Trip Recap: Cranes, Cliff Dwellings, Coyotes and a Caldera
Earlier this month, Staci and I went on an epic 4-day road trip in southern Colorado and New Mexico to shake things up from our typical ski-all-the-time winter weekend pattern. We had a simple plan: see the Sandhill Cranes migration and visit the cliff dwellings at Bandelier National Monument near Sante Fe. Little did we know starting out how much fun this minivacation would be and just how many incredible things we would happen upon along the way.
Day 1
On Wednesday, March 5th after a full day of work, we made a quick stop at Five Guys and started our trip with a short three-ish hour drive South to car camp (sleep in the back of my 4Runner) at Russell Lakes Wildlife Area off of Highway 285. This wildlife area is billed on The Dyrt as “an accessible parking lot with a nice view”. The description was accurate as there is a pit toilet available, but no running water or other amenities. When we pulled in at 11 pm, it was windy, and the real feel was slightly below freezing. The wind kept us up more than traffic going by though and there were no other cars in the parking lot all night long. We dealt with the wind by keeping the windows barely cracked and slept decently well with no condensation accumulating in the car (something of a miracle). All in all, it was a great first evening on the road. Before leaving the next morning to search for Sandhill Cranes, we got to witness an incredible sunrise filled with purple, orange and blue clouds framing Crestone Peak and the mountain range behind Great Sand Dunes National Park.
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Day 2
Going into this trip I made the assumption that Sandhill Cranes would be much like owls, another of my favorite birding subjects (also read nemesis species): hard to find. This assumption couldn’t have been further from reality. With over 20,000 cranes migrating through the area at peak weekend, they are incredibly easy to locate, even as a first-time visitor. I had done some research prior to the trip in the form of reading blogs and guides, and I had three spots picked out to look for the not-so-Wiley birds. I knew they would be closest to the roads and most active close to sunrise and sunset. I also determined that three of the best places to view them would be the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, Home Lake, and a field off of State Route 15. Every one of these locations was a hit on March 6th when we arrived in the San Luis Valley as the birds flew (or in many cases, blew) around the three locations throughout the day.
While watching birds, especially non-predatory species, may seem like a less-than-entertaining activity, there were a few things that added a bit of spice to our birding adventure. The wind gusted at around 35 mph all day long and while cranes are incredibly graceful flyers, even they had some awkward and hilarious teetering landings. To further add to the entertainment, we got to witness bald eagles and peregrine falcons harassing the big, migratory birds. Every so often we’d see a cluster of cranes take to the skies and we determined it was because of the inter-species, predator/prey, interaction. If you have never tried birding, know it is one of the most popular hobbies across the globe, especially with the right tools. I recommend bringing a decent set of binoculars and love my set from Athlon Optics. I also highly recommend a super-telephoto lens if you’re a photographer like me. I use a Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 and it has served me well for all wildlife expeditions.
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Midway through that first full day of adventures Staci and I decided to take a break in town since the birds were becoming less active. As both of us love mochas, we made the short drive into Monte Vista and visited a breakfast spot called Don Tomas Bakery and Breakfast. While we struck out on the mochas, at the restaurant we discovered FRESHLY MADE DONUTS and some delightful Mexican breakfast food. I wouldn’t mention it in this blog if I didn’t recommend you also stopping in…
With lunch out of the way and still five hours until sunset, I wanted to visit our second scheduled campsite - Alamosa Campground which is 12 miles from Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. Alas after making it most of the way there, with winter weather rolling in we decided to camp elsewhere, away from deeply rutted mud. As this was a trip with just our vehicle and nobody else to pull us out if we got stuck, we wanted to make the safe decision that would allow us to continue our adventure over the next three days. That night we chose to drive roughly an hour to Lake Como Road, a reliably good, disbursed, camping area near Great Sand Dunes National Park.
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Day 3
Having decided that we had seen enough Sandhill Cranes, Staci and I were excited to get down to New Mexico. We chose to drive down Highway 285 instead of I-25 to the Santa Fe area and that was 1,000% the correct call. On the way we saw many rural towns and communities, each with their own personality. There was a high school right off the highway at one point that we assume has to be the only one for the entire county with how few houses there were nearby. We got to see mesas, massive red rock formations, and an assortment of geologies that are not found anywhere in Colorado save for maybe the Garden of the Gods. Lesson learned, take more roads less traveled.
We didn’t actually stop to do much sightseeing on the way to Los Alamos. But we did stop on the ridgeline drive up to the town to snap some quick photos of the valley looking towards Taos. When we arrived in town, Staci found a delightful little 2-mile hike to stretch our legs, Natural Arch via Old Mitchell Trail, New Mexico. This trail was more-or-less deserted and we were imagining mountain lions around every corner by the time we reached the turn-around-point. We saw a herd of deer, some small birds, and it even started to snow on us as we were on our return leg. We also somehow managed to work up quite the appetite despite it being a short trail.
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When in New Mexico, it seems almost sacrilegious to not have authentic Mexican food. We chose a cozy spot called Muy Salsas for that evening’s dinner where I had the Enchiladas Rancheras and Staci had the Enchiladas Rojas. Both were delectable, though I would give the edge to Staci’s choice for authentic and robust flavor. We will for sure visit again next time we’re in the area! I need to do a better job of getting pictures of the food in the future so I can share them as part of the recap blog…
After dinner, we were in for a wild night - a winter storm was bearing down on Los Alamos. This unexpectedly became one of the wilder camping experiences I’ve ever had. After nightfall, as 3 inches of snow fell, Staci and I worked to get the car set up to sleep while also doing our best to keep our sleep clothes and equipment dry. I tried and failed to set up an awning on the rear of the 4Runner so we could more easily maneuver and store gear (the ground was frozen, and I had no hammer to drive stakes). We also had to contend with condensation forming from our breath on the windows, walls, and ceiling of the car. For those who don’t know, wet down quilts and sleeping bags do not insulate and, if temperatures drop too far, this can become a life-threatening situation. Fortunately, Staci and I managed to fuss our way to success - we got the windows cracked just enough that moisture wasn’t much of a problem. We also managed to come out the other side laughing and with more than a few lessons learned. The biggest for me was, in the event of a winter storm, arrive at and set up camp before it starts snowing.
Day 4
After the snowy night of camping, we visited a couple of historic places managed by the National Park Service (NPS), Bandelier National Monument and Vallas Caldera National Preserve. Sadly, both of these locations have been severely impacted by the Trump Administration’s budget cuts to NPS. Bandelier lost three of its full-time park rangers and is not able to hire seasonal workers to help during the busy Spring and Summer seasons. When we were there, Vallas Caldera had only a single full-time ranger at the ranger station assisted by a single volunteer. Seeing both of these locations so clearly neglected was upsetting to say the least. I can only hope my photos help preserve the memories of these places because it’s clear our government does not believe them a priority.
Bandelier National Monument was a place I only vaguely remembered since I was a young child when I was there last. I have family in Albuquerque, a three-hour drive South, and I know we made the trip one year. Wandering the paths and stairs near the towering volcanic-sediment-based cliffs felt somehow familiar. Climbing a ladder to see the valley from one of the Pueblo people’s ancestral homes alongside Staci is a memory I’ll cherish for as long as I’m alive. I can only hope the place outlasts me as our government removes protections from many federally managed sites nationwide. Sadly, one of the cliff houses is currently closed as it was recently vandalized. The Park Service and Pueblo people have not yet determined a course of action to respectfully repair the structure.
Vallas Caldera was an incredible addition to the trip. My parents suggested we add it to our itinerary as they had visited on a road trip a couple of years prior. They were there in the warmer months and the entire preserve was open for hiking and sightseeing. In the winter, just the front portion is visible, but let me tell you, that is more than enough to leave you mind blown. The caldera itself is a long dormant, but definitely not extinct, volcano. It last erupted 1.25 million years ago in spectacular fashion - the 14-mile-wide field exploded and left massive amounts of Bandelier tuff around the region. That “tuff” compacted over time and through the processes of erosion formed the peaks and canyons of the region. There are numerous active geothermal features and hot springs in the area and the USGS in Los Alamos actively monitors it. A sign near the preserve interestingly states that “it has been unusually quiet in recent years”.
After a long day of exploring and not wanting another hard night of car camping, Staci and I decided to make the drive down to Sante Fe to conclude our time in New Mexico. On the way there, we took a different road through the Los Alamos government facility and were stopped at a military check point of all things! They let us pass after a quick ID check, but this Manhattan Project associated research facility is still very much actively used by the US Department of Energy.
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I deliberately omitted the best part of day four in the above section because it deserves a summary all its own. We had multiple INCREDIBLE encounters with numerous coyotes on our way to Bandelier and in Vallas Caldera. The first encounter was on our way to Bandelier where we saw a very wet looking coyote running along the side of the road in the snow. It was not camera shy in the least and had a gorgeous coat. My favorite shot of it is the one where it was giving us side eye (below). The second encounter was in Vallas Caldera where we witnessed a pack of four coyotes attempting to take down an elk in the resident herd! I’ve never seen predators hunting in person, so this was a truly special moment as it felt like the stars truly aligned. I’ve uploaded a video where you can see the Elk reacting to the attempted predation. Finally, giddy on our way out of the caldera with our luck seeing coyotes, we were in for one last incredible moment. The two bottom pictures below were taken by Staci out the window of our truck as we departed. I absolutely love how the light struck the coyote who was perfectly framed by the green evergreen trees and the mountain. Talk about a once in a lifetime shot!
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Day 5
For our final half day before driving the six hours back to Colorado I wanted to visit historic Sante Fe square, a place full of Spanish architecture and missions. I didn’t take any photos of the place as I was feeling pretty “photoed out”. The area is absolutely gorgeous and if you’re looking for traditional turquoise Native American jewelry or souvenirs, this is a wonderful place to look. Many vendors set up in the square outside of the actual shops and you can probably haggle with them on their wares (I did not). The first shop we stepped into in the square, Cashmere and Chocolate located at 109 E Palace Ave, had a surprise worthy of the head bump I obtained when entering the shorter-than-average door - it was the historic “official” home of the Manhattan Project. As a Top Secret project of course, it was far from official, but it is literally where Robert Oppenheimer, Richard Feynman, Enrico Fermi and the other nuclear scientists checked in as they made their way up to the facility in Los Alamos. You can read more about the address in Atlas Obscura. I was absolutely tickled to think that I bonked my head on a doorframe that a number of incredible researchers, scientists and visionaries walked through. Maybe the taller of them also nearly clocked themselves…