Spring/Summer 2016
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New Mexico The Bi-annual Publication of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance WILD! Special Recreation Issue Top 25 Ways to Experience New Mexico’s Wilderness! Volume 13, Number 1—Spring/Summer 2016 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR New Mexico WILD! The Bi-annual Publication of the Wilderness Recreation By Mark Allison, Executive Director New Mexico Wilderness Alliance SPRING/SUMMER 2016 area — is by law to be free from motorized and mechanized activities. People should be aware of Inside and respect what is legal and appropriate. We’re always looking for volunteers to help This Issue: out (and to have some fun). One of our recent service projects, for example, was to remove From the Executive Director - Wilderness graffiti in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. And Recreation......................................................................2-3 as a hiker’s discovery last fall of illegal tree cut- ting by rogue skiers or snowboarders adjacent Wildlife Tracking – First Impression....................................4 to the Santa Fe Ski area illustrated, we depend Wildlife Watching – Mixing Technology and on citizen conservationists to be our eyes and Nature...............................................................................5 ears. If you see something illegal or inappropri- ate, please let us know. You can report violations River Rafting – Enjoying and Protecting New Mexico Rivers .....6 ased on the baffled looks of the on our website, and we will investigate them and sales person, I suspect I was the notify the proper authorities. Hunting – Window into the Wild.......................................7 first and perhaps only potential Camping – Camping with Kids...........................................7 customer to take a homemade hik- Outdoor recreation also has become a ma- Bing staff to the auto dealership to test how jor economic driver for New Mexico, creating Kayaking – A View from the River.......................................8 millions of dollars in revenue annually, thou- it fit. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in the Rock Climbing – And Then There are Some of Us Who sands of jobs and tax receipts for the state and horsepower, gas mileage or safety features, local governments. Climb Vertical Rock!...........................................................9 but if I couldn’t have fit my walking stick Fishing – Escaping the Modern World................................9 in the model I was considering, that would And yet recreation isn’t even in the top three have been a deal killer. Dorky? You bet. But perceived benefits of Wilderness by the public Photography – Loving your Subject: An Interview with what is a vehicle really for, if not to get to a as the accompanying graph shows. Perhaps sur- Wayne Suggs...................................................................10 prising, but maybe not. trailhead? That was 1993. The car eventu- Falconry...........................................................................10 ally died, but I still have my walking staff. We can’t help but note that there has been Llama Packing – Adventures with Llamas in the NM much going on lately regarding our public lands Wilderness......................................................................11 This issue celebrates our dedication to and en- both good and bad. joyment of our public lands and, in particular, Caving – Protecting Southeast NM’s Wild Caves through permanently protected designated Wilderness On the positive side, U.S. Senators Tom Udall Land Management Planning......................................12-13 areas. We are so fortunate to live in a place with and Martin Heinrich, both New Mexico Demo- such a wealth of public land – land owned by all crats, have not been resting on their conserva- Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions – Adventure for the Young of us – where we can recreate, find quietness and at Heart............................................................................14 tion laurels but continue to stand up for our can marvel at the beauty. Our public lands are public lands. The critically important Land and Wilderness Values and Extreme Sports............................14 inextricably linked to our quality of life as New Water Conservation Fund was reauthorized, the Mexicans, and it is indeed impossible to imagine Valles Caldera was transferred to the National Horse Packing - Horseback Riding in the Wild.................15 existing without them. Park Service and the Sabinoso Wilderness – the National Parks – America’s Best Idea Starving..................15 only Wilderness in northeast New Mexico – will Recreation is by no means the only value of finally have public access soon (more on this in- Wilderness Recreation – Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks......16 our public lands or Wilderness, or even the most side). Both senators have become increasingly important. Unfragmented wildlife habitat, biodi- vocal about their skepticism of the merits of the Cross-country Skiing – A Memorable Trip.........................16 versity, keeping at least some places free from proposed Gila River diversion – the “billion dol- roads and development for posterity are all is- lar boondoggle” that would change forever one Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks – Monumental Impact to sues we frequently highlight in these pages. Economy..........................................................................17 of the last free-flowing rivers in the Southwest. Sen. Heinrich has a guest column in this edition Foraging – Wild Foods from Wildlands............................18 In future editions, we’ll delve more into the on his thoughts about this threat. traditional uses and relationships that are criti- Hiking – Ute Mountain.....................................................19 cal foundations of New Mexico’s rich cultur- Sen. Heinrich recently introduced legislation (S. al heritage. Native Americans have and still Wild Guide.......................................................................19 2681), co-sponsored by Sen. Udall, that includes use these lands as they have for generations a provision to designate nearly 10,000 acres of Sabinoso Wilderness Access............................................20 to provide for their families through hunting new wilderness in the badlands of northwestern and fishing, to gather medicinal plants and as New Mexico. The new Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilder- Smart Water Development for Southwest New Mexico......20 sacred ceremonial sites. Rural Hispanic com- ness (currently a Wilderness Study Area) would munities rely on public lands for gathering pi- Public Lands Update........................................................21 span 7,242 acres just north of Chaco Culture ñon nuts and wood to heat their homes and National Historical Park. The legislation would Youth Wilderness Experience – Aldo Leopold Charter cook their food. In addition, these protected also add about 2,250 acres to the nearby Bisti and School and United World College....................................22 watersheds are essential for clean drinking De-Na-Zin wildernesses, described by the BLM water and as the source for irrigating crops. as “a fantasy world of strange rock formations.” Backpacking - A Love Letter to Solo Backpacking, Wilderness and Jenny ....................................................23 Since this is public land and owned by every- Closer to home, the 2016 state legislative session one, we have a responsibility to be good stew- Communing with Nature – Talking to Wild Things...........24 saw the unanimous passage of a senate memorial ards and enjoy our public lands responsibly. Not (SM 11) sponsored by Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cru- Snowshoeing – Snowshoes into the White and Wild.......25 all activities are appropriate everywhere. Perma- ces, affirming support for our public lands. Thanks nently protected designated Wilderness — rep- to the hundreds of you who showed up for the Pub- Community Partners – Travel Bug Gives Weighty Support resenting about 2 percent of New Mexico’s land lic Lands Rally day to make your voices heard. to Wilderness...................................................................26 UNM Wilderness Alliance Chapter...................................26 Wolves Belong!...............................................................27 SPOTLIGHT “Wolves. I appreciate that the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance works to protect and enhance COVER: Photo by Wayne Suggs, “Camping near Massacre the environment of New Mexico where a number of the Mexican gray wolves live. It’s an all-encompassing Peak,” Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument approach that has the potential to benefit all your indigenous lives, including those of the wolves.”— Leslie MacPherson, Illinois 2 New Mexico WILD! Spring/Summer 2016 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, continued New Mexico Wilderness Alliance MAIN OFFICE 505-843-8696 Fax 505-843-8697 [email protected], www.nmwild.org P.O. Box 25464, Albuquerque, NM 87125 SANTA FE FIELD OFFICE 341 E. Alameda St. Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-216-9719 LAS CRUCES FIELD OFFICE 275 N. Downtown Mall Las Cruces, NM 88001 Nathan Small: 575-496-9540 MISSION STATEMENT The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is dedicated to the protection, restoration, and continued respect of New Mexico’s wildlands and Wilderness areas. NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE STAFF Albuquerque Office On the negative side, we’ve seen the public joy our public lands and Wilderness as much as lands seizure issue heat up across the West. We possible. We’d like to hear from you about the Mark Allison, Executive Director watched in