Alpine Escape to Santa Fe Baldy

View of Lake Katherine from just north of the summit proper

Feel like getting a small taste of Colorado here in New Mexico? High altitudes, alpine lakes, marmots, hiking above timberline, and lots of water make this a very different area from where I'm used to going! Just to the east/northeast of Santa Fe,NM lies the Pecos Wilderness, which is home to some of the most beautiful backcountry and alpine terrain that I have ever hiked in the state. I recommend ANY of the hikes in this area to anyone looking to get out. If you've mostly just hiked in the Sandias or any of the desert areas around Albuquerque, this will be a big change. At ~15 miles round trip, this is one for the folks a bit more in shape. I do warn that you REALLY do want to make sure you are in shape for this as well as prepared.

One of the first views of Santa Fe Baldy along the Winsor Trail

To get to the trailhead for this adventure, you're going to make your way to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. From Albuquerque, you'll take I-25 North to Santa Fe. You'll exit either on St. Francis Road or Old Pecos Road. I haven't taken the Old Pecos Road route, but on a map it looks like the most straightforward way, as there is a lot of easy-to-miss turns via the St. Francis route. Either way, you're going to go into Santa Fe for a bit on said road until it runs into NM 475. Follow the signs to make sure you stay on NM 475 (that is where the easy-to-miss turns come in), and once you start driving into the hills you are good to go. Follow that road all the way to where it ends up at the top of the mountain. Park in any of the huge parking areas at the Santa Fe Ski Basin, and you're there!

That morning light through the trees!

So this trail connects three trail really. Winsor, Skyline, and the spur going up to the Santa Fe Baldy. This makes for either a great overnight camping trip, or an exhausting albeit worthwhile dayhike. I am a big fan of long dayhikes, so I did just that. I started on the trail at just after 7am, but I came across a couple of gentlemen on the trail who started just after 3!

Rio Nambe

The Winsor Trail is where the hike begins. The trailhead for this is on the east/northeast corner of the parking area. Right away you walk into beautiful, dense forest and immediately cross and follow the Rio Medio. For the first mile, the trail switchbacks up and up out of the ski basin until arriving at a saddle where you reach the boundary for the Pecos Wilderness. This is a gorgeous open area that I usually stop for a drink at.

Life can be found everywhere

From the boundary, you stay on the Winsor Trail and it starts to wind around on the north facing slopes. At just beyond 2 miles, you'll reach the Rio Nambe, and the turnoff for Nambe Lake. Nambe Lake is a worthwhile hike itself, and I'm sure will get a post of its own some day. The Rio Nambe can be quite impressive depending on the time of the year, but luckily the little bridge that crosses it holds up quite while even when the flow is heavy and powerful.

After crossing the Rio Nambe, the trail follows the contour of the north-facing slopes for roughly a mile or so before the slopes start to level out, you're hiking along another stream, and then it starts to lift up. It's very gentle hiking most of the way, and you get beautiful views and peeks of Santa Fe Baldy throughout the way. It looks so distant in the beginning, but slowly gets closer and closer.

One of the many great views of SF Baldy

Lots of wildflowers along the trail in summer!

Rocky Mountain Columbines...my favorite.

One of the few stream crossings

After the final stream crossing, the trail switchbacks up and out of little "valley" and nears the first trail intersection. At around 5 miles you reach a big beautiful meadow! At this meadow is the intersection with the Skyline Trail, which is what you'll be taking north from here. The meadow provides many opportunities for shade to sit and relax or break and eat. On my way down I sat my pack on the ground here, lay my head back on it for a while, and closed my eyes to just hear the breeze.

Just east of the intersection, perfect spot to set up camp!

Another view of the Great Meadow

Winsor Trail continues east, but this hike catches the Skyline Trail and starts heading north. The trail goes straight towards the ridge for a bit before switchbacks appear to make the upward ascent a little easier. Just before it reaches the ridge, the trees start to thin out, and before you know it, you're hiking above timberline! At the crest of the ridge, there is a trail intersection. If you keep going east/northeast (straight) along the trail, you'll be heading to Lake Katherine. For the Baldy, you will turn left at the intersection, following the lesser used, but still obvious trail. From here it becomes quite taxing!

Looking south at Penitente and Lake Peaks from above timberline

Looking east into the vast expanse of Pecos Wilderness on the way up the ridge

The view of Santa Fe Baldy as you near the ridge

From here it is straight forward. You just follow the trail along the ridge up and up...and then up some more. You gain more than a thousand feet in elevation from the intersection to the summit, and it feels like it. About halfway up the ridge, you finally hit the 12,000 foot mark. There is no sign to mark it, but it is just a nice waypoint to notice if you have an instrument like a GPS that will measure your altitude. The views get better, and you're just hiking around small boulders and lots of open, green grass on the way up. It gets quite steep, but just keep pushing.

On the way up the lower part of the ridge

This little fellow didn't mind me getting too close

The right-most peak is the actual summit. This view shows you're almost done with the worst of it!

Eventually the trail starts to level out, and it becomes such a pleasant stroll along alpine, boulder-strewn meadows. I did this hike in July, and there were still snow drifts on the eastern side of the ridge up here. The summit is marked by a large pile of rocks. Once you make it here, you are roughly 12,600 feet in elevation! And this is where you can generally find people to be sitting, admiring the views in all directions. And what views they are! Out west are views of a huge burn scar (from what fire and when I do not know), out east are gorgeous views of the rolling Pecos Wilderness, down south are views of Lake Peak and Penitente Peak, and to the north you get wonderful views of Redondo Peak, East Pecos Baldy, and the Truchas peaks.

The general feel of the trail up top

The summit in sight!

Views of a massive burn scar

Looking at the ridge that was just ascended

If you go just to the north of the summit. There is a boulder-strewn overlook that provides incredible views of Lake Katherine below! Following this small ridge down just a little bit makes for a nice place to sit and take a break. It was near this area that I saw a couple marmots. Their squeaks are much easier to hear than they are to see usually. I advise taking as much time as you like to enjoy the views here and at the summit before turning back. It is such a wonderful place to just be, and enjoying it fully is the least you can do for yourself after the journey to get here.

Marmot calling out

View of Lake Katherine, with the Truchas Peaks in the distant left

After all the time spent soaking in all the beauty, and probably letting your heart rate calm and lungs relax, you'll take the same way back down as you did up. I won't post directions or anything, as you will know it once you've made it up here. The trek back may not be as exciting as the way up, but it is still a very enjoyable and pleasant hike.

View of Lake Katherine a little farther north on the ridge

Bring plenty of water (a filter if you have one), lots of calorie-packed foods, and all the other essentials, and go place yourself out in this beautiful part of the state. It is worth the drive, it is worth the many miles on foot, and it is worth the shortness of breath near the top. This is honestly one of my favorite hikes I've ever done, and most of the people I encountered along it seemed to be enjoying it just as much! I generally favor solitude, which is not to be found much along this area on weekends, but the people did not detract from the beauty here whatsoever. So go on, and just as always...don't take my word for it, find out for yourself!!!
Happy Trails :)