June 2, 2019: Hiking in Bandolier-- Frey Trail, Frijolito and Main Trails

Ancestral Puebloan Dwelling and Grainary at Bandalier National Monument

"Truly it may be said that the outside of a mountain is good for the inside of a man."  George Wherry

Yesterday was a bad day to go to Bandelier National Monument due to thunderstorms, but today was a better day with temperatures starting out in the high 50s.  For anyone entertaining a trip to Bandelier, here's the dirty little secret. Yes, they say that during the summer months, you have to take the shuttle from White Rock, NM (due to limited parking availability). But if you arrive BEFORE 9 am or AFTER 3pm, you can drive directly to Visitor Center. So despite our penchant for rising at the crack of 10 am on vacation, we hauled ourselves out of bed at 7am in Santa Fe, and proceeded post-haste to Bandelier National Monument. 

Paul admiring the view from the Frey Trail.

There are many, many miles of trails that originate from both the Visitor Center and from the Juniper Campground, both of which are available by the shuttle. We elected to take the shuttle from the Visitor Center (which opens at 9am, first shuttle 9:30am) to Juniper Campground and hike back to the car. The path back is called the Frey Trail, which is a reference to the Frey Family who set up a lodge and ranch in the Frijoles Canyon of Bandelier and entertained guests there. The Frey Trail was the only access before roads were built in the area in the 1940s.  It's a nice trail and we recommend going from Juniper to the Visitor Center rather than the opposite for the views into the canyon and also, it's easier. mostly level or downhill.

One nice feature of the entire hike in early June is the presence of wildflowers. We came upon many different types but especially enjoyed the cactus flowers, mostly prickly pear. 

Three little prickly pear maids from school

Hirsuit prickly pear 

The prickly pear flowers ranged from bright yellow to deep orange.

New Mexico Whiptail Lizard

Don't know who this is, but it's pretty.

As far as wildlife, we saw less than yesterday. There were plenty of crows and raptors but fewer songbirds--probably due to less trees, although there was some scattered forest. We were constantly in danger of crushing both the New Mexico whiptail lizard and the darkling beetle (also known as the stinkbug) under foot along the way.

Our buddy the stinkbug. Theoretically, the puebloan ancesters stood them on their heads and predicted the future.

As we finally approached the rim of Frijoles Canyon, we got a great view into the valley and could see the ancient pueblo.

Frijole Canyon. The pueblo is in the center of the photo.

These rock faces are full of small caves used for shelter and grain storage.

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country as well as evidence of a human presence here going back over 11,000 years.  Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. The park is named after Adolph Bandelier, a Swiss-American anthropologist who moved to the area to study the cliff dwellings. The Puebloan ancestors grew crops in the valley which has a lovely stream as a water source. They took advantage of native animals for a food supply as well. This included deer, elk, bear, rabbit and mountain lions.  If they ate stinkbugs and lizards, they never went hungry.

There is an impressive array of caves for shelter and storage 

Paul and I wandered through the Main Trail which is about 1.5 miles in length and meanders through these structures that housed the native peoples until they dispersed in about 1150 AD. Their relations still live in the area however.

After admiring this handiwork done without modern equipment before 1000 AD, we made our way back to the visitor center for lunch during which we decided to conquer the Frijolito trail. This trail ascends on switchbacks from the canyon to the mesa about 600 feet above. We read numerous descriptions of it which pronounced the switchbacks as everything from insurmountable to nothing. It's in between. If you are reasonably fit, you won't be bothered by the ascent as long as you don't get in a big hurry. There are many beautiful views to slow you down a bit.

There is actually a beautiful ecosystem of forests and meadow on top of the mesa. There is a 16 mile hike around the entire rim of multiple canyons which we will do another time when we come prepared and very early!

It was nice to look back at the other side of the canyon that we hiked down earlier in the day. 

After about 2 miles from the bottom with highly enjoyable walking along the rim, we found the trail back down to the canyon floor. It was a gentle descent all the way.

Overall, we were very happy doing this series of three hikes which altogether total about 6-7 miles, all not overly challenging. The views were spectacular and we garnered even more appreciation for the ancient Puebloans, their ingenuity, and their society.

Of course, from there we had to get an ice cream from the Visitor Center snack bar. Yum. Slow service but it tasted great.

Then we were back to Santa Fe for a nap during which yet another hailstorm assaulted the town with marble to golf ball size hail .It made an impressive noise on the casita skylights.

For dinner tonight, we went to Eliosa at the Drury Inn. Generally, I wouldn't pick a restaurant at the Drury Inn, but this one hosted a food festival this weekend in Santa Fe and came highly recommended on several sources. They specialize in regional cuisine influenced by Spain, Puebloan culture and local Southwest cuisine. We had a lovely meal and all the plating was an art form. 

Madonna and child and stuffed piquillos!

Overall, a great meal and we felt like we earned it as well!

Lemon mousse with accompaniments. 

It was a wonderful day with many lovely viewpoints, unpredictable weather, a nap and an awesome dinner. We are very fortunate and we know it!

"A walk in nature walks the soul back home."  Mary Davis

Paul Ponderings:

A great day out hiking. We were lucky enough to have good weather in morning before it warmed up in the afternoon. If you ever come to Bandelier, be aware that a shuttle bus is the only access during the hours of 9 am to 3 pm in the summer; that is, unless you arrive early, which we did. We did two loop hikes which gave us different perspectives on the Bandelier National Monument. As the weather is often unpredictable in the area, we were glad we got an early start, because there was significant hail and rain in the region after the hike.

We ended the day with a really good meal at another outstanding Santa Fe restaurant, Eloisa, where we created our own tasting menu.  

All in all, a great day in central New Mexico.