August 7, 2021
I decided to take a water trip with Ash today.
For my first camping trip back in May, I bought some water shoes for a hike I’d planned on taking, but wound up not. I’ve been wanting to get some use out of them, and seeing as how Ash is a water dog (based on our last outing to Soda Dam and Gilman Tunnels), I figured let’s go do something that would get them some use.
The plan, initially, was to stop at Soda Dam on our way up to Jemez Falls, then to Fenton Lake for lunch (and pay to get in) then to Gilman Tunnels before heading home.
It was bound to be a big day, and with a clear, warm day forecast, I thought I’d better get started early.
Early to Rise
I set my alarm for 6:30 but wound up beating it. I got up at 6:00, hopped in the shower, dressed and packed, heading out the door at about 7:30 or so. We stopped at Starbucks for coffee and Golden Pride for a carne adovada breakfast burrito, then headed up, parking at Soda Dam just before 9:00. We were the only car parked on the shoulder.
I changed out of my hiking boots and into the water shoes I’d been holding on to for a little over two months, got Ash out of the car and headed down to the river. By the time we made it, two other cars had pulled in and parked behind me.
The water was chilly but quite tolerable. The falls inside the dam were just behind us so provided a wonderful soundtrack for the experience. The water was still in some spots but moving rather quickly in others, never getting any higher than my knees, but mostly right at mid-shin level.
The water was murky so it was difficult to see the floor of the river, what I would be stepping on. At times, I was deep in mud and other times I was scrambling over large rocks, slick with slime. The footing was poor, especially in the $15 Big 5 water shoes I’d bought on a last minute whim. I should look into investing in good water shoes with good traction.
Ash was having the time of his life, splashing around in the water like it’s his favorite thing in the world.
We started making our way upstream toward the actual dam. I wound up under the outcropping where the falls tumble over the mineral deposits. I snapped a few pictures, picked up some trash left by some inconsiderate nature-goers and we headed back up.
Ash, apparently, was a little cold. He made a beeline for the banks, but where he headed was an almost straight up and down cliff, about 7 feet tall. He somehow managed to bound up the wall, scrambling onto dry ground. I was astonished. I really wish I’d been able to capture video of the leap but alas, I wasn’t prepared for it.
I found some reasonable footholds that I was able to wedge into and somehow made it up right where Ash had leapt.
We headed back to the car, I let Ash in and we continued on to our next stop.
Jemez Falls
The Jemez Falls trailhead is about 20 minutes further up highway 4, just beyond the Jemez Falls Campground. There’s a small picnic area with vault toilets and ample parking.
First thing I did after I parked was changed out of my water shoes and back into my hiking boots. The trail is only a little more than a quarter mile, but it is still a hike, and I found that I was going to need my hiking boots beyond the falls.
The trail begins with a fairly rapid descent then quickly levels out. Ash was excited to be on trail again; I hadn’t hiked with him since I almost killed him.
We made the short hike in almost no time at all, getting to an overlook that provided a fairly OK view of the tallest falls in the Jemez.
The overlook is surrounded by a short wall topped with a guardrail, and even a chain link fence in spots. There is a small outcropping where you can climb out and get a much better look at the falls, but I’d had my fair share of heights for a while.
We skirted around the wall and guardrails and found a way down a path of slick sandstone, making me glad to have changed into my hiking boots. We followed this path to the river that feeds the falls. Ash immediately dove in and made himself comfortable.
After some coaxing, I was able to get him up and going again. We continued upstream until we came to a pool that was being fed by a smaller waterfall.
There was a family in the water taking pictures. While I waited patiently for my turn to go to the falls for some pictures of my own, I changed back into my water shoes.
The shore around the pool was sandy, like a beach, rather than rocky as I was expecting it to be. This meant I would be covered in sand by the time this adventure was through.
The family finished up their pictures, so Ash and I waded into the pool. The water was chilly. No, strike that. The water was COLD. It chilled me to the bone. Thankfully, it only came up to my knees.
Well, until we got closer to the falls that is. The water grew deeper and deeper until it was midway up my thighs. I had the foresight to wear swim trunks on this adventure so I wasn’t too worried, but Ash was up to his neck in the water. Undeterred, he made his way toward a large rock near the spot where the water fell into the pool. I got him up on the rock and there he rested for a moment to catch his breath.
I snapped some more pictures, including a selfie, then headed back toward the shore. Ash dove fearlessly from the rock into the frigid water and started making his own way toward land.
I sat barefoot for a bit to let my feet dry and warm up in the sun. As I expected, my feet and lower legs were covered in sand. I did my best to wipe them off with my socks (bring towels next time) then put my hiking boots back on and we headed out.
About 20 minutes later, we were back at the car, nice and tuckered out. I contemplated having our picnic here but it was still pretty early for lunch so we drove on.
Skipping Fenton and Gilman
Ash and I were pretty tuckered out from the two stops we made so rather than stopping at Fenton Lake and Gilman Tunnels as I had planned, we just headed straight home. We hit the standard traffic in Bernalillo/North Rio Rancho, sitting at the signal at 550 and 528 for four cycles. While we waited, I grabbed our lunches out of my lunchbox and we ate, staring at the brake lights of the cars in front of us.
Once traffic opened up, we were home in no time. I brought in the bare essentials, we sat on the couch and promptly fell asleep for an hour long nap.
When I got up, I got the chance to reflect on the wonderful day I had. I love getting out into nature and seeing new things. I think my next adventure will take me somewhere completely new, and it may be as soon as this coming weekend. Stay tuned for more.
Next up are some photos of our outing today. As always, thank you for stopping by, I appreciate you!
-Phil
