Thursday, March 18, 2010

By Tom Travin

Of the Albuquerque Journal

If you’re looking for an escape from city life but aren’t sure where to go, the Wild Guide might be just the thing to help you find your way.

Produced annually by the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, the book is a collection of disparate bits of information, all centered on the great outdoors and ways to celebrate and protect it.

The 2010 edition features both guided hikes and organized volunteer projects around the state, as well as essays, recipes from members of Congress, assorted artwork and photography, articles on festivals and reviews of bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants.

Another important aspect of the book is its call for assistance with wilderness stewardship, which involves partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to meet standards for management of wilderness areas.

Volunteers are being sought for campsite and invasive plant inventories in four areas in New Mexico: the Latir, Dome, Pecos and Manzano wildernesses. There will be training sessions on May 8 in Santa Fe and May 25 and 27 in Albuquerque.

Some of the hikes sponsored by the Wilderness Alliance include:

• Mesa Gallina in Pecata Pinta Country, on May 8. The hike will ascend to the summit (at 7,855 feet) of Mesa Gallina in Cibola County.

• Brokeoff Mountains, west of the Lincoln National Forest and north of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, near Carlsbad, on May 29. The alliance is proposing that 65,000 acres be designated as a wilderness area.

• Ute Mountain, near the Colorado border, east of Costilla, N.M., on July 10. Ute Mountain covers 14,344 acres in Taos County and is one of the proposed wilderness areas in legislation sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. The volcano is a foraging and nesting habitat for many species.

• Sandia Crest: Test of Endurance and Will, on Sept. 25. This is a 22-plus-hour hike over 50 miles with major gains and losses in elevation and is only for those in peak physical condition. It will cover the length of the Sandias, and much of it will take place at night under a full moon.

There are also a number of volunteer service projects available through the Wilderness Alliance.

Those are scheduled in places including Junta y Cienega in Embudo from April 2-4, the Galisteo Basin south of Santa Fe on May 8, the Wild Rivers Recreation Area near Questa from July 16-18, and a Gila Wilderness backpacking excursion from Sept. 3-6.

For more information on the Wilderness Alliance, visit www.nmwild.org.