100 Hikes in New Mexico

New Mexico has been my primary location for the many miles I have hiked and backpacked over the years so I had to jump at the opportunity to review 100 Hikes in New Mexico by Craig Martin, published by The Mountaineers Books, is now in its Third Edition for 2010. As far as guidebooks go, there are only a few publishers I really trust for concise, accurate information and The Mountaineers Books is one of those publishers. The Mountaineers Books is the non-profit publishing branch of The Mountaineers Club, an organization founded in 1906 and dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and enjoyment of outdoor and wilderness areas.

The first few pages of the book has a wealth of information, starting with Trails at a Glance, an Introduction about hiking in New Mexico, and the table of contents which breaks the hikes down into seven distinct areas of the New Mexico landscape. The hikes are further broken down throughout the book in clusters near each other to allow for a complete weekend of hiking with trailheads a only few hours apart.

The Trails at a Glance section displays an easy overview of every trailhead in the book laid out in a very easy to navigate chart, describing features of the hike such as round trip mileage, difficulty, best time to hike, and the highlights along the route. This is a great place to make your checklist of the hikes as you go out and experience them.

The Introduction paints a beautiful picture of the rich landscape and deep history that New Mexico has to offer. Each of the seven sections that the trail selections are categorized into is described in detail similar to looking at a portrait of the area in particular. All the basic information you could possibly need even as a first-time hiker is in the Introduction, although not all trails are recommended for the novice hiker. After spending more than nine months in a tent in northern New Mexico, the section about Keeping an Eye on the Weather is spot on. Every aspect of what the harsh and beautiful landscape will throw at you is as varied as the terrain and climates here. The joys of hiking throughout New Mexico is displayed in the hugely diverse terrain and the range of desert to alpine climates through which you can navigate using 100 Hikes in New Mexico.

The entirety of the guidebook is chock full of stunning photographs that attempt to convey much of what “The Land of Enchantment” has to offer. Having already hiked a few of the trails detailed in this book, I quickly turned to one of my favorite classic hikes, the one to Wheeler Peak. Wheeler Peak is New Mexico’s High Point of elevation at 13,161 feet, making it a very popular destination among casual hikers and hardened backpackers alike. The entry in 100 Hikes in New Mexico for Wheeler Peak is one of the more strenuous hikes listed at fourteen miles round-trip. Turning to page 78, I am greeted with a quick break down of the hike listing the distance, difficulty, elevation range, elevation gain, best time of year in which to hike, water sources, the managing agency, and the highlights of the trail. Also on the page spread is a great photograph of the Bull-of-the-Woods Pasture, a serene meadow along the route and on the opposing page, a detailed topographic map image shows the route information, which is awesome to have but should not be used as a navigation source on the trail. It is only a resource to give a better idea of what to expect along the way so that hikers can plan accordingly.

Summarily, 100 Hikes in New Mexico contains some of the best newer and classic hike that can be found throughout the great state of New Mexico and I plan on going hiking to more than a few of the destinations listed in this amazing resource. As guidebooks go, I can’t see any bit of useful information that is missing from these pages, and at a smaller paperback size, it’s more than simple to pack this book along with you on a trip. If you ever plan a trip to experience the wealth that New Mexico offers, be sure to pick up 100 Hikes in New Mexico by Craig Martin. It has all the information you’ll need to a safe and successful trip.

100 Hikes in New Mexico – 288 pgs. - $18.95 U.S. – ISBN 978-1-59485-078-3 - MountaineersBooks.org

Be Sociable, Share!