Page 119 - Walks In The Black Range

26. Warm Springs Wash (South)
Studying the geology of the Hillsboro area is a great excuse for taking a walk. In this case, a short walk which parallels NM-152 east of Hillsboro. Not only is this walk a wonderful example of the cross-country options of this area, but it meanders through several geologic units. The walk begins at the crest of the hills east of Hillsboro and heads down slope to the windmill at the beginning of the Hillsboro Transfer Station Road. The distance (one-way) is only 1.2 miles and the elevation drop is only 320 feet. It is an easy amble across loose rock, so the typical precautions should be taken and typical “dangers” are present/possible (e.g. twisted ankles and rattlesnakes).
It is also a trip through time. pЄg is Proterozoic (as in a billion years ago), Oep is Ordovician (485 - 443 million years ago), Kwsm is late Cretaceous (ca. 70 million years ago), Tsf is from the Miocene (ca. 20 million years ago), Tb is from the Pliocene (ca. 2.5 million years ago), Qca is from the late Pleistocene (150,000 years ago), and the other “Q’s” are from the Holocene (generally younger than 100,000 years old). In more recent times, the “Virginia Claim” existed near the beginning of the walk (roughly beneath the arrow). In addition to gold, cerussite, Ilmenite, vanadinite, and wulfenite were found at that location.
Just north of the “Qca” indicator on the map, there are examples of the type of “improvements” that miners, from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, made in this area to perfect their claim (photo below).
During the colder months, walks in this area are about the geology. As summer approaches more and more of the walks are about biology. Something for every season here.