Santa Fe, Part One: the Jemez Mountains

I spent a week around Santa Fe last month. Though often thought of as a hot, desert state, much of New Mexico lies at high elevations, and the southern reaches of the Rockies reach into the area around Taos. The winters can be cold, but are more pleasant than the midwestern winters I’m used to. Clear, sunny days with temperatures pushing into the 50’s are not uncommon this time of year, and that was the weather that greeted us on arrival.

So, on our first full day we set out on a daytrip to the Jemez mountains, to take in the scenery and maybe do some light hiking. As the road out of town runs north and then west towards the mountains, the low hills and mesas around Santa Fe turn into more dramatic featues, like this amphitheater-like mountain just off route 502.

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A little while later the road reaches Los Alamos, famous for being the home of the Manhattan Project during world war two. Off-limits to the public in its early years, it remains something of a company town today, with much of its population employed at the nearby Los Alamos National Laboratory. Its ideal location for an isolated, top-secret project becomes apparent on the drive in, as the road in hugs the side of the mountain with the ravine below. Here’s a view from just before getting into town, looking back to the east.

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Further on, we turned on to route 4, which took us on a winding trip into the Jemez mountains. As pretty as it was, most trails were covered in deep snow and our hiking attempts were brief. That was ok, as our ultimate destination was still to be reached. Just west of the highest stretches of mountains is the Jemez river valley, known for its geothermal activity and hot springs. The funky Jemez Soda Dam is made entirely of calcium carbonate deposits from the nearby springs.

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The Jemez river flows through this formation, exiting through this small cataract before continuing to flow downstream

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You can actually climb inside the dam itself, into a short cave which slopes upward a short distance towards a small, low, domelike chamber. As your head rises into this room, the sudden heat and humidity tell you you’ve found the fount of one of the hot springs.

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Though this one wasn’t one you’d want to swim in, the area is known for having many geothermal pools you can take a dip in. Some are privately owned, but most are just in the woods on hillsides you can hike to. We picked the Spence Springs, as it seemed to be only a short hike from a parking area on the side of the road. Here, however, the day’s nice weather worked against us, as much of the snowfall from recent days had melted, turning much of the path into slippery mud and slush. A fall or two notwithstanding, we did make it up to the springs and were greeted with this view from the upper pool looking down into the valley.

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Not a bad way to finsh the outdoor portion of the day before heading back to Santa Fe for a hot shower and dinner. The coming days would bring a dramatic change in weather and, in turn, the types of photos I’d be taking.