Cedro Peak Run
By Cliff Meier (Trail Tales April 2013)
On Saturday morning, March 23, 22 tough folks in 17 vehicles met at the Sandia Ranger Station parking lot. Forecasted cold and wind notwithstanding, we were on our way to Cedro Peak! As it worked out it was a little cool and the wind held off until we finished. Take note you wind wimps who stayed home! We had 5 club member vehicles and 12 guests.
We had a couple of surprises! The first was that our Forest Service has been at work on the full size vehicle roads, they had taken a road grader and “maintained” about half the roads we are allowed to use in the Cedro area, FR 462 and parts of FR12 and 13. Now these roads are rock, ledge and rut free. In other words, you can take 2 wheel drives anything on them. It’s really great to see our tax $ at work, not! You might ask why did they do this? After I dry ran the run earlier in the week, I visited the Ranger Station and asked them. The employee behind the desk knew exactly what I was going to ask before I got 6 words out! She said, “It was a big mistake, the grader driver thought he was supposed maintain the road and that they would not ever do that again”. So from now on runs around Cedro area will be known as Cedro Road runs! The other surprise was that our fearless trail leader started the run from the east end of FR 462, off the Bartula Baca Rd (near the Zuzak I-40 Exit) not the usual west end which is south of the Ranger Station. We all aired down and used the facilities at the trailhead. The overall route was a sort of figure 8 with a short drive down Juan Thomas Rd at the top. We proceeded up FR 462 through a patchwork of Forest Service and private lands. We went through the area where the controlled burns have been this winter. After a short while we intersected FR 13 and continued on the upper ridge to FR 252, right below the radio towers and fire watch station. After a short stop at the group picnic area on 252 we continued on to Juan Thomas Rd and then on back to the stair steps on FR 242. After spending some time there we went back to the picnic area for lunch. After lunch we proceeded back to FR 13 and back tracked to the 4x4 Meadow Ridge all vehicle trail that connected with FR 12 in the lower valley. Didn’t need to worry about the normal deep ruts on 12; they have been completely graded over. We then looped back up to FR 462 and continued to the Chamisoso Trailhead beside Hwy 337 (old 66). With the exception of some CB problems, the intrepid trail leader’s new professionally installed antenna squealed like a banshee! It was later figured out when a loose antenna grounds itself, it doesn’t work very well! But overall it was great day!
