The calm before the storm in Placitas

We could see it in the distance, over the Jemez Mountains: small clouds forming in a pale sky. White on white.

A winter storm rolls in tonight. In Albuquerque, it’ll rain a little and the wind will heave a lot of dust around.

But it will snow somewhere in those mountain ranges that surrounded us today in Placitas, which is all we can ask.

This hike is a combination of Albuquerque Open Space and BLM land. The route’s from Stephen Ausherman’s “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Albuquerque.”

When we arrived at the trailhead, we found the parking lot empty. We’d passed the trailhead for the beautiful hike we did a few weeks ago in Placitas, just a few miles from I-25, and it was full.

This hike winds through juniper-dotted hills to the Las Huertas creek bed, where there’s no sign of water.

When we did this hike two years ago, on Easter Sunday, we hiked up the creekbed for two miles, navigating ankle-twisting rocks. The rocks were stunning; one was brick-red with big powder-blue polka dots. Today, we stuck to the path along the bank. That brought some unusual sights of its own.

As we walked east along the creek bed, the green-topped mesas of Santa Ana Pueblo came into view, the Jemez looming beyond. We found an array of shotgun shells; as we finished the hike later, we’d hear shooting.

We crossed under humming power lines, headed into a wash, then up an arroyo for 0.7 miles.

That slog up the arroyo as it gradually gained elevation qualifies as one of those hiking times when you’re just ready for that part to end. Going uphill in sand is hard, my right hip throbbed from the repetitive motion, and the beautiful juniper lining the arroyo clogged and stung my nose.

All that seemed easy when we arrived at the next leg of the journey: a quarter mile of a 45-degree grade.

The prize: an outstanding view of those green mesa tops on the pueblo, and an excellent perspective on just how massive the Jemez range is.

The path from there was blessedly flat. As we walked across the parking lot, I looked over and saw one mesa glowing in the setting sun, Cabezon Peak rising dark and foreboding behind it. It was too far away for my camera to capture, so my eyes just drank it in.

With any luck, those hills we climbed will get dusted with snow tonight.

Hike length: 4 miles

Difficulty: On the easy side of moderate

Trail traffic: none

Wildlife spotted: mystery bird of prey