Forest Roads 100,99- Santa Fe National Forest ( Coyote Ranger District)

     As it turns out getting to the trailhead for the Cañones Creek Trail( see previous blog) was more than half the fun. Forest Road 100 starts just east of Youngsville and took us up from the  desert and chaparral country to a high mountain plateau with forests of spruce and fir, and huge open meadows. There were abundant views to the redrock cliffs across the Chama Valley, Pedernal Peak and down into the box of Cañones Creek.

 Forest Road 99 continued  the journey past  many lovely, shaded campsites adjacent to more meadows that had shallow depressions where water could gather naturally, after summer rains and the spring snow melt. They were dry at present, though, because of the failure of our monsoon season  to actually start. 
 Both these roads are wide and well maintained and could be driven by any vehicle under dry conditions.