Red River, NM and the Canadian River

KaiserM715

Adventurer
Last year, I took a family vacation in our Raptor to New Mexico and had the opportunity for some adventure. Our first stop was Red River, NM.

In the Red River area, I drove up to Greenie Peak, back down through the Midnight Meadows area to Forrest Access Road 134. We went east on 134 to the Anchor Mine. We took a side trip off of 134 up to Cabresto Lake for some fishing (no luck) on the way back to town via Questa.

Greenie Peak is not much of a challenge but parts of the trail are relatively slow going and I used low range quite a bit for the additional engine braking. The width of the truck was only an issue in a couple of places (good thing I brought my tree pruners!!). There were two places I had to turn around and I was very thankful the wheelbase was not any longer that it already is. The road up to Cabresto Lake (Forrest Access Road 134A) is pretty rough, but again, not much of a challenge.

Here is a trail description w/ GPS waypoints for Greenie Peak:
http://www.webejeepin.com/Trails/New_Mexico/Greenie_Peak.htm

Map location of Greenie Peak:
Greenie Peak - Google Maps

Map location of the Anchor Mine:
Anchor Mine - Google Maps

Map location of Cabresto Lake (end of Forrest Access Road 134A):
Cabresto Lake - Google Maps

On the way up to Greenie Peak (note the Red River Ski Area in the background):
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At the Greenie Peak / Midnight Meadows road juncture:
IMG_2765.jpg


Greenie Peak (note the ski area) Est. elevation 11,250 ft:
IMG_2767.jpg


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IMG_2772.jpg


Midnight Meadows:
IMG_2774.jpg


A different meadow on the way down to 134:
IMG_2775.jpg


We stopped in Amarillo on the way back and I had a morning available to go to the Canadian River area. The area had received a lot more rain than usual and the vegetation was really grown up and there were a lot more deep mud holes than I remember (mud is not my thing). There were quite a few more ATV trails than I remember from previous visits. Due to the increase in garbage (mainly beer bottles / cans), frequent underage drinking (while operating an ATV), frivolous new ATV trails and the numerous additional mud holes, I would not be surprised to see this public area get shutdown at some point. As a note, this area requires the Texas Off-Highway Vehicle program sticker.

Map to the turnoff off of US-287 (the pointer is a little off):
Canadian River Flats turnoff - Google Maps

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The Canadian River in the background:
IMG_2806.jpg


The Canadian River in the background:
IMG_2808.jpg


IMG_2810.jpg


Here is an older pic of the area:
IMG_1574.jpg
 
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Ray Hyland

Expedition Leader
Love the pics Will.

First question, how would you rate the Raptor as an expedition platform for a couple or a small family?

Second question, other than the mud you mentioned, how technical is the driving in this area? Doable in something like a VW camper-van? Or are there areas where 4x4 is recommended?

Cheers
 

KaiserM715

Adventurer
Love the pics Will.
Thanks!

First question, how would you rate the Raptor as an expedition platform for a couple or a small family?
For a small family or a couple, it is great. It rides very well on and off-road and very comfortable. There is plenty of interior volume and while the bed is short, it is deep and holds a lot of stuff. The suspension flexes well and is just as capable in the rocks as it is going fast on a fire-road. The biggest issue is the width - about the same as an H1. There are places this truck will not fit. With a cargo capacity of about 950 lbs (super cab), it might not be the best vehicle for chronic over-packers, unless you have an off-road trailer (getting a trailer with high speed suspension performance to match the truck would be an issue). The crew cab has a higher payload capacity, but I wouldn't think twice of trading the shorter wheel-base to get it.

Second question, other than the mud you mentioned, how technical is the driving in this area? Doable in something like a VW camper-van? Or are there areas where 4x4 is recommended?
There are definitely some areas in both locations that VW camper-van could access. For the Red River area, the trails up to Greenie Peak would be a challenge as there can be mud up there (especially in between Greenie Peak and Midnight Meadows) as well along with some traction issues. Cabresto Lake would be doable as long as you took your time. That being said, there is a lot of maintained gravel roads in the area that open up a lot of exploration to anyone. I would rate both a 3 on a 10 point scale.

For the Canadian River area, the biggest issue would be sand, as it is right at the beginning of the trail. Some of the mudholes have alternatives to bypass them. I think the lack of 4x4 would really limit how much of the area you could access with a vehicle. Access to the area where most people camp should be doable. I would rate the entry trails a 2 or 3, with everything branching off of that 4+.
 
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Fireman78

Expedition Leader
Theres a great geo cache inside that Canadian River Canyon thats a hoot to find.. if anyone is interested. Unless the Texans ruined it. I used to camp there years ago but from what I have seen lately it's being ruined by Texans without regard to any shred of commom decent trail behaivor.
 
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Richie

Adventurer
I was camping in the Red River area this past weekend. It's my favorite area to do anything outdoors in the state.
 

KaiserM715

Adventurer
Theres a great geo cache inside that Canadian River Canyon thats a hoot to find.. if anyone is interested. Unless the Texans ruined it. I used to camp there years ago but from what I have seen lately it's being ruined by Texans. (Just callin' it like I see it... no offence here).

I am pretty sure that EVERY state has hooligans. Unfortunately they all seem to congregate at the Canadian River (every state has areas that get abused by a minority of their users). The biggest issue out there is the crowd that likes to combine 4x4s / ATVs and alcohol. They generate the most trash and trail damage. That being said, Texans also provide the most trail maintenance out there. I have been on trail cleanups where we filled a construction dumpster each time.

I was camping in the Red River area this past weekend. It's my favorite area to do anything outdoors in the state.

My family has vacationed in Red River for decades and I have traveled there with friends often. We love that area.
 
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Ray Hyland

Expedition Leader
Theres a great geo cache inside that Canadian River Canyon thats a hoot to find.. if anyone is interested. Unless the Texans ruined it. I used to camp there years ago but from what I have seen lately it's being ruined by Texans. (Just callin' it like I see it... no offence here).

Well, offense can be taken pretty easily. In fact I find that anytime one has to say "No offense" it is almost guaranteed that they are saying something potentially offensive.


Will, how have you set up the interior of that truck for long trips? Can you fit a fridge or cooler behind the seats in that or would you need to get the 4 door version?
 

KaiserM715

Adventurer
Will, how have you set up the interior of that truck for long trips? Can you fit a fridge or cooler behind the seats in that or would you need to get the 4 door version?
I store most of my gear in the bed as the cab gets pretty full with my wife, kid in a car seat and two dogs. There is definitely room for a cooler behind the seat, which is what I use when the dogs stay home. I would have to measure to see which fridges would fit, as that would be a nice to have. For my height (5'10") and seat position, there is plenty of room in the backseat. That being said, the floor space in the crew cab is hard to beat, esp with the seats folded up. Here is an example:
f150_rearseatfold.jpg


I will be adding a track system to the bottom of the bed in the future for cargo management (Core-Trax or Mac's are the leading two candidates). I have a bed cover and it will work well with a track system to keep my gear organized and dry. In addition, I have 4 mil-spec gas cans to keep in the back (I really wish I could have had the 36 gallon tank the crew cab comes with).
 

KaiserM715

Adventurer
Can you fit a fridge or cooler behind the seats in that or would you need to get the 4 door version?
Took some measurements over the weekend. With my seat location, I came up with 13" x 22-3/4" (back of front seat to front of backseat x center console to door panel). This knocks out all of the ARB units due to their depth (28" ish) and would require scooting the seat up. If the bigger of the rear seat bottoms is folded (it is about a 65/35 setup), there are some hard points that could be used for a removable rack.
 

Fireman78

Expedition Leader
Well, offense can be taken pretty easily. In fact I find that anytime one has to say "No offense" it is almost guaranteed that they are saying something potentially offensive.


Will, how have you set up the interior of that truck for long trips? Can you fit a fridge or cooler behind the seats in that or would you need to get the 4 door version?

Ya, you ARE CORRECT SIR! I will remove the offending post script, while leaving the original comment intact. Thanks for pointing that out.
 

Fireman78

Expedition Leader
Future raft adventure on the Canadian River (during flood stage).. from Springer put in to Conchas Lake take out.. Two nights, self sustained, rescue would be.....iffy..... wild ride.. who's in?
 

Dgurley2000

Adventurer
KaiserM715 - What month did you take this trip? How were the temperatures for the Canadian River portion? Nice photos!
 

KaiserM715

Adventurer
KaiserM715 - What month did you take this trip? How were the temperatures for the Canadian River portion? Nice photos!
This was July 2010. The temps out there were 95ish, but very dry. They have been warmer than that this year, but lows are still in the mid 60's. Better than Houston :)
 

hattrik21

Adventurer
Bringing back an old thread.....This area looks perfect for a getaway that I've been craving. I've found very little so far on the internet as far as maps, GPS data, info on where to camp, etc. Can anyone in the area or who knows the area point me in the right direction so I can start planning a trip out that way?

Thanks,
 

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