We drove the steep and winding road even though we thought the falls would certainly be dry.
But as soon as we stepped onto the trail, we heard it: the sound of abundance.
Water. Rushing, gurgling, bubbling water.
It was a rare cloudy day at Rio en Medio, near Tesuque. The trail wound along a mountain stream, bridged at times by slippery rocks or boards.
Wildflowers and wild roses, just beginning to bloom at the end of spring, lined the path.
The trail headed gently but steadily up. Five members of our family ranging in age by more than 50 years climbed it. At times we all came to a halt in succession, without discussing it, to look at each other and take a breather, yet we set the fastest pace I’ve done on a hike in a very long time (I’m a slow hiker.)
About two miles in, we reached the little canyon leading to the waterfall. We gave each other a hand up and down rocks and tree roots, finding a comfortable seat to watch the falls. It roared down between towering rock faces. We waited out a large group of young people splashing in it while my husband and nephew scrambled to the top of the falls.
When the traffic cleared, I waded ankle-deep over moss-covered rocks to get behind the waterfall. The water shot out in an intense spray and pooled over my feet, absolutely frigid, despite the 80-degree air temperature.
We spent a good 30 minutes exploring at the waterfall, then walked back down the trail. We didn’t stop, but our pace left room to breathe in the blooming trees and bushes around us, to watch black-and-white butterflies and a mountain bluebird.
I just finished this book. What I learned, combined with the desire to get a picture for this blog, pushed me into the cold water behind the falls, where I didn’t even consider going the last time I visited Rio en Medio.
There with our family yesterday, I marveled at how cold the water was on a warm day. But it wasn’t until last night that I started to wonder what made it so cold, and long to go back, so I could climb to the top of the falls and explore its origin. My husband reported that the stream narrowed as the rocks funneled it over the lip of the cliff, amplifying its power. That helped me understand its force, but not its temperature.
We all know water in the desert is a miraculous thing.
Each time we see it in action, we learn a little more about why that is so.
Hike length: 4 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Trail traffic: moderate
Wildlife spotted: butterflies, Western bluebird, Say’s phoebe (?), crow, lizard or small fish in the stream
TIP! This isn’t an issue many places in New Mexico, but there are mosquitoes at Rio en Medio. I have long used a natural sunscreen that reeks of lemongrass and claims to be mosquito repellent. After returning unbitten while my hiking companions did not, I have to believe it.
Woman Seeks Elevation 