Silva Canyon - Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument

River of grass

Sierra de las Uvas in the distance

One of several rock dikes the canyon has cut through

Golden river

We hiked down Silva Canyon starting near the old blown out dam at Coyote Tank just off of the Corralitos Road. Silva Canyon starts out as a narrow defile cut into the bedrock higher up in the mountains, but where we were walking it is one of several wide " rivers" of grass in the Sierra de las Uvas. I'm assuming the high water table in these arroyos  allows for these tall thickets of grass to flourish. It also puts in mind, that in earlier times, these washes had even more water still, which leads me to think that they are great places to scout for signs of ancient people who traveled, camped, gathered, hunted and perhaps even farmed fertile soils along these currently ephemeral, but perhaps more reliable in the past, tributaries to the Rio Grande.

Metal pipe that ran under the dam

Bell Top Mountain in the distance

 There was a bit of wind when we got out of the car, but we soon were shedding our jackets in the warm winter sun. Near the dam are the deep erosional channels that come about when there are virtually no shrubs, trees or even grass to hold the soils in place when the occasional flash flood comes through. It was ugly, but the rest of our hike wasn't. Below the dam things become more natural. We walked down stream in the winding sand channels and tussocks of golden grass. Unfortunately, this area receives enough water to grow cockle burrs  which is not good when you have dogs. We dodged them as best we good for a while, but then came where the really thick growing grass dominates the entire channel for several miles. There is only two choices here: find the main continuous channel or skirt the edges. We did the latter. 

Just downstream of the dam

We found an alcove, that may have had a protective wall ( it was hard to tell) along the way where there was a mano and what I'm pretty sure was broken pestle, but there was little else in the way of artifacts. No sherds, no lithic flakes. 

We continued along the edges, but then we decided the dogs needed some shade which was in very short supply. We went for the main channel in the deep grass as our only option. It was alright for the dogs, but we had the long dried blades right in our faces. We decided to exit after only short ways, but getting out was kind of tough. There are so many hidden channels to get in and out of just to walk  twenty feet. We did it and then I realized, we had gotten out on the wrong side for continuing along the edges as the edge we were on quickly ran out at a narrow section of the canyon bed ahead. My wife didn't want to cross the grass again, and I didn't blame her. It's not fun. 

In the main channel

 After having our picnic, she stayed back with one dog and I continued on with other. I hadn't gotten very far when the wind really picked up . I called it day when I would have had to make yet another grass  crossing to continue.

 The wind was pretty steady and cool on the way back, but we managed okay. It was a pretty day.