Hike Alegres Mountain Cibola National Forest, NM

Oct 17, 2024 — Alegres Mountain rises steeply from the surrounding flat landscape of western New Mexico, turning out to be a lovely peak despite my initial assumptions. There are no trails to the summit, which makes sense since I'm pretty sure the majority of the approach in any direction is on private ranch property. I parked on the fully graded Pipeline Springs Road within a small a square of state trust land at a spot just past a "No Trespassing" sign but before a ranch at the end of the road. There was no negative signage where I started my hike, so I hopped a barbed-wire fence and entered the forest adjacent to a large meadow. Throughout the hike, I was concerned about the safety of my car, though I did leave a note with my phone number in case someone felt the need to admonish me for being a bad boy.

The hike began in typical New Mexico fashion: a lumpy landscape with embedded rocks and a sparsely vegetated slope. I ascended a minor slope with some interesting sandstone features, light Class 2. I continued up the slope, which gradually became steeper. Alegres Mountain came into view ahead, a brushy mesa with a significant cliff band surrounding it. The best approach option seemed to be a weakness on the southwest side, at the center of a Y-shaped valley formed by protruding points of the mesatop.

I was able to ascend the slope unencumbered since the trees were spaced far apart. I reached a flat meadow at the base of the steeper terrain and chose to continue along my plotted route. The slope steepened almost immediately, continuing to increase in grade until I reached the rim above. Along the way, there were a couple of sections of talus, though you might be able to avoid most of it by sticking to the grassy terrain. Aside from the talus, I only encountered one Class 2 move toward the rim, though there were certainly multiple ways up and some could end up being more difficult if choosing poorly. I emerged onto a bald, broad clearing just before the false summit of Alegres Mountain. This was a beautiful spot, and I enjoyed the stroll to the southwest point, which was once thought to be the high point until recent LiDAR readings revealed otherwise.

I continued along the narrowing ridgeline to the true high point. Along the way, there were a few small rock outcroppings with animal trails leading around them on either side. There was some light Class 2 scrambling, but nothing too challenging. The views from the taller summit were fantastic, with a clear view of the ridgeline I had just traversed, as well as surrounding peaks like Madre Mountain, which I did later in the day. I moped longingly to the south at a sub-peak that I didn't have time to reach since I was meeting with my friend Kevin, but upon meeting up he mocked me for skipping the peak, knowing full-well it would haunt me. Next time I won't be punctual so he will have to just wait for me.