Soda Dam, Fenton Lake and Gilman Tunnels

July 11, 2021

I made sure to take plenty of water with us this time.

It was another spontaneous trip. I woke up Sunday morning with the desire to get out and do something. I looked at AllTrails but didn’t see anything that I really wanted to do so I decided instead to just take a drive up to Fenton Lake with Ash, stopping to see Soda Dam and the Gilman Tunnels while I was out.

The Departure

Before heading out, I filled up my half gallon HydroJug, my 25 oz Super Sparrow water bottle and a gallon of water, so nearly two gallons of water, for a trip that would not require a great deal of physical exertion for either of us.

Additionally, I took a peanut butter sandwich for Ash, a lunch meat sandwich for me, and snacks, including yogurt, a banana and some spare lunch meat and cheese for Ash.

I packed everything in the car and we took off at about 10:30 or so. We took I-25 up into Bernalillo, then up highway 550 through the interminable construction that has been going on there for what seems like the entire 15 years I’ve lived in New Mexico.

Soda Dam

We finally hit Highway 4 in San Ysidro and headed north, getting to Soda Dam just before noon. I parked right next to the guard rail on the east side of the road, got Ash out of the car, hopped the guard rail and walked down to the Jemez River streaming from the dam.

When we got near the water, Ash surprised me by jumping right into the moving water. Thankfully it wasn’t moving fast enough to take him (though I did have him on a leash, so even if he did get taken, I still would have had him.) He wandered around the stinky sulfur scented water that went up to his armpits. I would have joined him but I didn’t bring water shoes as, again, I was not expecting him to be so eager to hop in the river. I stood on the shore with a grasp on the leash in the event he lost his footing or something. Thankfully he was fine.

We spent a little time in the drink before heading up to the dam itself. I’d only been here once before, during my trip up with Alan in early March, but it was so cold and the ground was so icy, we didn’t spend a great deal of time exploring. I vowed at that time to return.

So here I was. There was a significant amount of water pouring down the face of the dam. It was the most significant waterfall I’d seen since I was at Snoqualmie Falls 17 or 18 years ago.

There were quite a few people milling around the area, some wading through the water, some climbing on top of the dam. I waited for a bit to get some photos of the sights before taking Ash back to the car to continue on to Fenton Lake.

Fenton Lake

Fenton Lake State Park is about another half an hour up road from Soda Dam. During the drive, I was reminded of the absolute beauty that can be found in New Mexico. In a short hour and a half drive, there is immeasurable beauty to be found. Impressive cliffs, lush forests, vast desert landscapes, all virtually in my back yard. And it only took 14 years to discover it.

I passed by Battleship Rock, a rock formation that resembles a Naval battleship, not to be confused with Shiprock, a different formation in the Four Corners area. I didn’t stop there this time, but Battleship Rock is now on my To-Do List.

I pulled into the lane leading into the Fenton Lake parking lot when I remembered there’s a $3 day use fee charged by a park ranger at a booth leading into the park. I didn’t have any money on me, and I certainly didn’t want to pay to enter the park just long enough to eat lunch, so I instead pulled into a parking lot that’s free for licensed New Mexico anglers. Technically, I… WAS… a Licensed New Mexico angler, but I pulled into spot, backing in so the back end was facing the lake and parked.

I opened the lift gate, had Ash hop over the seat into the cargo area and we sat and ate lunch, with this as our view:

Ash wasn’t really interested in eating, he just kind of sniffed at the sandwich I’d made him. I did give him some of the lunch meat I took for him, which he ate, but it wasn’t voraciously by any means.

I finished my lunch, took Ash for a bio break and we loaded up and set back off to find Gilman Tunnels.

Gilman Tunnels

I made my way back out to highway 4 and headed south, then after about 45 minutes, arrived at Gilman Tunnels, located on New Mexico State Road 485.

The Gilman Tunnels were originally used by the Santa Fe Northwestern Railway to haul lumber down from the Jemez mountains. After the stock market crash of 1929, the railway struggled to recover and eventually closed for good in 1941 after the Rio Guadalupe flooded and washed the rails out. The tunnels were later reworked to accept automobile traffic.

Just before the tunnels, State Road 485 narrows to one lane. For both directions to share. There are frequent turnouts (mostly on the northbound side) to allow opposing traffic to pass each other. This made the approach to the tunnels a little on the nerve-wracking side, but I made it through the tunnels without incident.

Immediately after the second tunnel is a small parking area. There were no cars there so I parked there and got out. I immediately heard the sound of running water. I went to the guardrail and peeked down into the narrow canyon and realized that the Rio Guadalupe runs right next to the road. I noticed people wading through the water and even a couple parked in a standing pool of water.

Looking up the road, I was astounded at the amount of green foliage sprouting from what seemed like an inhospitable desert landscape. Realizing that the Rio likely provides ample water to allow these plants to flourish, it quickly seemed reasonable.

I let Ash out of the back seat and hiked up the road a bit before finding a spot suitable for dropping down into the slot. We slid down and Ash, once more, immediately dipped into the water, making himself comfortable in the process.

It made me wish I had brought my water shoes with me to join him. Alas, I was unable to this time around, but I foresee another trip to Gilman Tunnels sooner rather than later.

I let Ash cool himself in the river for a while then prompted him out and back up to the road, headed up to the car and left.

The drive back was as uneventful as the drive up. We made it home in a little over an hour and I got a chance to reflect on the impromptu trip.

Conclusion

After seeing the amazing sights I saw on this trip, I came to realize how much I’ve missed out on in the nearly 15 years since I moved to New Mexico. All this beauty and adventure has been out there and I’ve only barely begun to scratch the surface on what there is to see and do.

With two National Parks, nine National Monuments, 46 National Historic Landmarks, 12 National Natural Landmarks, and over 30 state parks, all among a wildly diverse range of landscapes, from the red, orange and beige rocks of the southwestern deserts, to the lush, green forests in Santa Fe and areas north, I have a lot to pack in.

Tracking these outings on this blog has helped in really seeing things. I want to be able to accurately and clearly describe what I’m seeing so I’m paying way more attention to my surroundings than I normally would.

As usual, I’ve posted pictures to my Photo Diary, so make sure to check those out.

Up next, watch for a post on my recent trip to Denver for Jarrod’s birthday.

And I leave you with this quote from French poet and novelist Anatole French:

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.”

Anatole France

As always, I thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet. I appreciate you!

-Phil