06-26-2012 Blue Diamond Trail Bandelier National Monument

This was a hike sponsored by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC). It was a great hike and good to be back outside after a brief time away from hiking and photographing.

We went over to the Jemez on part of Bandelier National Monument and hiked a trail that I did some time last year. The trail is a cross county ski trail. It was different more green and the Aspens were growing back after the fire. Its still sad to see the effects of the fire last year, today is the one year anniversary of the day the fire started last year (the Cerro Grande Fire). You may remember we had to evacuate again of about a week.

We have been having a lot of smoke because of the fires burning around the state. But as you can see in the pictures the blue New Mexico sky was there today.


Here is the path of the hike by using my SPOT GPS device.

Starting out at the Trail Head, its much greener today than the last time I was here

Just past the Trail Head

The base of the leaning tree is still black from the fire

Nice flowers growing next to a burned tree (death camas....it is a form of lily, has a bulb that is unaffected by fire

Those are Aspens in the foreground they come back first and then the pines later much later

Some shade to hike along in nice with just a little breeze

The sign is a cross trail, trees still showing signs of the fire

Suspect that this tree was struck by lightning it spiraled down and broke the outside portion

At the edge of Frijoles Canyon looking south, the Sandias in Albuquerque are just visible because of the smoke form fires here in New Mexico at the top right just above the tree line

Another look across Frijoles Canyon

Another Look

Looking down into the canyon

Nice flowers

Still a lot of dead fall and snags (leaning trees or tress that will fall easily)

Nice Flowers

Its getting green soil was so hot its hard for things to grow in it now but its starting to happen

Once more

Don't know why this tree looks like this all the burned bark is missing

Anyone have any ideas why (Lars)

Back to the cars, YEA!!!!!!


It was a nice day and a great hike Thanks PEEC and hike leader Sue Watts. They do this every few weeks I will be going on more of these outings. It was a great day