Page 27 - Volume 3 - Walks In The Black Range

9. McKnight Cabin to McKnight Mountain Summit
The drive (video) from NM-35 to the trailhead (Trail 79) near McKnight Cabin is more difficult than the walk.
In April and in May 2015, we walked from the trailhead to McKnight Mountain, returning via McKnight Cabin. We also walked the trail in October 2020, starting at the cabin and continuing on past McKnight Mountain to the Powderhorn Ridge Trail.
For most of its length the trail is “soft”. It is covered in soil and/or grass and has that spongy relaxing feel that is common to more northerly trails. The distance from the trailhead to the summit of McKnight Mountain is just over 2 miles (see map at the end of the article), returning via McKnight Cabin increases the length to 2.1 miles. The four mile round trip is along the ridge line of the Black Range, see the elevation profile at the end. The net elevation gain is about 675’ (from 9,490’ to 10,165’) while the gross gain is over 800’. The maximum grade is 16%.
In October 2020 the trail was in great condition, trail work had just been completed from the cabin to some point along the Powderhorn which we did not reach. The trail to Mimbres Lake was a mass of blow down and was beyond our will. Even though Mimbres Lake had been our destination the idea of clambering over fallen trees for three miles (a mile and half down and a mile and a half up) was just to much on that day. The cleared trail was beautiful, often covered by a layer of yellow leaves from the Aspen.
McKnight Mountain, has two “peaks” and is the highest point in Sierra County (one “peak”) and Grant County (the other “peak”). The “peaks” are about 70’ apart. McKnight Mountain is the definition of anti-climax, it is simply a high point along the ridge.
At McKnight Mountain the trail runs about 40’ below the summits on the west side of the ridge. The side trail was not signed on October 12, 2020. It takes only moments to “climb to the summit”. Getting there is anti-dramatic - the 360° view from the top is just the opposite, it is almost overwhelming. It is as if the Black Range and most of Sierra and Grant counties were at your very feet.
We have seen no mammals along the trail, although there are generally some significant clumps of bear scat. There are a few birds - Hairy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Junco (Grey-headed), and Western Tanagers being the most obvious. Hermit Thrushes were singing along most of the trail, in May. In October we found Clark’s Nutcracker at the summit of McKnight Mountain.
The view to the west from trail 79 near McKnight Mountain is shown to the right.