Explore New Mexico

Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area

Jim McDonough — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:15:17 +0000

Ah-shi-sle-pah

The first time I visited the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area, I stayed about 10 minutes. It wasn’t because I didn’t like what I found, it was because a quick moving thunderstorm moved in and I was afraid that I’d get stuck in the mud. Like many of my favorite places to visit New Mexico, getting to Ah-shi-sle-pah involves traveling over dirt roads that can be treacherous in monsoon season. Ah-shi-sle-pah is located in the northwest part of New Mexico, not far from Chaco Canyon. It’s not well known and can be difficult to find since the two track to the parking area is no longer marked. The first time I tried to visit, I got lost on the network of dirt roads used by oil trucks in the San Juan basin, and ended up finding myself at Chaco Canyon. The ranger gave me a map and decent directions, but even with those, I drove past the area a few times before finding it.

The area is otherworldly. A couple of weeks after my aborted first visit, Ah-shi-sle-pah showed up on the SyFi series Stargate Universe in the episode Malice. Ah-shi-sle-pah is noted for it’s strange rock formations, hoodoos, eroded cliffs and all in shades of yellow, orange, ochre, grey and white. The rocks, a mixture of sandstone, mudstone and shale, are from the Fruitland Formation. The Fruitland Formation is a sedimentary geological formation containing layers of sandstone, shale, and coal. It was laid down in marshy delta conditions, with poor drainage and frequent flooding, under a warm, humid and seasonal climate. It is dated from the late Campanian (part of the Cretaceous period), and is found in the San Juan Basin in the states of New Mexico and Colorado, in the United States of America.

Hoodoos

The area is also known for dinosaur bones. Charles Hazelius Sternberg a fossil collector and amateur paleontologist visited the area in the early 1920s. Paleontologists still visit the area. Collecting and removing fossils is prohibited.

Getting There:

For me, getting to Ah-shi-sle-pah is easiest accessed from the East. From Highway 550 from Bloomfield, turn on Hwy 57 (on the right heading south from Bloomfield, on the left heading north from Cuba) at the Blanco Trading Post at mile marker 123.2 Continue southwest for about 18 miles until you reach the unsigned two track to Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah on your right hand side of the road.

Where to Stay:

If you plan to stay overnight in the area, the nearest accommodations to Ah-shi-sle-pah are in Bloomfield, NM, about 50 miles northwest on US 550 or in Farmington, NM on US 64, about 60 miles northwest. Many of the large national chains such as Best Western, Holiday Inn Express and La Quinta are located in these areas. Camping is permitted at Ah-shi-sle-pah.

Badlands of Ah-shi-sle-pah

Where to Eat:

Many national chains, fast food restaurants and local favorites like the Los Hermanitos can be found along Main Street in Farmington.

Additional Places to Visit in the Area:

Chaco Canyon
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
Aztec Ruins National Monument

The Very Large Array

Jim McDonough — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:21:10 +0000

The first time I saw the Very Large Array was in the movie Contact, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. Hollywood took a number of liberties with the VLA in the movie and a number of other movies such as Independence Day, Terminator Salvation, 2010, Transformers: Dark of the Moon where images of the VLA have been used. The VLA is now an iconic American image thanks to Hollywood. It’s definitely worth checking out if you live in or are visiting in New Mexico

Moon Over the VLA

One of the world’s premier astronomical radio observatories, the VLA is located about fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil on the Plains of San Agustin. It’s an easy couple hour drive from Albuquerque, three from Santa Fe and a little over 3 hours from Las Cruces.

The VLA consists of 27 radio antennas, each weighing about 230 tons with a dish diameter of 82 feet. The antenna are arranged in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin. Each of the three arms of the Y is 13 miles long. The antennas are moved along railroad tracks along these arms into a to a number of prepared positions.

There are four commonly used configurations, designated A (the largest) through D (the tightest). The VLA normally cycles through all the various possible configurations, including several hybrids, every 16 months. The antennas are moved every three to four months. Moves to smaller configurations are done in two stages, first shortening the east and west arms and later shortening the north arm.

The configurations listed below with a lower-case “n”, such as “DnC” and “BnA” are hybrid configurations in which the antennas on the east and west arms are moved in for the next configuration, but those on the north arm remain extended for a short time to enhance the view of sources in the southern sky. Dates are approximate since moving the antennas is dependent on weather conditions.

Dates	Configuration
2011 Sep 16 – 2011 Dec 12	C
2011 Dec 16 – 2012 Jan 03	CnB
2012 Jan 13 – 2012 Apr 16	B
2012 Apr 20 – 2012 May 07	BnA
2012 May 18 – 2012 Aug 27	A
2012 Sep 14 – 2012 Dec 10	D
2012 Dec 14 – 2012 Dec 31	DnC

The Plains of San Agustin

The Visitor Center is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to dusk. A 9-minute video in the Visitor Center’s theater offers visitors an overview of radio astronomy, interferometry, and the facility itself. Exhibits offer more information about radio astronomy and the role the Very Large Array and other NRAO telescopes play in current scientific research.

Visitors take a self-guided walking tour past the Whisper Gallery to the base of one of the antennas. The trail will lead visitors back to the Visitor’s Center and Gift Shop. Photography is permitted everywhere at the VLA, but visitors are asked to keep cell phones turned off since they interfere with observing.

My favorite time to visit is late afternoon, into dusk. On one of my visits I was lucky enough to catch the full moon rising over the Plains of San Agustin just as the sun was setting. At sunset the antenna are silhouetted against the New Mexican sky, making for spectacular photographs.

Guided tours are offered to the general public twice a year on the same dates the Trinity site is open to the public. The next scheduled tour is Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 11 a.m. Visitors coming from the Trinity Site should allow 2 hours for the drive from Trinity to the VLA.

The VLA sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet. At this elevation, the weather can be considerably colder than that at lower elevations. Snow is possible at the VLA from September through May. Check weather reports before your trip since the weather on the Plains of San Agustin can be quite variable. Thunderstorms are common during New Mexico’s monsoon season in late summer.

Getting There:

The VLA is located 50 miles west of Socorro on U.S. Highway 60. From U.S. 60, turn south on NM 52, then west on the VLA access road, which is well marked. Signs will point you to the Visitor Center.

Radio Telescope

Where to Stay:

Lodging is available in Socorro, an hour’s drive from the VLA. Many of the large national chains such as Best Western, Holiday Inn Express and Motel 6 are located in Socorro. Lodging also is available in Magdalena. Montosa RV Park is about 5 miles east of the VLA on Highway 60. Camping is also available in Datil at the Datil Well Campground, and between Magdalena and Socorro at the Water Canyon campground.

Where to Eat:

The Visitor Center has water fountains, a soft-drink machine, and soft drinks, bottled water, and candy bars in the gift shop. No other food is available at the VLA site. The nearest restaurants are the Magdalena Café, South Main Street, Magdalena about 25 miles to the east, and the Eagle Guest Ranch, Highway 60 & State Road 12, Datil, about 20 miles to the west. Many restaurants are available in Socorro, an hour’s drive from the VLA.

Additional Places to Visit in the Area:

San Miguel Mission
Bosque del Apache
San Lorenzo Canyon

San Lorenzo Canyon

Jim McDonough — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 23:40:08 +0000

San Lorenzo Canyon

San Lorenzo Canyon is pretty typical of the places I love to visit in New Mexico. It’s not well known, it’s a little off the beaten path and visiting allows me to kick up a lot of dust while speeding over unpaved roads. It also allows me to take hundreds of photos of rocks and blue sky.

About an hour south of Albuquerque, San Lorenzo Canyon offers a fairly easy day of hiking and exploring. The area is maintained by the BLM.

The canyon runs east-west and is located at the southern edge of the Servilleta National Wildlife Refuge. The area is full of shelter caves, arches, hoodoos and other interesting rock formations.

When I visited in October, the bright yellow leaves of the cottonwoods were contrasted against cliffs of the muddy brown sandstone canyon and the blue New Mexican skies. I had the place to myself.

Cottonwoods

You can hike about a mile and a half from the mouth of the canyon to its end. While it’s possible to drive it as well if you have a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d miss too much, including some smaller side canyons. The main canyon ends in a box, but it is possible to continue further with a short climb. Just be aware there is no access to Servilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Signs are posted.

There are no facilities or fees. The canyon is open year-round. Bring plenty of water, especially in the summer when temperatures would be quite brutal.

Getting There:

From I25 take the exit (156).

Go west under I25

Turn north onto the frontage road.

Continue north for 4.4 miles. Until reaching County Road B90 (dirt road)

Go west on C94 (B90 on some maps) into San Lorenzo Valley

At 1.9 miles from the frontage road turn north at the San Lorenzo Canyon sign.

Continue north for approximately 2 miles into the canyon

Note: C94 (B90) is quite sandy and road conditions will vary depending on weather. You can call the Socorro BLN office at 505-835-0412 to check on conditions.

Sandstone Cliffs

Where to Stay:

If you plan to stay overnight in the area, the nearest accommodations to San Lorzeno Canyon are in Socorro, NM, about 19 miles south on I25. Many of the large national chains such as Best Western, Holiday Inn Express and Motel 6 are located in Socorro.

Where to Eat:

Many national chains, fast food restaurants and local favorites like the Socorro Springs Brewing Company can be found along N California St in Socorro, NM.

Additional Places to Visit in the Area:

Very Large Array

San Miguel Mission

Bosque del Apache