Enchanted tower access

Can you go through the gate at the ranch,old access. If not how is the 4 wheel drive road?

I spoke to the caretaker, a wildlife photographer and a good guy, last month when I saw him clearing his road after a flood.  He was very nice, the gate was open, and he let us pass after I gave him a hand clearing the flotsam.  That being said, he also told me that the gate is almost always locked, and is unlocked only when he is in the canyon.

Lastly, he does not mind climbers, but does not want to be bugged by climbers/hunters, so don't bug him. 

the schmuck wrote: I spoke to the caretaker, a wildlife photographer and a good guy, last month when I saw him clearing his road after a flood.  He was very nice, the gate was open, and he let us pass after I gave him a hand clearing the flotsam.  That being said, he also told me that the gate is almost always locked, and is unlocked only when he is in the canyon.

Lastly, he does not mind climbers, but does not want to be bugged by climbers/hunters, so don't bug him.

Props; "flotsam" - not only a great vocab word, but also a witty tie-in to the Tower.

Regarding the property owner, do you think he would have a problem with taking a bike onto the forest service road and just hopping the fence/locked gate? You could make it to the tower from the pavement in 10 minutes...

Any idea on how long it now takes, using a typical high clearance suv, to get to the tower the long way around once you get to the original turn off? Thx

nealg wrote: Any idea on how long it now takes, using a typical high clearance suv, to get to the tower the long way around once you get to the original turn off? Thx

I can do it in 40-45 minutes in my stock 2013 Tacoma.  But if it's daytime, you're going to want to build in 5-10 minutes to stop at the fire tower and take in the view.

Note, the "original" (short way, no longer accessable) turn-off is about 5-10 minutes east of the "new" (long, legal, preferred) turn-off.  Coming from ABQ, that adds a few minutes.

I also have averaged about 45 mins from the ranch gate (old access) around via the Davenport lookout road in my Toyota 4Runner. Likely a bit slower in something less "rough road ready" like a small SUV. 

Alec and Jason,
Thank you for the quick responses.

So from abq it's an additional 45min... Ugh.

Sounds like for a day trip from abq for winter cragging, it's socorro, Diablo, or Gilman tunnels... You guys have any other recs?

Thanks again. Peace, NG

Neal, Las Conchas, Area 37 and Upper East Fork are also all fine winter cragging (somewhat surprisingly) if the day is sunny and not windy. The Easy Bake Alcove and Hidden Tower area at Las Conchas are particularly warm since they're up the hillside from the river. We've had winter days that are 15 degrees at the parking area and we end up in t-shirts back down at Easy Bake and Hidden Tower.
Also all the Rio Grande Gorge areas near Taos and White Rock are good choices. 

First week of oct. the road was super chill without much scree and we were able to get from the road to the crag in about 30ish minutes in an outback

Tim Lutz wrote: 
New Mexico's best crag is a nightmare to get to.

And that's probably a good thing considering the shit show it had become.

1. Mick S wrote:

And that's probably a good thing considering the shit show it had become.

Is that a pun? Because it quite literally was a "shit show." :-)

George Perkins wrote:

White Rock and Taos Gorge (the closest being Vista Verde, Dead Cholla, Utopian Vistas) are other reasonable winter options, particularly if you hit them in the sun (morning to early afternoon).  Some White Rock cliffs (Playground, Potrillo), and some stuff by John Dunn Bridge in the Taos Gorge gets all-day sun.  The dark rock warms up nicely.

Capulin is nice, until the road gets closed (typically first week of January).

I would advise against Gilman Tunnels (cold stream crossing needed to get to 80% of the climbs, and its fairly shaded) in the winter, except on the warmest days.

I'll second the recommendation for Taos Gorge and White Rock in winter.  I've climbed both in February and was toasty in the sun.  Really great climbing, too, in the 5.10-5.11+ range.

I also think it's probably nicer at the Tower now that the approach is longer.  Haven't seen any bad human waste problems since I started going in fall '16.  (I pack out everything, and everyone else should, too!)  And I agree the road really isn't that bad.  

And yeah, Winslow sucks; definitely don't go there.