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Gila NF trip


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Home Forums Campfire Trip Planning Gila NF trip

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  • #1327601
    Marcus Bendixen
    BPL Member

    @scandiman-2

    Locale: Colorado Springs CO

    Have been wanting to plan a trip down to Gila NF, to the Jordan Hot Springs. Does anyone have any helpful information for the trip? Would be accessing the hot springs from the cliff dwelling campground area. Then follow the middle fork to the hot springs.
    This will be a spring trip, happening in the next month.
    Any information on recent trips to the area, conditions, hints, ect, would be much appreciated. I thought I remember reading about flooding along the river, and tough conditions because of it. Is this true?
    Thanks

    #2188756
    HkNewman
    BPL Member

    @hknewman

    Locale: The West is (still) the Best

    Getting a bit dry but early May has been ok for the Gila which is perennial. Being popular, the MidFk trail is clear after floods (the West Fk too). Jordan hot springs will require some stream crossings but levels should be lower by then. I found light hikers or trail runners with secure dirty girls to do the best job in minimizing pebbles during the crossings. It's pretty easy to access the Middle Fk from the visitor center area. There's a main trail from TJ Corral (there's cross country using a nearby mesa and some scrambling,… but I'm familiar enough with the area not to get cliffed out).

    Add: just did a trip out there a few wks ago and may have an update in a wk or so.

    #2188782
    Marcus Bendixen
    BPL Member

    @scandiman-2

    Locale: Colorado Springs CO

    Great info, thank you for the reply. I would not be able to go until the wk of the 13th, so please update if you have any more info before then. Again, thanks.

    #2189240
    Marcus Bendixen
    BPL Member

    @scandiman-2

    Locale: Colorado Springs CO

    Any recommendations on good new mexican grub? It'd be great to have some local knowledge.
    I am a lover of things like posole, green chile, tamales, enchiladas with x-mas ect. I would love to hear any favorite restaurants to stop at.
    I'll be coming down the I-25 corridor all the way until I hit 152 going west towards the cliff dwelling and trailhead. I'll definitely be wanting to get my fix while in the 'land of enchantment'. Thanks

    Edit: I may come down into NM on the west side of the sangre's and pass by Taos and Santa Fe, so if there is a particularly awesome place, I may be swayed to take this route until connecting to i-25 in Santa Fe.

    #2189254
    HkNewman
    BPL Member

    @hknewman

    Locale: The West is (still) the Best

    Tienda del Sol near the corner of NM152 and NM 35 does a really good huevos rancheros if the German cpl still operates it (I've been running in groups from mostly El Paso, we've eaten there repeatedly on their request). Looks like an old gas station but conceals the restaurant. Everything I've had there has been good. Little Toad Creek restaurant/micrbrew/Lodge is further down and, while I've never had their Mexican food, their other types of food have been really good, …. not sure about their microbrew. There's a cpl more cafes but I haven't stopped.

    If going further west into Silver City I'd recommend the Buckhorn in historic Pinos Altos.

    #2189712
    Marcus Bendixen
    BPL Member

    @scandiman-2

    Locale: Colorado Springs CO

    Thanks for the info, again.
    I'm planning on heading down monday, hitting the trail early tuesday. Hoping weather holds out, and stays rain free.
    Wondering if I should expect high flows from the Gila. Just thinking about clothes, and if I'll be waist deep in water. I'm relatively tall, 6'3".
    Another question- my dog will be with me. She swims fine, but I'm not familiar with this river. I assume it is a 'lazy' river, and therefore the current shouldn't be too cumbersome on my dog or me.
    Seems like it's more the number of crossings required that people mention in trip reports, not necessarily the difficulty of crossing in swift water.

    #2189800
    Larry Swearingen
    BPL Member

    @larry_swearingen

    Locale: NE Indiana

    I hiked the Gila river last April from Sapillo Cr. up to Snow lake, Dipping Vat tank on some old maps. I never had to go deeper than just above knee deep but you need to choose your crossing spot.
    BTW here's a Gila river flow gage site that'll give you current conditions ,no pun intended:
    http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nm/nwis/uv?cb_00060=on&cb_00065=on&format=gif_default&site_no=09430500&period=30&begin_date=2015-02-05&end_date=2015-02-12

    We skipped the first 8 miles or so above the Cliff Dwellings Visitor Center by hiking over
    the trail from TJ Corral over the hump to Little Bear Canyon to get to the river. Jordan Hot Spring is a few miles up river from there. There's no sign to the Spring but you will see hot water coming down to the river in rivulets. walk uphill on the trail to the spring.

    Most of the trail was wiped out in the 2013 flood so you will spend a lot of time walking
    through and around flood debris looking for what trail is left. Hint; any trail left is NOT
    right by the river. It's back and higher if it's there.

    Larry OldnSlow Swearingen

    #2189870
    Marcus Bendixen
    BPL Member

    @scandiman-2

    Locale: Colorado Springs CO

    Thank you for the information, Larry!

    #2197602
    HkNewman
    BPL Member

    @hknewman

    Locale: The West is (still) the Best

    Heads up as a number of hikers expressed interest. A buddy of mine took the bursum road through Mogollon (west of Silver City) and there's landslide damage on the road, downed power lines (been a little more rainy than usual and the burned soil can't hold). Once past there's still fire damage on the mesas 3 yrs later but the creek valleys were not burnt.

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