Chile Challenge 4WD Trails, near Las Cruces, NM

And if you are thinking late February, Chile Challenge is just that... mild to wild 4-wheeling in the southern New Mexico Chile Canyons and surrounding mountains. This year's famous event, combined with the Southwest Four Wheel Drive Association Winter Quarterly 2001, was again hosted by the Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club.

Spread over 4 days, there is usually an interesting mix of weather and this year was no exception. It started with sunny days and temperatures up to the mid 70's. And then, what seems to becoming a tradition, an approaching cold front brought with it a day of very strong winds. But even as temperatures dropped to highs in the mid 50's later in the week, precipitation never materialized and Chile Challenge participants continued to hit the generous selection of scenic trails.

A new addition to the Chile Trail System was introduced by the LCFWDC at this event - "Sandia Gulch". Rated "hard", the trail offers similar rock crawling to other canyon trails, yet provides unique, pesky obstacles that set it apart. Mark Wolf, SWFWDA Events Chairman & fellow NM 4-Wheeler, would provide the ride for me in his Commando on Thursday to check out Sandia Gulch.


A shark's tooth outcrop chomped on more than a few fenders & flairs. Mark's Commando (right) seems especially huge at this moment.

This trail starts easily enough up a twisty canyon, but soon the rocks and steps get a little bigger. The inattentive will snag a differential or spring hanger on occasion. The trail narrows in some places. And at one such constricted location, a rock outcropping reminiscent of a shark's tooth, awaits. The vehicle must bear to the right just past this rock and, sure enough, the passenger side rear corner panel tips suddenly towards the jagged edge. Several paint and flare samples were contributed here!

Small dry waterfalls add to the variety of challenges in Sandia Gulch. The major obstacle is a pair of off-camber monster boulders that must be scaled and, indeed, a number of 4-wheelers had great difficulty here. The way to avoid body damage was to get the right rear tire up onto the big rock. Easier said than done as the step is tall and slick. Spring hangers were particularly vulnerable to being snagged. The choice of an off-camber higher line would ultimately draw the 4x4 right into the boulder. And for those on the trail run fortunate or equipped enough to follow the most favorable line, unprotected rocker panels would be damaged on the descent!


Barry (above right) demonstrates the most favorable line with his Scout.

This poor Toyota (above right) actually started Sandia Gulch without any body damage!

Further along, our trail leader bypassed an optional 30 foot wide waterfall that is said to have a variety of easy to nearly impossible climbs. From there the Sandia Gulch trail starts a half mile climb to the mountain top. A series of rock steps includes some just gnarly enough to require a second try to find the right line.


Many of the canyon trails end up at the top of the same mountain, such as nearby "Patzcuaro's Revenge". Panoramas include views of the Organ Mountains (right) to the east

"Rocotillo Rapids" would be my destination Friday. A very difficult trail, rated "extreme", I would ride in the capable Scrambler driven by Jim Werkmeister of the NM 4-Wheelers. This canyon branches off from another near the start of the extreme Patzcuaro's Revenge trail. Rocotillo Rapids is considered by the LCFWDC as what may be their most difficult and most technical trail. Strictly for the "biggest dogs"!

Immediately at the start, huge boulders must be crawled up and over. Then the trail twists around some rock falls bigger than "garages". Not far into Rocotillo Rapids is the first of numerous troublesome ledges and dry waterfalls. From this point upward, participants on the trail run experienced all manners of difficulties and successes.


At this steep, off-camber drop, Jim adds a little paint to the rock "palette".	This waterfall befuddled a number of the 4-wheelers. Really BIG tires were a plus here.

At one time, nearly every vehicle had to be winched up this particular waterfall (right). But quite a number of participants clawed up successfully this day.

The first winch only waterfall, turned out "not-to-be". The longer wheelbase rigs could almost crawl up this obstacle. Some shorter rigs with humongous reserves of power and mondo tires made it up too, although not very pretty! A few did get into crosswise predicaments at the upper edge that required some creative winching.

The last major obstacle is perhaps the most frightening. It is all too easy for vehicles to slip sideways into very tippy situations. Considered the second winch-only waterfall on Rocotillo Rapids, a permanent tie off has been embedded in the rock by the LCFWDC. And certainly a good number took the winch this day. But surprise, several 4x4's did find the right line to successfully scale this imposing wall! The right line was very, very narrow. And steep!

From here, a number of seemingly moderate ledges and steps are encountered as the trail continues to the top of the mountain.

Terry Rust, SWFWDA Director of Environmental Affairs, reports that the SWFWDA and the Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club filed suit last June against the BLM over illegal road closures in the Robledo Mountains WSA. This suit has the significant potential for national precedence to be set. We maintain that the BLM violated the law by simply ignoring it. The law: RS 2477 which protects preexisting rights of way including old roads. If we win this point, not just the "Wolf's Run", but every road closure by federal agencies, throughout the nation, that did not fully address the potential of RS2477 protection will be illegal. The impact could be huge when one considers that one of former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's first orders to the BLM was NOT to consider ANY RS 2477 assertions unless ordered by the court.

The judge has allowed the Wilderness Society and others who recognize the potential impact to intervene in the suit and become, in effect, co-defendants with the BLM. We are fighting not only the federal government in the person of the BLM ( represented by the Department of Justice) but also the hundreds of millions of dollars that are available to the anti-recreation lobby represented in this case by the Wilderness Society. (Please note that the recently opened trails within the Chile Canyons themselves are in an area opened administratively by the BLM for OHV use so are inherently not afforded RS 2477 protection. If we lose the lawsuit, not only pre-existing trails, but the newer ones could be under threat of closure!) If you are willing to help the SWFWDA and the Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club in this important fight, please send me an e-mail and I will forward additional information. Thanks!