From wherever you topped out on the Thumb, continue south to the highest, southernmost peak. Gaining the south summit requires some easy but exposed scrambling (easier than it looks).
From the south summit, continue along the ridge heading south for 150ft. Right before you get cliffed out (there is often a slung block here where some people rap), turn skier's right (west) and down climb to a tree. From this tree, follow a nice ledge system skier's left just below the south ridge of the Thumb. This ledge system brings you to the easy slab that is visible from above, from where you first got cliffed out and had to turn right. Continue scrambling down to the saddle at the south end of the formation.
Once you're at the saddle, you're home free. Turn skier's left (which is north now) and descend into the trees/talus. Walk hard right staying above the talus below. Keeping contouring around until above forested slopes skier's right of the boulder field. Once in the trees there is a rough climbers trail that will quickly bring you back to the La Luz trail 500 Ft below.
Taos, NM
From the north summit follow the ridgeline to the north until you reach a pronounced dropoff. For the downclimb option work your way off slightly to the right (northeast) down an easy slab to a prominent pine tree at the top of a steep gully. This route will look improbable. Use the tree to enter the gully for just a few feet then look to the right (north) to spot an easy ramp that cuts back across to the ridgeline. If you find the correct route it's no worse than exposed 4th class.
Another option, from the ridge at the top of the steep section, go back uphill just a bit and work down the west side, cutting north and following a ramp to a tree riddled with slings. From here rap to easy ground below. We didn't check the distance but it's almost certainly more than 30 meters. If someone knows this distance it would be nice to know. Jun 17, 2008
Santa Fe
But going over the top of the S summit and down the SE Ridge is casual 4th and mainly 3rd class. Once you're off the Thumb and heading down the east slopes, stay in the trees along the edge of the first clear talus slope, and you'll hit the La Luz trail slightly above the uppermost switchback (not far down-trail from Donald Duck). Jun 8, 2009
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque, NM
mountainproject.com/route/1…
photo of the start of the descent is particularly useful ... Jun 21, 2019
Albuquerque, NM
That said, the last couple years or so, there has been a sling riddled boulder up on the ridge proper. We went that way once and rapped from it. But to me the boulder is not inspiring.
If a free solo down climb of the ‘normal’ SE-easterly descent is out of the question, I would recommend leaving a sling and biner on the mid-way tree so last person goes down the initial steep part on TR. Jun 23, 2019
Santa Fe NM