Climbing Barrel Mountain

 

Barrel Mountain

June 7 2025 Friday

When we visit Los Alamos, I have a view of Santa Fe National Forest (Some maps call it Los Alamos National Forest) From our RV window there is a small mountain locally called Barrel Mountain. (8000 feet) Every morning when I would sit at this window drinking my coffee, the mountain would call me.   I wondered what was at the top? Was there a trail to the up the mountain? Could I just blaze my own path to the summit? Every morning, I pondered these questions.

I’ve kept this desire climb the mountain to myself. I didn’t feel I would get any positive feedback for obvious reasons, you’re too old, you’ll get hurt, lost, snake bit, eaten by a bear, yada, yada. 

Our next stop on this trip is Manitous springs Colorado where I am going to climb the Incline again. (2768 steps up the side of a mountain) I feel my gym regiment at home has me in decent physical condition, but we’ve been on the road for a month and I have been hiking as last-minute training.

The trail I picked for this day’s hike took me past the base of the mountain. I didn’t see any goat paths up the mountain, not on this side anyway, but I kept observing the mountain and looking for feasible routes I could climb. There always seemed to be some obstacle in my proposed climb. Then suddenly there it was, I saw my path, straight up the side of Mount Barrel. I had no thoughts on how I would get down, I’d make those plans later……..

Leaving the trail and starting up the mountain

The inclination has been like this all the way up

Cresting the top of the mountain

making my way to the high point.

My course was steep and a long way up, I estimate it would be at least a 1000 foot elevation gain. These mountains are made of compressed dust from an ancient volcano. (Valles Caldera) It is not hard rock and time has crumbled the surface into small round marbles. I used goat trails, larger rocks and scrub trees for foot holds. It was slow strategic going, I was always looking for the best route.

The angle of attack would remain approximately 45 degrees almost to the summit. Near the top there were sheer walls of stone, I had to maneuver to left to find a path forward.

I crested the top about twenty-thirty feet shy of the highest point but it would be a relatively easy hike through the rocks and dense scrub trees on the summit to get to the high point. I was now at 8000 feet above sea level.

At the top I had a panoramic view of the town of Los Alamos as well as vast expanses of mountain wilderness stretching to mountain ranges miles away. 

Kamp Kolman under the red arrow

Caballa mountains in the background

San Antonio mountain on the horizon,  elevation=10,908 feet 

Sierra Mosco mountain range, highest elevation=11,801 feet 

Overlooking Los Alamos

Leaving the summit, I decided to travel west toward Guaje Ridge because it seemed to be a more gradual decline and I knew I could find the Neblina trail. It would be much further up the canyon than when I left it on my accent but I knew it would lead me home. Unbeknown to me the canyon walls became vertical the further I went. I decided to push on, eventually the canyon had to end, or so I presumed. After more exploration west the cliff face changed from a shear wall to one strown with large boulders. It was still very high, a hundred feet or more from the bottom, but it was doable. 

I knew the Neblina Trail dead ended in the valley and I knew I was well beyond that ending, but I was off the mountain, well sort of. The narrow crevasse I was in had a series of cascading drops, some as much as 12-15 feet. There was no going around them, each had to be reconnoitered and suitable footholds planned before I attempted the decent. Between these drop offs was an obstacle course of scrub brush and fallen trees.

My plan for descending the mountain

The ravine I had to navigate once off the mountain

starting to flatten a bit

This started out as a simple day hike, I had some basic hiking items, water, snacks, my knife and my 45, but a length of rope would have come in handy, I’ll plan better next time. I was never overly concerned, I’m an independent sort and solve my own problems.

Throughout the journey down the mountain, I may not have known what obstacles I would encounter, but I always knew where I was on a map. I didn’t have a map, but I had looked at a map before I started and had a map in my head. After negotiating the boulders, falls, and downed trees in the crevasse for a while it opened up a bit and the trail appeared. I wasn’t even surprised; I’d have been surprised if I hadn’t encountered it when I did. 

Almost out

The terrain soon flattened and the trail was clearly defined in the pine needle covered valley floor. From this point home was about a ½ mile walk along the trail.

I know I worried my wife, she called me twice during the adventure, and I’m sorry about that, but I had a great day and from now on, when I look out at Barrel Mountain, I’ll just smile!

Red= up the mtn, yellow= my alternate route down, green, the ravine

2026 mountain quest, The Guaje Ridge Trail (seen from the summit of Barrel mtn.)