Embudo Canyon from a horse’s-eye view

One can scramble up giant boulder slabs in Embudo Canyon’s throat.

Or one can make like an equine, take the Embudo Horse Bypass, and walk along ridges above the canyon.

Today we chose the latter.

Winter and the end of fall played silent tug-of-war. Clouds blanketed the foothills, cast cool light on granite and cholla. Sun bathed the valley and mesa below.

Sturdy pines, a flash of bluebird appeared in the yucca, cacti and stone.

Paths wrapped around gigantic boulders. From the ridge’s edge, we peered down on the canyon walls, stacked slabs of stone.

We took a side path up a steep ridge, gazed all the way to the Magdalena Mountains, 100 miles south. Cold wind whipped our faces. We retraced our steps and followed the bypass down to the canyon’s shelter.

I came to this trail today seeking winter’s endless sun.

But in the cool cloud light, I could see much more.

Hike length: 4.4 miles

Difficulty: moderate

Wildlife spotted/heard: bluebird, bluejay, crows, flycatchers, juniper titmice

Trail traffic: moderate (very light on the horse bypass)