Rio Redux

May 30

I was thoroughly refreshed after a good night's  sleep among the juniper. The morning took me along the base of big hills. Ahead, I could see the Sangre de Cristos looming. I could see sunlight reflecting off the roofs of Questa, the town I'd be resupllying in that evening. 

What I could not see was the Rio Grande, as it was hidden deep within its canyon. Today I'd cross the Rio for the second time, and the prospect had me pretty nervous. The first crossing had been challenging but doable, but it had been further downstream, where the river is wide and deep. My concern was that it would be rapids here. If I couldn't cross, I'd have to hike an extra 17 miles to get to a bridge, and then 17 miles back to the trail.At the rim, past a confusing sign ordering me to read my special trout-water proclamation, I peered down. Some rapids, yes. A stretch of pretty flat water too. Hmm. I polled my inner danger barometer, and found that today, adventure was a winner. Let's do this!

 

I picked my way down to the river, avoiding some poison oak along the banks. There was a nice fifty-foot stretch of fast but flat water; that would have to be enough to get me across. I found a nice sunny spot, assembled my paddle, inflated my raft, and tossed my pack inside. A couple deep breaths and then Inwas out into the current.

Getting out into the middle of the river was easy, as the current drew me in. Getting to the other side took a bit longer, but it worked. By gum, it worked! I kind of can't believe my crazy packraft plan actually panned out.

 

I started to pick my way downstream, as my map showed a trail up out of the canyon in less than a mile. But the travel along the canyon bottom was rough, very brushy, so I just climbed up to the rim. 

Quick political aside: This canyon and the surrounding land is all a National Monument. The Rio Grande del Norte Monument is, in fact, one of the monuments that our current minority-rule junta has said they want to open to development. If you are reading this, please go and comment that you'd like this natural gem to retain its protection! The danger is real with this administration. They have made it abundantly clear that they do not give a rats ass about conserving our natural heritage. They may not care about public comment, either, but we can at least try. Opening this to development would not bring lots of jobs; there's abundant grazing all around it, and with the closing of a nearby molybdenum mine, the resource extraction industry has just given up on this land. It's just a sop to the paramilitary Bundy dickheads.

Ahem, where were we? Right, up on the eastern rim of the canyon. I followed the rim for a mile or so, then picked up a dirt road into the hills. I tried the door of an odd little brick building at the side of the road, and it opened. Inside was a water spigot. I felt a little like a cat burglar, except I was not at all sneaky and I was just stealing water. 

The road turned into a trail, and the trail took me up over a ridge and down into Questa. I rolled into town, nabbed a mean green chile burger at the Wildcat's Den, and got a room. Laundry, shower, grocery resupply and feeding took up the rest of the day. After dark, I walked over to the Stop n Go, a convenience store-cum-bar, and played a couple racks of pool by myself. In case you're ever there: The copy of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk in the jukebox doesn't work.