Taylor’s Long Walk to Taos

By Taylor Streit

Since there’s a plan in the works to carve a trail 500 miles along the Rio Grande, I thought I would contribute my two cents. I’ve spent a good portion of my life along its banks: fishing and making a living, guiding fly fisherman but also bird-watching, hunting and soaking up the solitude. Since I figure it was all pretty well done to start with, I’m not much in favor of any sort of development out of doors. This proposed trail means to encourage “use.” I guess that is a good idea to most but seems contrary to me.

Let’s imagine what a trail marching north to Colorado along the Rio might be like, starting from Mexico. Commencing at Juarez, you slide down a concrete embankment to get to the Rio (wear some bright yuppie backpacker gear so you aren’t confused for a rival mule by a drug cartel). Once you are in the ditch there is good news: you are going to knock off the first 50 miles with almost no effort. There is no water in the river; you can walk right up the middle of the mighty Rio Grande!

If you should grow bored with this channelized route look for a trail of discarded plastic items leading off into the bush. This would be the thoroughfare for workers from Mexico walking northward. Beware that you are entering alien territory. You should make your presence known—like you would in bear country—whistle a merry tune to warn other travelers of your presence.

Once we walkers get above the nice town of Hatch, there is a proper river with banks and trees and that illusive substance aka H2O—water. There are some places to camp and likely some stores close by where you can buy drinking water. (Of course don’t drink the “Rio”- even the springs would be risky. Despite the name—the water from Arsenic springs is good to drink but it is still 475 miles north.)

Any proposed trail will have a fairly easy time of it up to T or C since there is a lot of government land and good views of Cabello Lake. Stop in T or C for a hotel and restful bath before the trailheads into the real wilderness. You will be on the west side of the “Rio” as Ted Turner owns the east side and I doubt if he wants you on his estancia. In Argentina where he bought up two ranches, my clients and I used to fish. All watercourses are public in the Argentine by law but Mr. Turner employed henchmen to harass people legally fishing.

Since storage is at only 18% of Elephant Butte, the trail will have plenty of space. Beyond the lake you will be either in the marsh or desert. This could all be a wonderful hike—but only for the hardiest specimens amongst us, cause its rough country and you have to carry vast amounts of drinking water. There will be many sharp ups and downs in steep arroyos. The trail might be put beside interstate 25. After all engineers determined it is the best route.

Then you are gonna feel like a chump as air conditioned cars go whizzing by. The swamps of Serviette and Bosque Del Apache wildlife areas will be refreshing change. After such labors you’d better get a motel in Socorro. (Socorro means “HELP!” in Spanish.) But there are no malls or Starbucks so hustle onward.

Northward you will be overpowered by warm farm smells– 100,000 ‘utterly’ cute black and white dairy cows. Walk fast here and breathe through your mouth. For inspiration keep in mind that the thrilling metropolis of Albuquerque awaits. A trail through much of the Bosque was recently nixed so you might have to take to the inner-city route. I-25 is still your best bet. Beware that cops have an itchy trigger finger and when they see a backpack they may tend to shoot.

Your trip has been far more urban then you had probably thought, and you’ve no doubt gone through a lot of loot, but you will need a sack full of cash because the trail has been carefully designed by professional tourist engineers to go right around Santa Fe Plaza! Crafty signage–with the use of horizontal ‘arrows’ actually tricks the weary hiker into going round the plaza again and again and then you figure out, by golly, that “the trail” is really a Native American shopping extravaganza. By the time you get on the street north you will be wearing endless stings of turquoise.

Finding the Rio Grande from here could be tricky as you pass through many millionaire subdivisions. Your jewelry will come in handy and you can trade this wampum to the richies for amenities. Another very wealthy town– Los Alamos is just uphill and westward. They got rich on “the bomb,” so don’t bathe in any glowing tributaries descending from the Atomic City.

Your next hurdle will be the Casinos of Espanola. The Cities of Gold are not the same attraction that Coronado sought 500 years ago. But this is not where you go to get gold–but where it is taken from you. So use your will power to stay off the slots and just take in a cheap meal and a free coke. Proceed northward and watch where you step in the drug swamps–barefoot wading in the silty Rio could find you with a hypodermic needle in your toe.

If you escape the tri cities of glam, doom and gloom, you are finally closing in on the prime part of the trip. For now the Rio enters its mighty canyon. There isn’t much room for a trail in the confines of the gorge south of Taos so be careful as you hike along the highway; cars whizz by and no one has ever seen a hiker in these parts.

At Pilar the going would actually turn quite pleasant for a luxurious 6 miles or so (if only the other 494 miles were so well suited for a trail). At Taos Junction Bridge you will be accosted by the virtually impassable “Taos Box” and miles of “No Trespassing Indian Land” signs. Taos is the valley of great conflict and you may even be accosted by militant birders, fishing guides, and river guides.

Take the old road that goes up the Rio Pueblo to Taos. (Careful near the top of the canyon cause that is where some conflicted folks like to shoot automatic weapons). If you are ready to have some outdoor fun, head into Taos Fly Shop and make your plan to fish. You are finally in good water.

Although the Rio Grande once held Rio Grande Cutthroat trout over the entire 500 miles you have traveled, now just a 40 mile length of river that is sufficiently pristine, due to the influence of the afore-mentioned Arsenic springs. These springs breathe life into the poisonous water contributed from the vast agricultural doings in the San Luis valley of Colorado.

The culmination of your epic hike lies ahead. The proposed trail travels on top of the canyon (it will meet with stern resistance if it is placed in the box itself). Whichever way it goes it will probably involve crossing the Gorge Bridge. The state has placed a suicide hotline along the railings; and after your Don Quixote-like masochistic journey of self-discovery along the Great River of the North, you might be tempted: after all you’ve walked the heartbreak trail of the wetback, lived the horrors of Duke City as a vagabond, and were forced to shop in “the city indifferent”. Praise Allah but you have even sought the City of Gold and ducked an atomic city.

You may be thinking of taking the leap just on general principles.

This choice to fly from the span is especially sensible for those environmental zealots who had the life-changing experience of seeing what man’s done to the once noble Rio. It hits home hard on this very last leg of the trail–on this, as yet– truly magnificent part of the Rio in New Mexico. Though this area is left largely unvisited by man, but surely not uninhabited. For it is a dense nesting area for raptors, deer, antelope, elk, bighorns and lion. But the wonderful natural world will be altered by numerous humans banging hiking sticks on the rocks. Your newly found wisdom compensates your 450 miles and will perhaps generate the realization that there is but one thing to do is to help save the Rio: Jump! Over the side you go.
(Dial “9” to vote for making “the ultimate environmental contribution” before you spring.)

If you miss your chance at the pure swan dive— 600 feet off the Gorge Bridge itself—don’t despair because as one travels upriver pulling an “Option 9” is available at about any time because the entire rim is sheer cliff (trail planners say this suicide hotline could run the length of the rim trail). Though you might jump only a couple hundred feet, the rocks are sufficiently hard at bottom to mash you dead.

If you make it to the Colorado border there is a very steep trail right at the border. You will be past the Arsenic Springs complex of drinking water and can make it down to the river. You could make a bold statement for the Rio’s health if you had yourself a nice long gulp of pure de-oxygenated agricultural wastewater. Yes it might kill you but think of the headlines “hiker dies from drinking toxic waste after conquering Don Quixote trail”.

Environmental suicide or homicide? Let the survivor be the judge.