Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
and the Gila
National Forest (two hour drive)
Interested in the hike on Saturday? Here are the four options being considered:
(1) Moderate hike to the deserted Dripping Springs Resort. Bring some water.
(2) More difficult hike through the Baylor Pass; since this hike begins
and ends in different places, some small amount of organization of cars
and persons is required. This 6 mile hike takes several hours and
you will need to bring water and some food. Unfortunately, I could
not find a web site which describes this hike trail in more detail.
(3) A long day would be a hike in dog canyon and subsequently a stroll at
White Sands NM (BBQ included?). Dog canyon is one and a half hours away from
Las Cruces. It is a moderate to streneous hike if done completely, covering
the desert grounds and mountain forests. The interesting aspect of this hike
is this variety of landscapes and the, for New Mexico typical, transition from
desert to forest in higher elevations.
On the way back one passes White Sands; thus a stop-over is tempting and
recommended. One also could include a BBQ at White Sands. Of course - the
sunset should not be missed.
(4) For the adventurous among you there are hikes/climbs in the Organ Mnts.
to be considered. Rabbit Ears Plateau or the Organ Needle are favourites of
many hikers in this area. However, it should be mentioned that all of them
involve at least some rock scrambling, hiking trails usually end before the
summits and the elevation change is 3000+ ft.. One usually forgets about those
obsticles when enjoying the view from one of the highest peaks around this
area. If you are seriously planning to hike one of those peaks get in contact
with Gunar .