El Malpais National Monument- More Volcanics!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Just down the road from El Morro is the visitor center for El Malpais National Monument. We stopped in for hiking maps and had an interesting conversation with the ranger and the volunteer, a recent Pitt Biology graduate who specialized in Bat Biology. We were asked to sign the guest register which is how the park service determines how many visitors this small center gets. Then the ranger can request toilet paper and other supplies, as well as so the “main office” can determine how many times a week they will send a crew to clean the bathroom! Then she can justify her own salary! It was a revealing look into the state of our national park system in the days of deep budget cuts. The big parks get the big bucks, the small parks that are off the beaten track, but treasures in themselves, have to justify toilet paper!


The young bat biologist is indicative of another issue. We've seen the same problem in many parks, as well as having a friend's son dealing with it. Young college graduates who want to be interpreters in the park service are unable to get hired, so they volunteer for a season usually doing unpaid interpretive work. They hope to get hired after that, but few do. The park simply brings on another recent graduate. Our friend's son volunteered in Rocky Mountain National Park, but at the end of his time was not offered a job. He then went to a college in Washington State and got a degree in park law enforcement and got hired for seasonal work on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. He is hoping for a lateral transfer into interpretation. Seems like right now there is more of a need for someone who carries a gun than educates the public.


After our talk we drove a short way down the road to the El Calderon trailhead, and took a three mile loop hike around the volcanic features. This area has the oldest volcanic activity in the park and we were able to see how the vegetation has established itself over the lava flows and cinders. The trail took us past lava caves, including the Bat Cave (no sighting of Batman or Robin!), sinkholes, and to an overlook of the volcanic crater. There something fascinating about being able to see “recent” geology underfoot.

Collapsed lava tube leading to a lava cave

The trail across lava flows erupted 115,000 years ago.

The older lava flows are much softened by weathering and revegetation

Bat Cave

Cinder cone that had been excavated for road aggregate

Cholla in full fruit

Yup! Ponderosas do smell like vanilla.

To see the rest of the monument we had to make the drive north around the huge recent lava flow, 3,000 years old, along the interstate for a few exits, and then south again on the east side of the flow. BLM has a small, ten site, free campground near the road, so we picked a spot and left to explore some more. Driving south we found the Ventana Arch. A short walk took us near the base of the cliffs on the east side of the road. The west side is lava as far as you can see, black, chunky lava. Lava, lava, and more lava!

Zuni Sandstone bluff that includes the arch

Ventana Arch

The arch was interesting and we were asked to take a photo of three cowboy brothers who were so excited that they had a family picture! We got back on the road and drove a bit further south to the Narrows. The road follows the base of the cliff where the lava flow stopped and could go no further. At the end of the Narrows we found a parking area, and started up the trailhead that gradually worked its way to the top of the cliff. What a view across the lava to the far off craters that characterize this volcanic area!

The top of the mesa along the Narrows

Looking across the Narrows at McCarty's Flow

The edge of the lava flow at the Narrows

Prickly Pear fruit

The Narrows

Grasslands of the Acoma Reservation adjoining El Malpais

Hiking down we finally reached the small rockface we needed to scramble over to reach the parking area. Greg went first and then turned around to offer his hand to help me. Whenever possible we don't put our hands on rocks, as we have spent a long time in rattlesnake country. We've had a few non-venomous snakes cross our paths on our hikes, but never a rattler...until now. I looked down at Greg before I stepped down, saw a snake and yelled “Snake!!!”. We both froze and watched as a small rattler swiftly moved into a hole in the rocks. His very small rattle made a very small hissing sound. I grabbed my camera, but he was gone before I could aim it. He wanted no more part of us, than we did of him, but we were still startled by finally seeing the one snake we had hoped to avoid. The most worrying part of the experience was that the rattler's rattle was quieter than the buzzing of the thousands of late summer grasshoppers flying around us.



After that encounter we decided it was time to go back to the Joe Skeen campground for the night. We had a view out over the distant lava fields, and a spectacular sunset to end the day!