Valles Caldera Rim Trip Report Cerro de la Garita East Slope

North Rim

Date: October 11, 2007 Purpose: find way up the east side of Cerro de la Garita from Garita Gate. Participants: Dorothy Hoard, Yvonne Delamater USGS Topo: Polvadera Peak Equipment: Garmin Global Positioning System Model GPS 12; digital camera Olympus Camedia C-3000; notebooks. Methodology: From Garita Gate, follow the rim west up the east slope of Cerro de la Garita. Conclusions: In summary, a wide logging road goes up the east side of Cerro de la Garita, approximating the rim. It cuts off a little lump of the rim but other logging roads climb to the top. Trip Report: We drove in on Forest Road 144 from Española. The road was in very good shape, possibly because this is hunting season. It was a non-hunting day; we did not hear any shots or elk calls. We first investigated a section of rim just west of MP2 east, then drove to the meadow at the VCNP Gate below Cerro de la Garita and parked at the gate of the drift fence. The topo shows a road up the side of the Garita Ridge. It is a very wide road—two logging trucks could pass on it. It went up the slope with two switchbacks and a fairly gentle grade. Motorcycles had been on the road recently. The rim goes along the spine of this ridge crossing a shallow pass, then turns down and crosses the meadow at Garita Gate heading over toward Hunters’ Point. Nearing the pass, we found a meadow with stunning views into the caldera from a different angle than Hunters’ Point.

Trasquelar Gap where the Rio San Antonio flows from Valle Toledo into Valle San Antonio.

Looking east around the rim. View of Toledo, Pajarito Mountain, and Cerro Grande.

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North Rim

My CR-V parked on the rim at the meadow at Garita Gate.

The road above Garita Pass, Polvadera Peak beyond. The logging roads here were well used.

At the pass, we found a maze of logging roads. We turned left (south) and ascended on a road up the rim. Where that road began to contour around and down, we climbed up on the rim. The crest here was densely wooded with only pocket views into the caldera. The VCNP fence is about 50 feet down the slope. This face of Cerro de la Garita is very steep. The fence line goes due east/west. It actually is rather a marvel of engineering. We descended and headed back to the pass.. The hike down the road was quite nice with views to the east that we did not notice on our way up.

Redondo Peak from the meadow at the Garita Gate.

were looking for the Baca Location so I pointed them to the VNCP fence about 100 feet away. They left and we never heard from them again. They may have hunters been scouting for elk on the preserve. I told the ATV guys we were taking a wonderful walk to see the wonderful aspens on a wonderful day. What better could I say? On the way back we stopped to look at the mesa above the Rito de los Indios where we still need to go. The aspens were fabulous. Informant: Dorothy Hoard, October 2007

VNCP fence, looking east to Garita Gate.

Back at the meadow at the VNCP Garita Gate, Yvonne wandered off to check out a separate road. I was writing my memoirs when two men drove up on ATVs. They were older men dressed in camouflage who looked quite prosperous. One came over and asked me what in the world I was doing there. They

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North Rim

Looking across the fence to Indios Mesa.

FR144 directly on the rim.

Cerro de la Garita east slope, October 11, 2007. Rim = red; Fr144 = purple; bright green = our route Cerise line is 1966 boundary exchange..

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North Rim

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