Friday April 12, 2019

Road video and map – Deming to Alamogordo, NM

After two days of driving I needed to get some fresh air and today’s stops at Dripping Springs Natural Area and White Sands National Monument provided that opportunity.

Dripping Springs lies at the foot of the western edge of the Organ Mountains and, back in the late 1800s, was the site of van Patten’s Mountain Camp and Boyd’s Tuberculosis Sanatorium. The Dripping Springs Trail climbs from the visitor center and, today, checked almost all of my criteria for an ideal road trip hike.

• Climbs first, so that returning is easy – yes.
• Has great views all along the way, not just at the end – yes.
• Is a loop – no,  it is out and back.
• Has something unique along the way- yes.
• Comfortable conditions – yes (hazy sun, 60 degrees F)
• Takes from one to two hours – yes.

More details in the photo captions below.

My second stop, White Sands, was a less scenic but very unusual landscape. You can get a better overall impression from the video than the photos as it was difficult to focus due to the lack of contrast and bright surroundings on the dunes. These dunes are pure white gypsum but only the top layer seems to be free blowing sand. While walking on the dunes I was surprised how firm they were in places while feeling like a beach in others. A bit of digging revealed a hard surface, sometimes as little as an inch below the surface, where the sand had become glued together. I guess that explains how they could build a scenic drive through the area.

I started to walk the Alkali Flats Trail in the middle of the sand field but never intended to complete the full five mile loop. After about half an hour I figured I had seen most of what the trail had to offer and retraced my steps.

The Organ Mountains are very rugged outcrops as high as 2,800 feet above the surroundings. Dripping Springs and the ruins are at the foot of this peak.
The springs really do drip and it is difficult to spot the water flow.
The remains of part of the sanatorium (top) and the van Patten Mountain Camp (considered a luxury resort in its time).
I met a large group from Utah at the camp who were taking group photos near the best preserved ruin. After idling away about 15 minutes, expecting them to move on, I asked if I could take a picture of the group that was being photographed at that time.
Once away from the road the sand dunes have almost no vegetation and present a forbidding landscape.
The trail markers are essential but few people were using them today.