Well, it were an awful go-round.  2 years ago I spent quite a bit of time and energy in Der Bug trying to find the sinkhole out in the Caja del Rio that I’d read about on a jeep-ing website.  I made several trips with no joy…….on one of them climbing into the mountain tops and looking down, then later crawling thru the brush and canyons looking up.  Last year I was gone most of the year, so now that I’m back in Santa Fe for a while I got back into search mode and got serious about the whole thing.  The web site had a rough map showing approximate location……………

>From this I extrapolated positions and transferred them to GPS.   On May 18 I came out here on Suzy the quad and really went after it.  Went as far as I could on the trail……..almost - it got to the point of silly, so I parked it and started hiking.  Up thru heavy Juniper scrub, jagged volcanic rock, steep hills, and no joy.  Man, was I frustrated.  The web page builder - Glenn - had included a picture of his group around the hole and mentioned that it was about 20 feet across and 100 feet deep.  The guys here give an idea of scale.  I think Glenn was pretty accurate…………….

This picture is a little deceptive, tho’.  Makes it look like flat ground, and that is in very short supply in this area.  Finally, I emailed Glenn and asked for help.  He didn’t have co-ordinates, so emailed his club members asking if anyone had GPS co-ordinates.  His friend, Robert, came thru and Glenn forwarded the numbers to me.  Very nice of him.  Now, I entered those numbers into my Garmin GPS topo map and transferred them to the GPSmap60CSx that I bought recently to replace my broken old faithful eTrex Legend.  The 60 is a terrific, powerful, versatile tool and makes a big difference.  Here’s the new map, showing my search from May 18 with the sinkhole estimate, and also with the “Sink Proper” using Robert’s numbers.  You can see that I never got within about 1/2 mile on my previous search.  For those not familiar with these toys, the little bar in lower right with 0.2 mi. above it shows that that bar is 0.2 miles long on the screen.  I was at least 2 bar lengths off……………..

I had parked Suzy at the flag marked 673 and started walking - on both trips.  Always - ALways - mark the location where you park your vehicle.  You may not be able to find it again.  On the Colorado Peak climb ( http://gogittum.com/blog/?cat=37 ) in ‘07 I marked the location of Der Bug down in the Junipers and STill had an awful time finding it.  Went past it 3 times, within 100 feet and couldn’t see it.  Anyway, 2 years ago I had climbed to the top of the Twin Hills to look down.  Now, the GPS told me it was almost straight toward the peak from below.  Does it look like anything is there to you ??……………

This country is deceptive.  A little way in from the left side you can see a big spur of rock sticking up like a huge wart.  I started up the draw right in the center here and the GPS told me it was above and to the right, about 800 feet or a little more and, figuring the contour lines to be 120 feet apart, it’s about 300 feet higher……………….

Uh…….it’s not quite that simple.  Did I mention that this is rugged country ??  Doesn’t look like it, even on Google Earth.  This is the track from the SPOT Locater on the May 18 trip - an actual satellite photo, showing that I looked all over the wrong places.  Twin Hills are at upper left about 1/4 of the way in.  Look straight down and slightly left of the peak and you’ll see a little crease.  That’s “about” where the sink hole is……………….

The reality on the ground is a little different.  I went seemingly forever up thru and over this mess.  The tangled Juniper claws at you like fish hooks………..

Then checked the GPS again and shook my head.  I was STill 600 feet away and at least 150 feet below it.  600 feet doesn’t sound like much, but keep in mind that it’s 2 football fields - on the flat.  This is very steep and rough.  In hindsight, it’d be much easier to work down from the road above, but at the time I didn’t think it’d be that far up……………..

HooBoy.  Keep at ‘er, Lar.  It’s gotta be there.  A little farther and it looks like there may be a hollow up there.  Picture a toy mountain made of clay.  Then press a depression into it with your thumb.  That’s what I’m looking for here…………….

OK, I got up into that miserable hollow and 1st, it wasn’t flat, and 2nd, there was no &*%$^# sinkhole up here.  The GPS said I was practically standing on it (in it ??) - within about 50 feet or so, so I climbed up onto an outcropping to look around…………..

Yup, we’ve come a long way up, all right.  Santa Fe is in the right 2/3 of this shot and back toward the mountains……………..

Frustration ! ! !  No Sinkhole ! ! !  Turned a full circle and happened to glance down and noticed a shadow……..SHadow ???.  Omigawd……………

It was a little more than 50 feet, more like about 75, but I was right on top of it.  The way it looked with the guys around it, I thought it was level ground.  Nope.  This is one big hole and very dangerous.  I eased up to the edge, laid my hat and glasses to one side and slid out on the rocks on the left side as far as I dared.  Fall in here and you would not ever be found.  If the fall didn’t kill you, there’s no possible way to climb out and it’s pitch black down there.  If someone did happen along, they wouldn’t be able to see you down there.  Be careful……………

100 feet deep ??  I dunno, but I have no trouble believing it.  Toss a rock in and it takes a bit to hit bottom.  Did I ever feel great, and all over finding a hole in the ground.  Don’t take much to entertain me, does it ??……………..

>From here, the direct line back to Suzy wasn’t all that bad and the return trip was very fast.  This is only 14 miles from home and the entire jaunt took just 2 hours and 10 minutes.  Left at 10:30 AM and was home by 12:40 PM, loaded the camper and went to pick up the boat by 1:40 and was (am) at Conchas Lake, east of Las Vegas, NM, by 4:30.  In the morning I’ll launch and go sight-seeing and maybe do a little fishing.  That story coming up soon.                         Lar.

Posted: September 19th, 2009 under 09 Santa Fe, 09-6-1 Sinkhole Found.
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