Kitchen Mesa Trail at Ghost Ranch - 4.16.2014

1-KitchenMesaMap.jpg
The turnoff for Ghost Ranch is on Hwy 84... 14.5 miles NW of Abiquiu, New Mexico.
P1210160.jpg
The trailhead for Kitchen Mesa is located behind the dining hall at Ghost Ranch... the hike is 5 miles roundtrip, gaining 600 feet of elevation.
P1210161.jpg
Kitchen Mesa from near the trailhead.
P1210167.jpg
Denali Girl, tomman and BarbE on the trail to Kitchen Mesa.
P1210171.jpg
High enough now to see Ghost Ranch through the gap.
P1210173.jpg
Awesome color and rock formations on this route.
P1210181.jpg
Looking back at our route up this box canyon.
P1210186.jpg
At the end of the box canyon... we have started gaining elevation up to the mesa.
P1210195.jpg
BarbE in the 30 foot chimney at the end of the box canyon.
P1210200.jpg
Denali Girl working her way up to the 30 foot chimney.
P1210204.jpg
BarbE looking down at Denali Girl in the chimney... the top of the mesa is above.
P1210209.jpg
Above the chimney now... and heading for the top of the mesa.
P1210212.jpg
On top of Kitchen Mesa now... with Cerro Pedernal in the distance.
P1210213.jpg
On top of Kitchen Mesa... with the Ghost Ranch below.
P1210216.jpg
ragman and tomman on Kitchen Mesa.
P1210220.jpg
Abiquiu Lake and Cerro Pedernal from Kitchen Mesa.
P1210225.jpg
From Kitchen Mesa.
P1210230.jpg
tomman, Denali Girl and BarbE on Kitchen Mesa.
P1210234.jpg
Lots of interesting rock.
P1210239.jpg
Ghost Ranch from Kitchen Mesa.
P1210240.jpg
tomman explaining to Denali Girl that bad things can happen if she gets too close to the edge... Abiquiu Lake and Cerro Pedernal in the distance.
P1210244.jpg
From the top of Kitchen Mesa we are looking down on the canyon and trail that led us up to the mesa.
P1210258.jpg
Looking back on the end of Kitchen Mesa as we head back to the car.
P1210263.jpg
tomman and BarbE getting ready to go down the chimney.
P1210265.jpg
BarbE descending the chimney.
P1210270.jpg
Denali Girl in the chimney.
P1210275.jpg
Almost at the bottom of the chimney.
P1210278.jpg
Heading back down to the canyon floor.
P1210279.jpg
Still descending to the canyon floor.
P1210281a.jpg
BarbE wanted to take this piece of wood home... but we talked her out of it.