Chic Challenge 1/03

Home Up Holiday Party 12/01 Rio Puerco 1/02 Chile Challenge 2/02 Chic Challenge 1/03 Chile Challenge 2/03 Fun Day 3/03

 Caja del Rio / La Bajada Trails
 January 4, 2003

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Marcia began the event with a Driver's Meeting, during which she gave everyone several excellent trail-driving tips The Caja del Rio trail is rated "Easy",
but the snow and mud make it a bit more challenging in some spots  

 

There was a whole lot o' grinnin' goin' on throughout the day!
Lauri Rector and her friend Irene Susan Bontly

 

On the other hand, 
Mary Thompson felt that this 
off-camber section would be 
much less scary
if she closed her eyes!

Yes, her eyes really are closed.
Click on the picture for a close-up!

 

Jack Sierra is totally relaxed with 
Stella at the helm (yeah, right!)		 This huge "Blow Hole", located a few hundred yards from where we stopped for lunch, was determined to be around 256 feet deep! 

 

"Susan, honey, if I promise to keep my mouth shut, can I get back in the car?" - Ron Hyman More grins 'n giggles.  
Susan Probst piloting Ron's Suzi
(Ron must still be walkin'!  ;o)

 

Participants of the First (Annual?) NM4W Chic Challenge
Jaime Sparkman, Mary Thompson, Ruby Berge, Stella Sierra, Anita Ransom, Sandy Gilley, Susan Bontly, Lauri Rector, Susan Probst, Susan Miller, and Trail Boss Marcia Duggar (kneeling)

La Bajada Hill (Spanish for "the descent")

Towards the end of the trail, we descended La Bajada Hill.  After the ride, I did some research and learned that there's quite a bit of history behind this area.  Long before I-25 was built, this road was part of the main passage from Albuquerque to Santa Fe.  Historians believe that this road has been in use for some 300 years.  The switchbacks on the road were supposedly blazed by U.S. Army troops in the 1860's for cavalry passage.  In the early 1900's, because of the gravity-fed gas tanks of the time, many vehicles were forced to use their most powerful gear - reverse - to climb backwards up the steeper switchbacks.  In the 1920's, the top half of the climb was rerouted on a gentler alignment just to the east of the old route.  Since both routes are visible on my TOPO USA 3.0 map, I was able to determine that we took the newer route.  Gee, I wonder if the old route is still passable?!  :o)  Then in 1934, the Highway Department "moved" the road three miles to the east to the same route currently used by I-25.  Here are a couple of "before" and "after" shots of the switchbacks on the lower section of La Bajada Hill.

Photo courtesy of the "Bones of the Old Road"
video, downloaded from the Internet at
www.newmexico.org/ScenicAttractions/route66/bajada.html		 This is what the road looks like today.

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