New Mexico Wilderness

We got up early and drove an hour north to a Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) wilderness area along the Rio Grande river 60 miles from the Colorado border where it drains out of the mountains to the north. The Federal government has forever preserved this section of the river allowing it to flow freely through virgin wilderness. We approached the 800 foot deep canyon thru an ancient Pinion Pine and Juniper Forrest, the stunted trees are over a 1000 years old. These old survivors are clinging to the thin soil, with little water and harsh conditions in this high altitude desert climate . The path is a major game trail, lots of prints and numerous piles of bear droppings which Karen found disconcerting. The bears had been eating Pine nuts. We carefully avoided logs/brush/ rock crevices which could hide Rattle snakes. We saw no creatures . The canyon rim trail was a bit precarious, not for the faint of heart, a slip could end poorly. The views were breathtaking , especially where the Red River joins the Rio Grande, The convergence swells into a big Rio Grande, hard to believe not a drop reaches the ocean, all the water used in irrigation. The climb up and out of the canyon was tough in the high altitude thin air. It was a great day.