I got to the Dragonfly trailhead east of Silver City just before sunrise. A green sign off US180 marks the turn-off. The parking is just a mile north, where the pavement ends and the road turns left. The trailhead is straight ahead. Horse trailers get their separate area. All the town's dog walkers were already there as well. So this is another popular dog-friendly trail and I found out about it while Googling hiking trails for Silver City!
There are several trails that start here, but the popular one is the "petroglyph trail," aka The Dragonfly trail. It is a well-marked 3.5-mile loop trail that goes northeast toward a creek known for its petroglyphs. Many of them resemble dragonflies, thus the trail name. The path is wide and starts out crossing a high grassy, juniper-studded trail. It's an easy trail ideal for all abilities. I opted to hike the trail clockwise. Two women with two annoying chihuahuas who started hiking at the same time, went the other way. I never saw them again. The only other person I encountered was a jogger with his border collie, who took a keen interest in Sadie and ignored his owner's calls to come back to him. Sadie was not interested in the dog, either.
The sun rose behind a layer of clouds, adding color to the surrounding landscape. The cloud cover cooled off the path, making this a very enjoyable leg-stretcher of a short hike. The creek was dry and I never came across the petroglyphs. I guess one has to know where they are. There are no signs indicating their exact location. The red dirt path would be a nuisance after a heavy rain. Today it was an easy-to-follow trail back to my truck.
The hike took me 1:20 hours. The day was still young. I could have stopped in town for breakfast. Instead, I opted to continue my drive north, taking scenic NM152 over the Emory pass route, across the Gila National Forest and the Aldo Leopard Wilderness. I'd been on this windy road before. It covers spectacular views over the canyons, across the Black Mountain Ranges, and old mining towns in the river valley. On clear days one can see the distant Rio Grande river glisten in the sunlight. I was headed toward that river. There was minimal traffic on this mountain drive, and again I wondered where everyone was.
There are a few pull-offs on this road that offer the traveler time to stretch one's legs, read historical plaques, or even attempt a short hike on a trail. The Silver Fire of 2013 (07 Jun-13 Jul 2013) has scarred the range near 8228' Emory Pass. There is now a memorial for that fire, posted in front of a hillside of dead trees and young, green shrubs. New growth is coming back, but I'm sure the people i the valley below will forever remember the fear they experienced watching that fire move closer to their home. I had forgotten how beautiful these mountains are, but it's seen its share of wildfires in the last ten years.
The Gila National Forest has a different character than the Coronado National forest: Here juniper and pinon pine and low-lying sagebrush dominate, and the aroma is noticeable.
The drive over the mountains was a slow, scenic journey through time, but I was now relieved to be nearing the Rio Grande and the lakes that are formed from damming the river: the Caballo and Elephant Butte Reservoirs. These bodies of water nourish the central valley here, and the lakes are popular with boaters. NM152 ends at NM187 and I took that road north toward Truth or Consequences, a town near the southern end of Elephant Butte Reservoir. Jammed with holiday travelers, I was stressing out. Wasn't there somewhere I could relax, either on the lake or on the river, for just a few minutes, so that the dogs could cool off and I could perk up?
I found that little spot by accident, when I took a wrong turn and ended up driving east instead of north on NM51. I crossed a narrow two-lane bridge over the swift-flowing Rio Grande and noticed rafters launching under the east side of the bridge. I quickly turned around and parked on the west side, just long enough for the dogs to get their paws wet in the water and to drink from the cool river.
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