Hiking Mineral Creek, Glenwood/Alma, NM
May 2009

Mineral Creek is a slot canyon that in previous times was a large part of the gold & silver mining in this area. Now it
is just a real neat hike. It is one of the few places in this part of the state with running water. In many drainages
the water runs a ways, then disappears into the rocks. On a recent hike, I went up the Little Whitewater
drainage approximately 3 miles, in other words, just shy of the end of the road and the abandoned mine.
In this entire distance, there was only water in one place, consisting of two pools of clean & clear water.
In spite of the fact that this drainage had no discernable running water, the fact that these two pools were
algae-free meant that water was simply surfacing at this point in the drainage, then disappearing just as fast into
the rocks. Strange, but true. Most wells here in the extended flood plain only have to be 20-30 feet deep.
There appears to be a lot of water, just not on the surface.




Pinto, the wonder-goat got his back into this one!

Characteristic of the type of local flora found here!

This type of vegetation is only found in areas that are largely continuously shaded.

The greeting committee. "Welcome to my rock! Now go home!"



At this point, the water was flowing through a large fissure in the rock.






This was fascinating to me as it was obvious from the stains on the rocks, that there are certain times of the year where water flows down through this fissure.

Cooney's tomb. Supposedly he and another are buried here.

The complete story.