7/12/2010: Rio Grande, Quartzite access to County Line access
With: David Bernard, Mick Schlotfeldt, Donna Grimes, Bill Grimes, Dorothy Vezzetti, David Vezzetti, Marilyn Peery, Cliff Peery, Jim Barton, Lee Belknap, Kathy Cusick, Christy Long, Julie Luck, Dick Swomley, Ken Anderson, Billy Welborn
The stretch from the Quartzite access to the County Line access is also known as "the Racecourse", and is, at this level, one of the best Class II/II+ stretches of river I have ever boated. It is oddly absent from the AW River Database, but the put-in is easy to find a couple of miles south of Pilar, NM, and the takeout about five miles farther south. This stretch was just full of rocks and eddies, and for such a short run, we kept ourselves entertained for hours.
After paddling, David, Mick and I visited the BLM Ranger Station/Visitors' Center and chatted with the ranger, then had the best tamales ever (David and I each had one green chile tamale and one red chile tamale) at a tiny restaurant and shop in Pilar named "The Pilar Yacht Club". We ate in the shaded patio out back and the proprietor sat and told us tales of the old stage line from the Taos Junction station of the Sante Fe RR to Taos. If you're in Pilar, NM, be sure to patronize his shop. NOTE: Nine years later (October 2019) the food was not nearly so good and the proprietor, if he was the same, was not nearly so amiable.
In the Ranger Station I had seen a picture of the Taos High Bridge, so we went back to camp, picked up Jim Barton, drove up the switchbacks to the west rim of the canyon, and followed Canyon Rim Road to US-64, which crosses 650 feet above the river. Along Canyon Rim Road we passed a remarkable collection of hippy dwellings in the desert. We ooh'd and ahh'd over the view down into the Taos Box section of the river from the bridge, which has a pedestrian walk on both sides of the right-of-way, then bought smoothies from three hippy babes who had been relaxing in an overstuffed sofa atop their colorfully painted ex-schoolbus until paying customers (we) showed up.
Heading back to camp, from the Canyon Rim Road we followed a dirt road, that probably belonged to the power company, off into the desert to intersect the rim above Powerline Rapid. By driving a quarter-mile downstream we were able to look back with my binoculars and see that the rapid was an absolutely unrunnable boulder-sieve. Proceeding back to camp I dropped David off at the Canyon Rim Trailhead, took Mick and Jim back to camp, then went back and read my book until David finished his hike just before dark. Well. David started ranting about how he had seen more of the Taos Box than any of us, and how, even at this low level, it was absolutely doable.
1. Sunrise over the Rio Grande
2. The lava from which the Rio Grande canyon is carved
3. Cactus at Taos Junction CG
4. Breakfast at Taos Junction CG
5. Breakfast at Taos Junction CG
6. The lower level of the Taos Junction CG
7. Rio Grande, putting in at the Quartzite access
8. Dick Swomley on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
9. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
10. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
11. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
12. David Bernard on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
13. David Vezzetti on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
14. Donna Grimes and Molly on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
15. Mick Schlotfeldt, Lee Belknap, and David Bernard on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
16. Richard Hopley on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
17. David Bernard on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
18. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
19. Bill Grimes on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
20. Kathy Cusick on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
21. David Bernard on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
22. Lee Belknap and Richard Hopley on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
23. Cliff Peery on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
24. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
25. Cliff Peery on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
26. David Bernard on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
27. Bill Grimes on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
28. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
29. Christy Long on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
30. Richard Hopley on the Rio Grande "Racecourse"
31. Rio Grande "Racecourse"
32. Taos Junction CG as seen from across the river
33. Locals refer to it as "The High Bridge"
34. Rio Grande Gorge "High Bridge"
35. Rio Grande Gorge (Taos Box, Lower) downstream from the High Bridge
36. Rio Grande Gorge (Taos Box, Lower) downstream from the High Bridge
37. Rio Grande Gorge (Taos Box, Lower) looking straight down from the High Bridge
38. Rio Grande Gorge (Taos Box, Lower) upstream from the High Bridge
39. David Bernard, Jim Barton, and Richard Hopley, buying smoothies from the hippy babes (one of many street vendors at the High Bridge)
40. Rio Grande gorge from the BLM trail to the rim above Powerline Rapid
41. Rio Grande gorge from the BLM trail to the rim above Powerline Rapid
42. Rio Grande gorge from the BLM trail to the rim above Powerline Rapid
