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Recreational Activities
Home : Ranger
Districts : Española Ranger District
: Trails
Trail 150 Borrego Mesa Trail-Part 1
 
Length: 17 miles, Aspen Ranch Trailhead 9 to Borrego Trailhead
8
Difficulty: Difficult
Use: Light
Seasons: Late spring, summer, fall and winterr
Highest and Lowest Points: 8,000 feet to 9,800 feet
Trail Access: Aspen Ranch Trailhead 9 can be approached most easily
from State Highway 475 out of Santa Fe. This is the road to the
Santa Fe Ski Area. Just after the Big Tesuque Campground, take a
left turn on Forest Road 102 (Pacheco Canyon Road), a dirt road
that is suitable for passenger cars. Follow FR 102 to a T junction,
turn right on Forest Road 412, and follow FR 412 to Aspen Ranch
Trailhead 9, parking near the information kiosk.
An alternative is to start the trail from the north end; in that
case take State Highway 503 north past Cundiyo, and just after you
pass the road to Santa Cruz Lake on your left, you will see Forest
Road 306. Turn right on FR 306 and follow 7 miles to the turnoff
to Trailhead 8. Follow this dirt road .6 miles to the trailhead,
and park You will hike along the small dirt road to the west for
about a ¼ mile, and the trail will junction to the south.
This area is quite remote, and the incidents of vandalism are slightly
higher than at the more popular Aspen Ranch Trailhead 9.
USGS Maps: Sierra Mosca and Aspen Basin, and Pecos Wilderness
Map (2003 edition)
Description:
Starting from the grassy meadows of Aspen Ranch, follow the
road 100 yards to the north, and just before you reach a locked
gate the trail will branch off to the west. At this point
the Borrego Trail 150 and the Rio
en Medio Trail 163 piggyback on top of each other for
a short distance. The trail will wind around some private
land and drop down to and cross the Rio en Medio. Follow the
Rio en Medio downstream for a short distance and you will
see a junction to the north. This is where the Borrego trail
leaves the Rio en Medio Trail, and follow the Borrego Trail
back up to the road you had been following earlier. Continue
north along the road for 1/4 mile and you will see the Borrego
Trail junction off of the road and continue to the north.
From here the trail begins a gradual descent down a side
canyon to the Rio Nambe. After crossing to the north side
of the Rio Nambe, proceed about a quarter mile up the canyon
and look to the north for a sign post marking the continuation
of the Borrego Trail. From here the trail will climb over
the pass separating the Rio Nambe drainage and the Rio Capulin
drainage. After dropping down to the Rio Capulin, cross to
the north side, go downstream a little bit and look for the
trail continuing north. After another pass the trail begins
the descent down to the Rio Frijoles. Cross to the north side
of the Rio Frijoles, proceed upstream for a few hundred yards
and look for the trail heading north up the hillside. The
trail climbs up to another pass above Agua Sarca Canyon and
then descends into the Rito Gallina Canyon. Here the trail
levels off quite a bit and descends gradually to the Rio Medio.
This river can be quite substantial at this point, and fording
it may be a challenge, especially during the peak runoff time
in early spring.
After crossing the Rio Medio, there is only a short climb
out of the canyon to an old road- turn right and follow the
road to the east and the Borrego Trailhead 8 at Borrego Mesa.
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Notes:
 The
Borrego Trail is part of the historic route used by the early
Spanish settlers to drive sheep from the northern villages
to Santa Fe. It heads almost continually north, climbing in
and out of four different canyons. The country through which
it passes is rugged and the trail encounters little level
terrain.
The
elevation is lower here than in the higher country of the
central Pecos, and it is also dryer and warmer. |
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