Mineral Creek, Alma, New Mexico
This is one of many local hikes that is right on the western edge, and ventures into, the Gila Wilderness. This is dry country, so a creek like this that runs virtually year round is a real blessing. The caveat, however, is that as soon as Mineral Creek stumbles out of the slot canyon and onto the flat it quickly disappears into the rocks and rejoins the water table. In this area, the San Francisco and Gila rivers are the only two that run continuously. And the San Francisco only runs continuously in some places. Other places it can be dry as a bone. The San Francisco eventually runs into the Gila, and the Gila eventually runs into the Colorado. Today I cleverly got out my stream wading shoes, then left them at the trailer. This is a slot canyon hike which crosses and re-crosses the stream a great number of times, and at this time of the year, it is running higher due to run-off, and so I was shut down about a mile into the canyon. The light is lousy at this point in the winter, so the pictures leave something to be desired. |
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 Evidence you are headed into the Gila Wilderness |
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 Cooney's Tomb. Explained to the right. When you don't have much to point tourists to, you gotta stretch it a bit. |
 Is Cooney actually buried here? Only the one who walled up the opening knows for sure |
 Mineral Creek just before it begins to disappear into the rocks |
 Finally starting into the slot canyon |
 It's actually quite a pretty little stream. The rub here is that I am trying to dance back and forth across it without getting my shoes wet. And not only are things wet, but there is a lot of ice formed where the creek can splash up onto rocks, logs, etc. |
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 Picture on the left makes it clear that it has been getting pretty cold at night, and here in the slot it doesn't get any sun, therefore it doesn't warm up much either. Note also in the picture above that the rock right in the center has a skull cap of ice on it. Won't be using that one to cross the stream. |
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 One lonely little Yucca at the tippy-top |
 A water seep in the middle of this wall |
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 This was my undoing. You would have had to cross from left to right on the flat section right in the middle of the picture. I just didn't want to get my boots wet as this trail goes on another three miles or so. |
 The hoodoo from the east side |
 Last stream crossing on the way out |