Introduction
With spring springing, I wanted to make a short backpacking trip to places I have not been. I have been frustrated by not getting permits and issues caused by the high snowpack in the West. The high snowpack has closed trailheads, caused access inability, and caused damage. Always trying to look at the glass half full; the high snowpack may mean increased water availability (and more mosquitoes).
I wanted to see cliff dwellings, and I’ve never backpacked in New Mexico or done purely slot canyons, so I planned a trip with several stops. I headed south to New Mexico. I planned to stop at Bandelier National Monument near Santa Fe to see some cliff dwellings and do some hiking or an overnight. Then I planned to go south to the Gila Wilderness near the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Heading north, I planned to stop at the Bisti Wilderness to see its landscape and then go to Grand Staircase Escalante, Bears Ears, and Glenn Canyon to do some slot canyons. None of these places limit access but require a self-issued permit at the trailhead.
The trip was great, except for cutting it short after breaking my leg in the Bisti Wilderness.
PS – I had a Maisonnevue Fracture that is caused by the ankle ligaments torquing the fibula due to a fall. I slipped. The major injury is to the ankle ligaments which may be torn and require surgery to repair. So far, my X-rays, including a stressed X-ray do not show any bone displacement. I am getting an MRI on June 5 to verify if ligament damage exists. Stay tuned.
Bandelier National Monument
The drive to Bandelier took about seven hours from Boulder. The National Monument is small, but I could do an overnight backpack trip. The cliff dwellings are very fascinating and close to the visitors’ center. In most cases, the Native Americans used natural caves in the cliff face or did minimal excavation.
The monument is too structured for me, but it was worth the stop. Thunderstorms rolled in as I hiked along the cliff, and the rain poured. I could do a hiking loop of 23 miles, but the trail is mostly exposed and arid. Therefore, I changed out of my wet clothes and headed to the Gila Wilderness.
Gila Wilderness
The Gila Wilderness is next to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The entrance to the Gila was an unexpected hurdle. Due to damage, the state had closed the eastern access road, so I improvised and drove farther south and then north to access the wilderness from the west. The drive took longer than expected and was worth it.
Once I got to the trailhead, I did a short hike through the cliff dwellings. The USFS ranger directed me to leave my pack since I had food, and the staff was concerned about rodents. The request was weird since backpackers are more mindful of LNT than the public. I was a target because I carried a pack, but rangers did not stop people from taking food in their pockets. I complied with the request since it was not worth arguing their logic.
After seeing the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, I entered the wilderness and hiked along the Gila River, which flowed well and was mainly ankle-deep. When planning this trip segment, I did not realize that the Gila Wilderness is part of the Continental Divide Trail, and the route crossed the Gila River dozens of times.
On the first day, I encountered several day hikers crossing the river. They would take off their shoes, cross the river, try to clean their feet of sand, and don their shoes only to take them off again 50 feet later. I understand why they did that because their boots would hold water. I just walked through the crossings. My trail runners will dry quickly; I have spare socks and brought Desitin if my feet start pruning.
The weather was not ideal. Thunderstorms were everywhere in the Gila and throughout New Mexico. I heard that meteorologists called the weather the May-soon, a play on monsoon. Usually, the monsoon does not start until July or late June. I got caught in thunderstorms beginning in the late morning and going to 9 PM.
Regardless, I caught myself drinking water on the top of a ridge, looking at the weather, admiring the beauty, taking a break, and loving it. I appreciated the solitude and the surroundings. The javelinas and deer were bothered by my presence, and no amount of calmly discussing my situation pacified them. They immediately sought to run away.
Leaving the Gila River, I climbed a ridge on the trail to intersect another trail that defined the loop I wanted to do. As I got closer to the trailhead, I was more people and had to walk a road for a few miles back to my vehicle.
I had to finish drying out my shoes on the drive to the Bisti. Unfortunately, I could not drive directly to the Bisti but was forced the long way around until Santa Fe; then, I headed west.
Bisti Wilderness
The Bisti Wilderness is very small, remote, and very unique. It is about 40 miles south of Farmington, NM. The attraction is unusual, small hoodoos, petrified wood, dinosaur fossils, and bizarre rock formations. I planned to use the Bisti as an intermediate point between the Gila and Grand Staircase Escalante. The Bisti is too small for an overnight backpack trip.
I got to the Bisti before evening and cowboy camped in the bed of my truck. Others were in the parking lot, including a man living out of his pickup truck. He had Internet access using his Starlink Roam coupled with several solar panels. When I returned, he was working diligently using his Starlink.
I took many photos in the Bisti because the place was so unique. My visit would be hard to explain without pictures.
I got up early, planned to do an 8 miles loop, and then go to Utah. Before entering the wilderness, a signboard showed the locations of the unique features of the Bisti. The weather was good, and the temperature was cool. The Bisti is very exposed, relatively flat, and without trails. Small canyons would crop up with walls 10 to 40 feet high formed by erosion and become a maze of small canyons. The environment looked like another planet. Picking the wrong canyon would lead to dead ends or cause me to miss some of the highlights of the Bisti.
I came upon a long-petrified wood log. As I approached it, I noticed some small multi-shaded rocks that, with a closer look, were petrified wood. I left them so another person could see them. Next, I saw fossilized dinosaur eggs. They were huge, up to 4 feet long. Giant dinosaurs would dig long trenches, lay their eggs, and cover them with dirt, letting the soil regulate the incubation temperature. That makes sense since eggs are too fragile to incubate by a multi-ton animal sitting on them.
The hoodoos and terrain were surreal. I got to the far end of my route and started heading back. I climbed up a small wall to get my bearings when I fell and landed on my leg twisting my ankle. I hit hard. I knew I was hurt and thought I had bruised my lower leg or damaged my ankle and knee joint. I painfully climbed down.
At least I got my bearings. After a few steps, the pain was bad enough to forgo the other hoodoos and dinosaur fossils and head to my vehicle. I slowly hiked the three miles to the trailhead, constantly checking my GPS to take the shortest route. I saw a few other hikers, and we waved.
Why not ask for help or use the SOS button on my satellite communicator?
If a person needs to exit the backcountry, my WFR training led me to ask if I could walk out. Yes, I could. I was slow, taking two hours to do three miles. I took some ibuprofen and had plenty of water.
WFRs ask if a person can walk out because rescuers put their lives in danger to evacuate a person. Furthermore, it may take hours or even days to arrange the evacuation. In a designated wilderness, evacuation is done by a stretcher or fireman’s carry since no mechanical devices are allowed in a designated wilderness, including wheeled stretchers, ATVs, and helicopters.
Once I returned to my vehicle, I went to Farmington in pain. I got gas and Tylenol to add to the ibuprofen to alleviate the pain and headed home. Seven hours later, I was at my place. I went to the emergency room, and the doctor took x-rays and confirmed a fracture of my left fibula with a follow-up with an orthopedic doctor. My fracture is simple, and I never hit my head.
Lessons Learned
Don’t break your leg. I do not regret climbing up the rim. I regret slipping. My shoes had lugs, and I believed I would be fine hiking the Bisti.
I brought my InReach satellite communicator if I needed to declare an SOS emergency.
I brought my first aid kit. I cleaned the scrape on my knee and took ibuprofen. Because the pain was intense, I bought some acetaminophen to combine with the ibuprofen. I need to carry both ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
I brought plenty of water.
My WFR training helped me evaluate my situation and walk out.
The slot canyons of Utah will still be there for me to do another day.
Summary
National Monuments are worthwhile exploring, but I do not expect to camp at any National Monument since they are too structured. The Gila Wilderness was as I expected, other than the daily deluges. The Bisti is worth visiting even though it is small. The Bisti is a great side trip.