TENT ROCKS OPEN!
 

The road is open, well sort of - there may be delays as you have to be guided in, but hey, it's open!

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/environ...r-road-project

Hi Deb - it is so beautiful! We hiked last May before the closing - glad to hear it's open again.

Thinking we will head out there later this week while the weather is still beautiful. Haven't been there in a while and it is indeed, a spectacular site.

How's Autumn in NY??

Fantastic! What is it like in December/January? We are heading to the USA next year.

I was so disappointed that we weren't able to see them last month. Guess we'll just have to return.

As they say, timing is everything..... The website said Tent Rocks was still closed last Tuesday, the day before we left for Santa Fe. So we didn't make any plans. Then yesterday, as we were driving back to ABQ, I half-jokingly asked my wife if she wanted to check and see if the paving was done and Tent Rocks had reopened. "Why waste the time?" she said. Oh well, we wouldn't have had time to hike to the top anyway. Next time.....

Deb - mostly beautiful - ready for a visit????

Tent Rocks is open again as of today, this time after being closed by Los Conchas fire.

Hi DebitNM - First, thanks for all you great advice about the NM/ So Colorado region - it's been very helpful. We are in Santa Fe right now (going up to Taos today) and tomorrow is our last day. We need to be in Albuquerque by early evening as we have very early flights out on Saturday. I was planning on doing the Turqoise Trail but am now thinking Tent Rocks might be more interesting. Do you agree with that? Can we get from SF to Tent Rocks, hike to the 'good' parts and still get to Albuquerque by 4-5pm? How 'hard' is it to get to the slot canyon section? There is a 30% chance of thunderstorms for tomorrow, does that make it unsafe? (I was unable to do Willis Creek in UT due to threat of thunderstorms (per the ranger)so would love to see one.) Any other advice? Thanks

Glad to have been of help to you.

Tent Rocks is worthwhile, as far as I am concerned. As far as the slot canyon section, it is in the first part of the hike, so you would get there pretty quickly. It is, however, subject to flash flooding, so be careful! The earlier in the day, the less likely the rains as they tend to come in afternoon.

Bring water on the hike and there are picnic tables, so pack a lunch and enjoy.

Thanks Deb

They are saying 30% chance of rain - but as you said I guess mainly in the afternoon. So we would go in the morning but I don't want to take too long a hike and have any risk of getting into trouble there (I guess I'm paranoid after being told not to do Willis Creek, and also I am on edge anyway as I am about to fly to the east coast - hurricane and all).

So - if we went to tent Rocks and hiked for say an hour in and an hour back - what would we see? slot canyon? hoodoos? anything else. Or would we have to do the entire hike, which I understand to be 2 hours each way, in order to see those things. Don't mean to be overly fussy here but if we would only be seeing the same sort of stuff we can see from the road in that amount of time then we'd probably just drive the Turquoise Road and skip Tent Rocks. But I would love to see a slot canyon and those tent hoodoos.

Thanks again.

You will absolutely be able to see hoodoos and slot canyon with an hour in and an hour out. You could also do the shorter loop after you see the slot canyon as the canyon is in the first part of hike. You will not be able to see anything like Tent Rocks anywhere along Turquoise Trail.

Please don't think that the slot canyon is comparable to their more famous cousins in Utah, it is much smaller. Still pretty awesome though.

What kind of vehicle are you driving? I have a way for you to see some of the Turquiose Trail and then cut over to Tent Rocks.

Just wanted to add that we did both trails at Tent Rocks in under 2 and a half hours so don't rule out doing the entire hike.
Great views from the top and you'll enjoy the breeze!
We're not super fit (40+) and had a reluctant teenager hiker with us but we made it in good time.
It took us about an hour to get there from Santa Fe.

Glad to hear it's open again, thanks Deb!

Thanks - we plan to leave Santa Fe by about 8:30 so based on what you've all said we'll hope to do the whole hike. We did quite a bit of hiking in Zion and Bryce last week so are really looking forward to ending our vacation with this.

We have a VW Jetta (rental). We have no plans for the afternoon so any suggestions? We are staying at the Comfort Inn near the airport and just need to get there in time to get to bed really early (not that sleeping the night before a flight headed for Hurricane Irene is going to be possible).

isabel, you'll have plenty of time if you're not leaving that night.
Maybe more time than you want if your flight is delayed because of Irene!

I loved Tent Rocks. I know we didn't rush the hike because I have lots of photos.

isabel, re the afternoon - have you been up to Sandia Peak?
http://www.sandiapeak.com/

For the afternoon, I might suggest the following:
ABQ Bio Park - the zoo, the botanical gardens are lovely.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Take in a baseball game at our wonder AAA park where the Isotopes play [that is where we'll be tonight]game time 7 pm.

http://albuquerque.isotopes.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t342
http://www.nhccnm.org/
http://www.indianpueblo.org/
http://www.cabq.gov/biopark

It is a pretty long ride from Tent Rocks to Sandia Peak and then back into town. And this afternoon is looking like thunderstorms possible and the Sandia Peak area is always the first place they appear. I would not go up there in the afternoon during monsoon season. It has been very active the past few weeks up there as far as lightening and storms.

Since she mentioned the Turquoise Trail earlier, I thought that route - via Sandia Peak - may be something she would be interested in. I agree with not going to higher elevations during lightning and storms, but am a bit confused you offer an outdoor ballpark as an alternative. I don't usually choose that as an outing during thunderstorms. I guess the ballpark is covered?

Sorry isabel. I thought the TT/ Sandia Peak would be a good way to cap off your trip. Good luck flying back towards Irene. Safe travels!

It is the lightening and high winds on the mountain that is the danger, the rain is only rain. Most nights, by 7 the rains have passed and while the park is partially covered, the rains aren't nearly as much a concern in the park as on the top of a very high mountain with steep,winding roads that one must drive down during possible heavy rain.