Leaving Taos and moving south to Santa Fe

I was up before sunrise and drove south on NM68.  What a beautiful drive!  The road meanders around sandy hills on the east side of the Rio Grande.  The gorge is visible a few miles to the west,  but one must be careful as the road is curvy.  The river here has access points for rafters.

The land east of the road is Native American land belonging to the Nambe tribe.

I stopped in the small Native American town of Cimarra to hike the "High Road to Taos Trail," according to the Allrails app, but I believe the trail is not meant to be a public trail as there are no signs for the access point.  What I did find is an abandoned trail across from the town's Sanctuario, an historic chappel owned by a local family for over 100 years.  The trail is a narrow ridgeline hike on soft red sandy hills that are dotted with crosses.  I hit three crosses out of four.  The rains from last night had moistened the ground to dangerous soft conditions, yet I could see recent footprints along the ridges.  The hike felt more like a pilgrimage walk.  Watching where I placed my feet was imperative. 

The "hike" was just under three miles.  I toured the chapel while the dogs rested in the truck and then continued south toward Santa Fe.  It was either my lack of caffeine or the heat that tired me out.  I could barely stay awake.

More later...