WHAT'S IT LIKE OUT THERE ?
Someone called the other day and asked how far Taos was from Mexico City. To answer her question, I guessed 2000 miles. That is something you get used to when you live here. New Mexico is in the USA, thank you, and has been a state since January of 1912. Northern New Mexico is unique in that it has maintained many of the characteristics that were established by the original inhabitants and the settlers that arrived in the 17th century. I moved here 35 years ago and I saw it this way:
"It's as far away from the mainstream as you can get and still be in the USA."
...the Northern New Mexico mountains are where the crowds aren't...
Being out of the mainstream applies to the northern New Mexico mountain wilderness as well as the towns. There are many so called wilderness areas where you hike the trails with a lot of other folks. That's OK if crowds are what you want. The Northern New Mexico mountains are where the crowds aren't and if that is what you like, you'll love trekking with El Paseo LLama. We have been hiking, exploring, backpacking, camping and llama trekking in these mountains since 1976 and have gotten to know them pretty darn well. We can offer treks to suit your desire for solitude. There are trails with other folks on them and trails that take you away from it all. Getting off the beaten trail is what it's all about for us. Pristine means you don't see other people and you hike and camp where the other folks don't. It also goes that the nicest, cleanest, and most interesting trails and campsites are the ones that take some effort to get to and haven't been trodden by the hordes. That's where the llamas come in. They carry the food and all the gear and make getting to remote trails and campsites a pleasure without tearing up the trails and meadows. And since we keep the size of the groups small, everyone gets to lead a llama.
...get off the beaten trail...
El Paseo LLama is now in its seventeenth year. In the past sixteen seasons, we have taken 1476 hikes and expeditions. These have varied from the ½ day hike to the 5 day total immersion expedition. We do our hiking and trekking in the Carson National Forest and the Wild Rivers Recreation Area. This is our day job, we love it and it shows. The mountain wilderness is our back yard.
Within the Carson National Forest are the Wheeler Peak Wilderness area and the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study area and thousands more acres open to recreation. There are several hundred miles of trails. On the trails we trek, elevations range from 7,170 to 13,161 ft. and encompass five of the six Life Zones. The trail system is extensive and intertwined making it possible to design treks that wander through canyons and over ridges to our heart's content. Some of these trails are remnants of turn of the last century mining trails and others date back to WPA and CCC projects. Some of the trails, usually the ones with parking lots at the trail head, are more heavily used. While others have disappeared from the maps and get little or no use. We at El Paseo LLama have knowledge of these little used trails and can accomplish what few outfitters can, get you out there away from the beaten trail if that's your desire. There is a thrill that comes from hiking trails that show no sign of use in years.
The Wild Rivers Recreation Area is an area administered by the Bureau of Land Management. This area is not alpine, but is a semi-arid gorge with the Rio Grande and Red rivers flowing through it. The altitude is lower, 6600-8600 ft. and the eco-system is unique and beautiful. We have given this area its own web page for a complete description.
El Paseo LLama's season for expeditions extends from March to late November. Starting the season in the lower mountains and the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, we then move into the higher mountains as the snow melts. The timing for this varies but is usually some time in June. We know where the snow lasts and can plan expeditions to avoid lingering snow. In the Fall, we work our way back down as the season advances. Day hikes are offered year round and in the Winter are taken on a trail in the lower mountains or the Wild Rivers Recreation Area.
If you have longed to see and experience the mountain wilderness or the Rio Grande Gorge but don't know where to start, let me suggest you start with El Paseo LLama Expeditions. We will guide you all the way.
What are the hikes and expeditions like? Here
are descriptions of the
various possibilities...
Expeditions:
2 Day
3Day
4-8 Days
½ Day Hikes
...kids can ride llamas...
We offer the ½ day hike for folks looking for a llama trek experience that will give them a taste without overtaxing their resources. On this hike, we start at 10 a.m. and hike for two hours on an easy or moderate trail. This gets us to a lovely meadow where we eat our gourmet picnic lunch. After lunch, we hike back to the trailhead arriving near 2:00 p.m. The nicest thing is that you will have a llama buddy to carry any items you might bring and to fascinate you with his personality. The mountains have a special beauty that is enhanced if you are not seeing them through a windshield. In season, the wildflowers are abundant and beautiful.
We offer the ½ day fun hike for novices and families with small children. These hikes are low key, the pace is not arduous and kids can ride. The trails used have been selected to minimize the challenge and maximize the fun.
And there is the ½ day custom hike for the more adventurous hiker. The trails used for these hikes have various levels of challenge for those hikers who find some challenge enjoyable. The trail used for your hike will be chosen to match your capabilities and desires.See the DAY HIKE CATALOG for a listing of suitable trails.
Full Day Hikes
...reach a peak or ridge for a panoramic view...
The custom full day hike requires more from the hiker and it gives much more in return. Starting times can vary with the seasons but generally are between 9 and 10 a.m. This gives us up to three hours to hike before lunch and we can cover more distance. Depending on the trail, we can climb to more remote meadows, or reach a peak or ridge for a panoramic view. Lunch is served on the trail or in a meadow and we continue further into the mountains after that. Our only limitations are that we return by the late afternoon and your physical stamina. On some full day hikes, we can hike a loop and not retrace our steps to the trail head. Since the custom full day hike, like all our offerings, is geared to your abilities, we can hike as little or as much as you like. The point is to spend an enjoyable full day in the mountains with the llamas, streams, flowers and trees.
See DAY HIKE CATALOG for a listing of trails.
Expeditions
...see the stars, view the moon
and watch the satellites fly over from a
mountain campsite...
Our Custom Expeditions are day hikes with the added benefit that you get to spend even more time and camp in the mountains or the Wild Rivers Recreational Area. With this time we can enjoy more solitude by getting further out and we can access more trails and vistas. We are much more likely to see wildlife such as Elk, Mule Deer and Big Horn Sheep as they are mostly active in the hours between dusk and shortly after sunrise. We enjoy the camaraderie of sharing a campsite in a beautiful spot. Depending on the expedition, the campsite could be one that no one else uses. If you have not seen the stars, viewed the moon or watched the satellites fly over from a mountain campsite far from light pollution, you have a treat coming. And if you have experienced these wonders, it's probably time to renew your connection.
Expeditions range from 2 days to 5 days and each has its own character and are customized for your group. Although starting times can vary, expeditions usually meet at the designated trailhead at 9 a.m. and after packing your gear, we hike up the trail with the llamas to our campsite. On the last day, we strike camp and hike back to the trail head arriving mid or late afternoon depending on your schedule. The days between the first and last depend on the length of the expedition and the itinerary we have decided before the expedition starts.
We're ready to take you trekking.
Two Day Expeditions
...we will customize your trek to your abilities and desires...
The two day expedition can have a variety of purposes to suit your needs. It can be at its simplest, an introduction to camping in the wilderness, or perhaps designed to be easy for those persons not actively involved in a fitness program. It can also be designed to accommodate families with small children. Kids can ride. It can also be more strenuous.
Usually, we hike to a campsite that can be reached before lunch. After lunch, camp is set up and the afternoon is free to explore, nap, hike, or whatever it is you would like to do. Dinner is served in the early evening, and perhaps a campfire to end a nice day. The next day, after breakfast, the time is free to engage in activities. Camp is usually struck during the morning and after lunch, the gear is loaded for a leisurely hike back to the trail head. The morning of the second day could involve a hike to a nearby peak or ridge for one of those panoramic vistas. In that case, camp would be struck after lunch and the arrival at the trailhead would be later in the afternoon.
See the EXPEDITION CATALOG for choices.
Three Day Expeditions
...life doesn't get much better than a day spent in the mountains...
The three day expedition can be designed to be easy, moderate or strenuous depending on the trails we hike. It is also possible to hike further into the mountains on the first day. The middle day, is a day we spend entirely in the wilderness. You wake up in the morning and go to bed in the evening and spend the in-between in the mountains. Life doesn't get much better than a day spent in the mountains away from it all.
Now what occurs on the middle day is up to you. Just laying back and watching the day go by is nice, as is reading or taking short walks. We could make a lunch and go on a day hike and since we are starting from a point well into the wilderness, and usually at an advanced altitude, we can see sights most day hikers don't get to see and with a considerable less expenditure of energy. And there is the possibility of fishing on selected expeditions. Another possibility is the loop hike. We can strike camp and hike to another campsite on the middle day and pitch a new camp for the night.
The third day usually has free time but a portion is spent striking camp and hiking to the exit trailhead.
See the EXPEDITION CATALOG for choices.
Four & Five Day Expeditions
... with our vast experience in these mountains, we can tailor make your trek...
The four & five day expeditions are bigger and better expeditions. We can design these to have hiking days and lay over days, and with treks of this duration, all the mountains are open to us. You choose or let us know what you like and we will design your trek from our knowledge of these mountains. Possible variations include:
Setting up a base camp and doing day hikes on surrounding trails. In this one we set and strike camp only once.
A point to point trek where the starting and finishing trailheads are different. In this type, we set up and strike camp each day and get to experience several campsites.
Treks can be all hiking or can include lay over days. Usually, one or two layover days are needed in expeditions of five or more days.
The EXPEDITION CATALOG will illustrate some possible expeditions. Because of our vast experience in these mountains, we can tailor make your expedition. We know the trails, the pristine campsites, the water sources, the time it takes to hike from one point to another and because llamas do the work, there is no hassle...just a well organized good time expedition.
GOURMET FOOD ~ GOOD FOLKS ~ GREAT TIMES
An aspen glade on Italianos Canyon trail
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your trek prep list.