Elk Mountain
Springtime in New Mexico usually means lots of dry wind, and we've had plenty. Fortunately this spring, we also have some snow hanging around at higher altitudes. For this outing, we wanted to revisit a trail in the Santa Fe National Forest. Heading north out of Pecos, we set out for Elk Mountain. We came here a few years back, in search of a snowy backdrop for a Christmas card. I had always wanted to return to reach the summit under better conditions. Being mid April, we had high expectations as we pulled off the pavement to start climbing the smooth forest road. This trail starts with a slow drive through primitive camping areas that are used year round, but you quickly make your way above the sites after a few switchbacks. As you climb you are greeted by beautiful views of Lake Peak and Santa Fe Baldy to the west.
Like the run to the Coyote Trail, we expected to have a muddy mess to clean upon returning home. We had already come across small streams of water crossing the road. The warm temperatures were causing snow melt to run down to the Pecos river on the valley floor. It wasn't long before we were seeing slick mud on some of the switchbacks where the runoff crossed. Followed closely by snow on the shoulder and eventually snow covering the road. Unfortunately, this snow had been sitting around thawing a little by day and refreezing at night. It had formed an icy crust on top with soft slush lurking underneath. Once you break through that top layer, things get slippery fast. I slowed down to engage four-low as we advanced across the snow drifts. There were only two other vehicles that we encountered on the road. Neither went as far up as we were now reaching. Blazing fresh trail through the snow was exhilarating. The first snag we hit was a dip on the outside edge. With this being a maintained section of the road, there were larger rocks stacked along the edge to prevent excess erosion. As we started to climb out of the dip the rear end of the 4Runner slid downhill towards the edge. I reached up to engage the rear locker and pointed the front wheels to the nearest patch of dirt. When the front driver’s tire caught traction to pull us up, we were still feet from the edge and free of the obstacle. My wife breathed a sigh of relief, and released her grip on the door handle. She never enjoys the tippy bits.
Next we came upon a section that was an off-camber climb. The passenger side of the road was covered in deep snow and the driver’s side sloped towards a small bowl that was also holding snow. I knew it would be difficult, and I paused for a moment to contemplate the outcome. I wanted to carry some speed to get through, but didn't want to end up in the ditch on the driver's door. We set off at a steady pace, but very quickly momentum was halted. The passenger front tire was nearly buried and the rear slid sideways. I hoped we could back down, but as I reversed, the rear tires dug in. Just like that we were stuck. My daughter asked from the back seat, “Are we stuck?”
“Daddy always has reverse”, my wife replied.
I reached to the shifter and dropped into reverse again, stabbed the pedal to spin all four tires, and looked at my wife saying, “That is reverse.”
We stepped out to further assess the situation, quickly discovering that we ourselves needed to tread lightly. A slightly too aggressive step would lead to a wet sock and cold toes. I was surprised to see the slush molded into a sheet of ice around each tire and the tread packed as well. We pulled out the traction boards and started digging. This was the first time using them for anything more than a leveling platform. They did a great job of removing the snow from behind each tire, but the rear axle was close to bottoming out. After a few attempts, the tires grabbed and we popped out. I backed down the road to a dry spot to go recover the boards. I found the front suspension packed with snow and laughed at the sight.
Having freed ourselves from the snow drift. We turned around and decided to find a place to stop for lunch. We worked back down a bit to a crossroads, and pulled to the side. This is the place where the two more sensible drivers had turned back earlier. I opted for parking on the snow to avoid more mud intrusion to the vehicle. After very little unpacking, we started a simple lunch while the girls enjoyed their last opportunity to play in snow this season. Knowing that the trail follows the north east side of the mountain and we were only halfway to the summit, it was an easy decision to not push further. We took the rest of the day to explore further up the valley towards Grass Mountain and the iron gate campground. Even in defeat, it was a beautiful day in the forest, and we will return to summit Elk Mountain.
