Tuesday, May 30, 2006
The Tuesday Jemez Mountain Tour Day Trip, Part 1
We left this morning about 7:45 am for our day trip to the Jemez Mountains and Bandelier National Monument. This trip is long and we allowed all day. And it took till 3:30 pm to return. We drove some 231 miles with a 16 mile double back from White Rock back to Bandelier.
We left the lake and went to I25 then south to US550 in Bernalillo which is north of Albuquerque. From US550 we took NM485 to see the Gilman Tunnels. US550 is a nice wide two lane road. The turn off to NM485 is quick and with a short warning. The road is a narrow two lane with no shoulder. Immediately after the exit, there is a one lane bridge. This is not a trip for any RV.
The road is not high on the maintance list, so do follow the slow speed limits. As you get near the tunnels, the road becomes a one lane paved with turnouts. There is probably more no passing than passing to the tunnels. The tunnels were made back in the 20's for the logging trucks to use from the area north of the tunnels along the Guadalupe River.
There is lots of room inside the two tunnels. Yes there are two about 100 yards apart. They were blasted out of rock and are impressive. There is a stream along side the road up here in the canyon. The canyon walls become shear and high as you go up the road. As I told DW, the walls are closing in.
Here is the stream below at one of the turn outs. Dont get to close to the edge as its a cliff to the water.
A look from inside the tunnel to the outside. This gives you an idea of the size of the tunnel walls and ceiling.
Viewing one tunnel from another. Quite a feat then and now to blast a hole thru rock.
There is more to show as we took about 70 photos of the total trip. All of them are posted on our picture link. And we did get another panarama photo of the trip. If we can get the movie software to "see" the camera, we will be able to post "movies" of our trip which will be much more enjoyable and comprehensive than photos some time.
We left the lake and went to I25 then south to US550 in Bernalillo which is north of Albuquerque. From US550 we took NM485 to see the Gilman Tunnels. US550 is a nice wide two lane road. The turn off to NM485 is quick and with a short warning. The road is a narrow two lane with no shoulder. Immediately after the exit, there is a one lane bridge. This is not a trip for any RV.
The road is not high on the maintance list, so do follow the slow speed limits. As you get near the tunnels, the road becomes a one lane paved with turnouts. There is probably more no passing than passing to the tunnels. The tunnels were made back in the 20's for the logging trucks to use from the area north of the tunnels along the Guadalupe River.
There is lots of room inside the two tunnels. Yes there are two about 100 yards apart. They were blasted out of rock and are impressive. There is a stream along side the road up here in the canyon. The canyon walls become shear and high as you go up the road. As I told DW, the walls are closing in.
Here is the stream below at one of the turn outs. Dont get to close to the edge as its a cliff to the water.
A look from inside the tunnel to the outside. This gives you an idea of the size of the tunnel walls and ceiling.
Viewing one tunnel from another. Quite a feat then and now to blast a hole thru rock.There is more to show as we took about 70 photos of the total trip. All of them are posted on our picture link. And we did get another panarama photo of the trip. If we can get the movie software to "see" the camera, we will be able to post "movies" of our trip which will be much more enjoyable and comprehensive than photos some time.
