Today, we took the longest possible route from Grants to Santa Fe. We didn’t really have a “main event” planned but we weaved through the plateaus and mountains of the Navajo Nation, Zia Reservation, and up into the mountain town of Jemez Springs before weaving back down into Santa Fe, always preferring the scenic to the direct.
What we really wanted to do was check out some overland routes and play around on the caldera that forms Valles Caldera National Preserve and the surrounding mountain landscape just west of Santa Fe. Unfortunately, most of that was closed to snow. But we did make some cool roadside stops along the way.
We tried going through the Gilman Tunnels near Jemez Pueblo, but they’re closed seasonally apparently. This isn’t documented anywhere, least of all the sign that said “road closed north of the tunnels” when we started up the mountain, but at least we got to walk along the path. The Gilman Tunnels were blasted around of rock in the 20s for a logging railroad.
Back on Highway 4, we flew through a bunch of little towns until our next roadside curiosity, the Jemez Springs Soda Dam. It is a 7,000 year old deposit of mostly hot springs calcium carbonate and travertine that forms an artificial dam of the river. The resulting waterfall was beautiful and also partially frozen, which was awesome.
Our last stop on the way over the mountain was the Valles Caldera National Preserve. We drove in as far as the visitor center, but most of the roads in the park are snowed over. I do want to come back and hike here one day, though.
About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera. The preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history.
Valles Caldera National Preserve, US National Park Service
It is apparently one of the largest calderas in the world. The highest elevation on our route was just over 9,000 feet, but the highest peak in the park is over 11,000.
Once into town, we had a fantastic finish line dinner at a local place called Joseph’s. We’re likely to pack up and head home tomorrow rather than make a stopover in Amarillo as we’d originally considered. Santa Fe isn’t as far away as I’d originally thought.
It’s been a great start to 2020. Here’s to more adventures.
Happy New Year!