill the floor of the crater, surrounded by steep walls covered with dense forests. The grassy valleys (Spanish: valles) give the caldera and the preserve their names: Valles Caldera National Preserve. With the Jemez Mountains well established as a prime recreation area and the caldera acknowledged as a feature of national significance, the rim of the caldera becomes an object of interest.
One can speculate on the nature of human genes that motivate hikers to climb the highest mountains and traverse the highest ridges, but one cannot deny their existence. The concept of trails around the rim of a world class caldera really needs no other rationalization than this: because it’s there. With the federal purchase of the preserve, those of us who traveled parts of the rim over the years and wondered about the rest, suddenly have the opportunity to act on a grand dream: a set of trails completely around the caldera.
The task is hardly simple and straightforward. Five entities own parts of the rim, each with different missions, management directives, priorities, and budgets. Three owners—Bandelier National Monument, Santa Fe National Forest, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve—are federal agencies faced with daunting environmental regulations, conflicting demands from the public they serve, and chronic underfunding. One owner, the Pueblo of Santa Clara, is a separate nation with ancient spiritual ties to the mountains and a strong drive to protect their boundaries. The fifth, the Pajarito Mountain Ski Club, a non-profit corporation, concentrates on providing its members and customers a quality recreational facility. The ski club generously allows hiking on their property in the off-season.
The rim is approximately 78 miles in circumference. Many of the 51 miles belonging to the Santa Fe National Forest already have trails or abandoned logging roads. The Valles Caldera National Preserve either owns or shares the remaining 27 miles of rim with other agencies. It has no trails; it is too new to have completed all the necessary regulatory planning and compliance.
I recommend these references:
- Valles Caldera Map and Geologic History of the Southwest’s Youngest Caldera by Kirt Kempter and Dick Huelster, High Desert Field Guides. A map only, available locally at bookstores
- Valle Grande: A History of the Baca Location No.1 by Craig Martin, All Seasons Publishing.
- Hiking Adventures in Northern New Mexico by Joan and Gary Salzman, Adventuras Publishing, LLC. Several of the Salzmans’ hikes are along the caldera rim.
- Ski touring in New Mexico by Sam Beard and Cross-Country Skiing in Northern New Mexico by Kay Matthews have trails along the rim.
With each map section is my personal assessment of existing and potentials trails around the rim of the Valles Caldera. We welcome other views and will try to find a way to incorporate them.
Dorothy Hoard, Los Alamos, New Mexico.
October 2007
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