Fathers Day Camping Trip (1 Viewer)

[TOYOTARIG]

Anybody have camping plans for Fathers Day? It is just me and the girls for the weekend, and I got the itch tgthood. Thinking northern NM or southern CO within 3-4 hrs drive. So any thoughts or ideas, or anybody else getting the itch.

I would be able to leave around 4pm on Friday, and I plan to come back on Sunday whenever. Taking the Jumping Jack, but it can get drug pretty much anywhere the GX can go.

 

[alia176]

I'm in, hoping like heck I'll get the Kampraoo trailer tongue project done by then so this will be a good deadline to shoot for. We could hit the Guadalupe mountains, south and east of us by only couple of hours. Here's more info on that area Guadalupe Mountains National Park - Williams Ranch

Just an idea I'm throwing out there but let me know of other potentials.

 

[TOYOTARIG]

Sounds good, won't be too hot right. If the Kampraoo isn't done you allows have the RTT.

 

[alia176]

Yeah, I'm not sure about the heat nor the elevation of that area. If it's high enough, maybe the temps would be cooler, right? The visitors center is in Pine Springs, TX and the elev is 5600'

Google Maps

@mep1811 got any thoughts?

 

[marcfj60]

Been there. It's a 5-6 hour drive and it's HOT there in the summer. Maybe not quite as hot as Carlsbad but it's certainly hotter than here. I was there in April a couple years ago and it was only a few degrees cooler than the visitor's center at Carlsbad Caverns, which was pushing 90 degrees.

 

[TOYOTARIG]

Maybe somewhere North would be better? Anyone been to Goose Lake up by Red River lately?

 

[alia176]

Goose lake sounds good to me. I"ve never been there.

 

[jstncse]

Goose Lake is nice, may still be a bit of a snow pack above the lake.

 

[Pyro-boy]

Have you thought about Hopewell lake? It's east of Taos on Highway 64.

 

[marcfj60]

I like Hopewell and there are a fair amount of FS roads around the area if you get too bored with fishing in the lake. I'd go with you but Paige and I are already signed up to attend Daddy-Daughter Girl Scout Camp that weekend.

 

[TOYOTARIG]

The last time I have been to Goose Lake was 20+ years ago. Back then a fullsize would not fit because of a large boulder and a tree that you had too squeeze between. I am guessing that tree is long gone now because of all the vehicles rubbing it.

Curious if there is camping somewhere along the trail to Goose Lake? If not does anyone have suggestions for camping around Red River?

Thinking maybe just set up camp close to Red River on Friday (due to the late afternoon departure) and make a day trip/picnic to the lake on Saturday, then maybe hit Mandy Springs at the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge on the way home Sunday?

Keep the suggestions coming, still open to ideas.

 

[sl33p3]

Hmm, I'll keep lurking... Evan and I just got back from Morphy Lake state park... it's meh. Mom is out of town again the weekend after Fathers day. Considering going again then. Even 8k and north of abq was mid 80's this weekend and that felt hot... I'd head as far north as you can stand IMO.

 

[TOYOTARIG]

Just come with us John!!! Evan will be surrounded by girls, he will have a great time.

The road to Goose Lake does not look bad at all, it will probably be a mellow drive to the lake.

 

[alia176]

Given that we've done Imogne pass with our rigs, I can't imagine Goose lake trails will be an issue for us.

 

[jstncse]

A local tour company runs a F250 up the trail carrying 10+ passengers so I'm sure you will be fine.

It makes for a very tight squeeze when you meet him going the opposite direction.

 

[alia176]

Well, we had a blast up at Goose lake this past weekend. The snow was indeed blocking the road and it's going to take at least two to three weeks to melt IMHO. Snow was three feet in some places and fairly solid on top for us to walk on it.

Just for the record, you can't camp right next to the shoreline but the large cul-de-sac parking area is very close. You can park there and pitch your tent in the trees. There are two pics of the parking area below and you can see a gate where the FS is able to drive vehicles to the shore. Since I have a RTT, I'd just setup my camp in the parking lot. There is a pit toilet there which is nice. Traffic wasn't much to speak of, occasionally had to stop and backup or make room for the tour guides but that's about it. We arrived on Friday and setup camp about 1.5 miles below the lake. Next day, we parked below the snow covered road and walked up the half mile to the lake.

Ideally, I'd leave ABQ first thing Friday morning and get up to the lake. If you get there late PM like we did on a Friday, more traffic will be coming down the narrow one way road which could get annoying. If you camp at the top or near the lake, be prepared to see people coming up for the day but I bet things will quiet down nicely by the evening time. The trail starts from Red River so depending on where you camp on the trail, you could go back and forth to town. Another option is to camp elsewhere near RR and shoot up to Goose lake for few hours and deal with the traffic both ways.

This trail is covered with used TPs where people have camped or just pulled over for a potty break. Otherwise, the trail was fairly devoid of trash as far as I saw. The creek crossing was fairly deep at the very beginning of the trail, depending on where you cross it. As you're approaching the creek, stay to the right for a shallower crossing. I went to the left, both directions and my 35" tire got swallowed for a short while. My daughter made a video of my crossing but it seemed to have been swallowed by the ether after I uploaded it to FB, weird. Ron's GX470 is on 32" and 2" lift and he had water over the hood because he followed me inbound. On our way out, he stayed to the right and the water hit his headlights. In any case, don't dilly dally during the crossing and don't go too fast. Just a nice bow wave is all you need to keep water from coming in. My daughter, Isabelle, was filming by sitting on the window and her tooshy got splashed she told me!

If you have an offroad trailer, you should be fine, assuming the contents didn't get too wet during the water crossing. The trail is rocky so a high clearance 4x4 is required IMHO. A F150 from NM was following us and when we pulled over due to deep snow, he wanted to have a go at it. Dad and two sons had to try it, even though a Landcruiser with 35s and a winch had pulled over and parked. He made it even less distance and to be pulled out. His poor plastic skid plate thing was dragging. I'm guessing it eventually fell off and he must've picked it up on his way out.

We soaked at the Mamby hot spring, just outside of Taos on the way home.

Let me know if there are questions.

 

[sl33p3]

Cool! Thanks for the report Ali!

 

[evanz80]

Looks like it was a fun trip!