La Ventana OHV
All of us have done it; driven by a place hundreds of times without stopping to take a look. Whether it's a business, park, roadside attraction, or museum, we go by ignorant to what we are missing. Today we took off northwest on highway 550. A road we have traveled hundreds of times, but this day we pulled off the tarmac well short of our normal destination. We were intent on driving the La Ventana OHV loop. It's an easy offroad loop that climbs the mesa providing stunning views of the surrounding Jemez Pueblo. There is a large staging area for trucks with trailers and those looking to air down.
As you start up the old paved road, you are greeted by a ‘Road Closed’ sign. The old paved route was closed and left to decay. What remains is a gentle climb riddled with potholes. Once through the gate at the top of the hill, you dive right off the crumbing asphalt onto the dirt and wind quickly through a cattle guard. At this point you are already on the bench of the first mesa working your way back out to the edge. Round one corner, and the ground drops away to reveal the desert floor and the mesa opposite the highway below. The winding road along the edge reminds me of loose shale trails in southern Colorado. However, this environment is starkly different. Enormous sandstone boulders are scattered about having dislodged from the rockface above. Juniper trees and sagebrush poking out amongst the rocks, give me a sense of familiarity to canyons further north. The trail continues to dip, crest, jog left and right as you make your way towards the flat opening where the bench widens
We pulled off the trail near a USGS survey marker to grab lunch. This time we remembered the tortillas to complete our deli wraps. The site was littered with signs of elk from a small herd that had passed through recently. I took the time to show both girls the hoof prints of adult elk and the calves that accompanied them. I also attempted to field the endless questions about where elk, deer, and bears were at that very moment. My eldest asked if we could drive straight to the deer following lunch. If only it were so easy. As we ate, we took in the smells of the sagebrush and the dry desert air. It seemed like summer was fast approaching, and the days of snow and mud were long behind us.
Getting back to the trail, we started our climb from the bench to the top of the mesa. The first challenge presented itself, and we were reaching for four wheel drive. It was a washout in the road where the driver's side was dug out, likely by a combination of spinning tires and water run off. The rest was packed with rocks to create a path. I was running cameras and opted to spot my wife as she drove. I appreciate her enthusiasm and willingness to take on new challenges on our adventures. She made this crossing exciting with a few good jabs of the throttle to spin against the rocks leaving her mark. Many of us still strive for perfect throttle control, and it is especially difficult when being jostled about. My wife was laughing nervously as I hopped back in the passenger seat. Moving on we worked our way up again edging the cliff with gorgeous views below.
Cresting the top was a relief for my wife, but the mild road across the top of the mesa was boring to me. Almost as soon as you get accustomed to the level ground, you find yourself at the eastern edge. The descent is equally as beautiful as the climb with new rock formations to awe over. One ridge protrudes from the ground like the spine of an ancient creature, and others remain stout towering over the creek. As you reach the bottom of the hair pin switchbacks, the trail crisscrosses the wash meandering along the bottom of the canyon. On this side you get to experience the deep ravine carved by milenia of run off. You quickly discover that the west side isn’t the only part that commands your attention behind the wheel. From there, you work your way back north across cattle grazing land, and finally back onto the tired old pavement.
Although this trail won’t push your driving limits, it can test those with a fear of heights, and the scenery might leave you speechless. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend taking the time to explore the La Ventana OHV Loop.
