Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: May 11, 2024
The trailhead began at the Frijole Ranch History Museum consisting of a house, schoolhouse, bunkhouse, barn and picnic area. The 2.4-mile trail itself is rated moderate and we found it slow and rough with lots of rocks to climb up or down with catus and desert on each side of the trail. Rosie let me lead to watch and listen for rattlesnakes. We saw birds, a mule deer and lots of lizards. The trail circled around the base of Frijole Ridge. It was slow, hot hiking when, as we ascended the trail, up ahead the desert suddenly became an oasis of green trees, shrubs and literally a twenty degree drop in temperature. In the center of this oasis in the desert was a small pool of water reminding me of a Mexican cenote. From the pond trickled a small creek southward. We just sat sipping water and resting for five minutes enjoying the trickle of the creek and enjoying the cooler temperature. I was quietly waiting to see if a mountain lion, mule deer, elk, jackrabbit or other creature would saunter into the oasis for a drink of water. We eventually resumed our trek heading back out into the hot desert and slowly descending the rocky trail until we came to Manzanita Spring and the ranch. This was a demanding trail (our fourth trail of the day) but one of our favorites.
