Manzano Open Space and Canyon Bosque Trail Ride (Part 1)

 

Someone commented on my previous blog post that it seems that I’ve made horseback riding a major part of my life. I really wish that was true. I wish I had more time to ride, but I’m lucky to ride once a week. Most of the time I am only able to ride once every two weeks, or even just once a month. I rarely ever ride at home, but I do try to plan a ride away from home with friends at least once or twice a month.

It may seem that I ride all the time from reading my blog, but it’s just that the rides I have the opportunity do are so special to me and such a wonderful and rare event that I like to showcase them the way they deserve to be. I love to ride in new places and with friends most of all.

Someone else commented that they wished they could ride as often as I do and to such beautiful places. And their excuse is they don’t have enough time or money. Well, I could say the same thing, too. Because it’s true. But I choose to make horseback riding one of my priorities because it’s healthy for my mind, body and soul…and for the health of my horse, too. My family encourages me to ride, and for the cost of gas and sometimes food, the time I spend on horseback is priceless. 

I don’t think you have to ride every day or even 2-3 days a week, unless you want to. For me, it’s not about quantity, but quality. And quality doesn’t have to mean expensive either. Any overnight weekend rides I have done are either at a campground or at one of my friends‘ ranches. So, they cost virtually nothing. But the majority of trail rides that I do are local, all within 20 minutes to an hour from my house. So they are typically day rides.

Like this one that I did last week at Manzano Open Space and the Canyon Bosque in Carnuel, NM, just 15 minutes from my house.

 

My awesome riding buddies on that day were Karen (riding Rio), Colleen (riding Pepper) and Loeta (riding Profe).

 

And Apache and I even got included in the group photo taking, too!

See those two hills behind us? Our goal was to ride up between those two hill and check out the saddle ridge and enjoy the views.

 

The chain link fence with barbed wire across the top belongs to the Kirtland AFB. That’s military property on the other side of that fence.

This little bridge was a disappointment. It was much too flimsy for a horse to ride over.

 As we rode higher and higher, the views got even more amazing. We were far above the city of Albuquerque.

 

We were planning to ride up the trail to the saddle ridge, just to the left of that steep hill in front of us.

 

But first we discovered a smaller hill to ride up and explore. Karen was the first to ride up to the top of the small steep hill. So I made sure to take a photo of her and Rio before we joined her up there.

 

After riding to the top of that steep hill and enjoying the views, we rode back down again.

 

Then we rode uphill again.

 

Lots of awesome huge boulders to ride beside. 

 

It was a steady steep uphill climb, so we stopped several times to allow our horses to catch their breath.

 

After riding up to the saddle on the ridge, we had great views out towards the east. Sandia Mountains rise up from the left (north) side of the photo and the Manzano Mountains ride up from the right (south) side of the photo. We could see Tijeras Canyon with I-40 down below in the center, the smaller Coyote Canyon on the right, and off in the distance, South Mountain, which I live only 10 miles away from, as you crow flies, and can also see from my bedroom window.

 

I had my riding buddies, Colleen, Karen and Loeta pose for a photo while we were up on that saddle ridge, too.

In the background is the southern portion of the city of Albuquerque. Directly behind is Kirtland AFB. And between Karen ad Loeta, if you look carefully, you can see the runways of the Albuquerque Sunport International Airport.  

 

And then we headed back downhill…. 

 

I was playing with my camera settings and chose the Sunset Mode, hoping to warm up the photos and remove the grey-ish, washed out tint.  It warmed up alright!

 

Apache loves to ride in the high places and really enjoys stopping to take in the views. 

 

We found a nice flat area on the trail and took turns taking photos of one another.

Karen and Rio.

 

Loeta and Profe

 

Colleen and Pepper

 

Me and my Apache mare.

 

Soon, we left that photo taking spot and rode up to a great little hill top with awesome vistas.

And down below us we could see I-40 snaking along below the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. And if you look carefully, you can see a small green roof just under I-40, just slightly left center in the photo. That is where we parked our horse trailers and started our ride. 

 

This great little hilltop, with just barely enough room for our 4 horses, was not only perfect to enjoy the views, but it is where I decided that Apache and I would lead our group for a little while.

And downhill we went.

Hard to tell, but this was very steep.

 

So, to give a better idea of the steepness of this section of trail, I asked the ladies to stand on the hill so I could take a photo.

 

But we came to a point, where it felt like the trail was just going to drop straight off the side of a hill. It looked the same way a roller coaster track looks just before you zoom down that first super steep downhill.

Karen and Rio were the bravest and went first down that section, followed by Loeta. 

 

Colleen and Pepper went next, followed by Apache and I.

Our horses were all sure-footed and brave, but I’m pretty sure I held my breath on that downhill section, and didn’t take a breath until we had made it all the way down.

 

And at the very bottom of that steep hill was a lovely, deep-sand arroyo lined with large juniper and pinon trees.

 

We all spread out and relaxed as we wandered through the arroyo and trees.

 

Loeta and Karen found a juniper perfect for playing Ring-Around-The-Rosie.

 

And when the arroyo opened up, we all broke into some fun cantering! 

 

And we explored another uphill area, but decided to ride back down so we could check out Tijeras Creek and the Canyon Bosque further down the sandy arroyo.

 

We were looking forward to riding in the shade beneath the big Cottonwood Trees that had just recently leafed out. This riding area is just 15 minutes from my house and something we don’t have much of in the mountains are big deciduous trees. We have plenty of evergreens, such as junipers, pinons and ponderosa pines, but the closest place to ride beneath tall green cottonwood trees is along the Rio Grande in Corrales or the Albuquerque Bosque. But those trails are an hour from where I live.

So, I was thrilled to discover that we have our own Canyon Bosque, basically in our backyards! 

 

To Be Continued………………..