Hiking in the Jemez
The Jemez Springs near Santa Fe, NM has held a place in my heart since I was a child. I did my first camping trip out there, caught my first fish and had a number of memories that are irreplaceable. I remember I was a Sophomore in High School and a few friends and I wanted to go hiking out there to find the springs. We got there early in the morning and after about 5 hours, on what was supposed to be a 2 hour hike, we decided that we were not going to find these springs. As we were heading back, it started pouring rain, and we still had no idea where we were going. Eventually we found our way back to the main trail, only to find the springs that we were looking for. Rather than jumping in, we decided that was an adventure for another day.
On my hike up there during this session, I went up to the top of Battle Ship Rock. It started with an early morning and getting to the mountains at about 6 AM. I was hesitant to go that early, but not having the crowd there, especially on a weekend, was the best decision that I could’ve made. Not to mention the traffic was non-existent, and the ability to find a close parking spot was definitely a highlight. The hike was quiet and it was amazing to be able to just take in all of the sounds of the birds and wild life while walking about the trail. There was a point I sat down and just listened to the stillness of the trees. It was an amazing experience and a fun, short adventure. I would recommend the Jemez to anyone who has yet to go and take in the experience!
