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St. Peter’s Dome (Jemez RD)
May 5, 2018 @ 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Contact Leader(s): Larry Benson, L.Benson@nmvfo.org with any questions.
RESULTS: Nineteen volunteers organized by the NMVFO repaired and improved 2.3 miles of the St Peters Dome Trail across drought-stricken Sanchez Canyon and up the ridge on the other side. Their work included bucking a half dozen fallen tree trunks blocking the trail (using crosscut and hand saws within the Dome Wilderness), widening the tread (to include carving a new “bench” in sections where loose pumice had overwhelmed the trail), removing weeds and trimming brush intruding on the trail, improving drainage features, and building cairns to mark the obscured trail up past its junction with the Turkey Springs Trail.
The NMVFO has helped maintain this remote and rugged trail for many years, most recently in 2016, but the trail continues to suffer after-effects from the infamous Las Conchas wildfire of 2011, especially erosion and fallen timbers. Under the guidance of Phyllis Martinez of the Jemez Ranger District, we will clear brush and any deadfall blocking the trail corridor, shore up washed out sections with rocks, and improve the trail’s tread by out-sloping, cleaning sediment, and excavating other drainage features as needed. We will work from the south trailhead into the Dome Wilderness, through cliff-lined Sanchez Canyon and possibly up the escarpment beyond. The scenic vistas are unobstructed, but shade will be scarce and hiking on segments with steep grades and switchbacks somewhat strenuous. USFS regulations require long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy (and comfortable) boots, and work gloves. Also bring a day pack, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and—if precipitation is in the forecast—a rain jacket or poncho. For additional guidance, please consult https://nmvfo.org/volunteer/volunteer-faq. (Because of blowing dust, contact lenses may be uncomfortable if strong winds are predicted.) In addition to carrying a tool, you will need to pack in your own lunch and plenty of water. Extra bottled water and other drinks will be available from a cooler at the trailhead.
Our meeting place will be at the Pueblo de Cochiti Convenience Store, 1405 Cochiti Highway (NM 22). See https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6473593,-106.3291461,16.25z?hl=en or geo-location 35°38’54.4″N, 106°19’53.6″W. This is a relatively short commute from either Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Take I-25 to Exit 264 at the bottom of La Bajada Hill, then west on NM 16 and right on NM 22 past the massive Cochiti Lake Dam and up the hill to the Convenience Store/Gasoline Station on the right. Park in the gravel lot on the left of the store, which has coffee, pastries and other snacks, as well as restrooms. Plan to arrive no later than 8:30 AM, when we will carpool in high-clearance vehicles to the trailhead, which is a few miles up Forest Road 289. (The gate for FR 289 is on the right side of NM 22 about 3/4 mile past the Cochiti Golf Course.) For anyone who would like to stay nearby overnight, the Corps of Engineers operates two campgrounds at Cochiti Lake (minimum fee: $5.00).