Tour of New Mexico and Arizona

Michael Meléndrez, long-time member of the IOS, will lead a ten-day field trip in New Mexico from August 20 to 30.

Mountain ranges to be explored include:

1. Jemez Mountains (the Yellowstone of New Mexico, where the Netflix series Longmire is filmed). Driving hrough the canyons of the Jemez will provide some of the most amazing  photo opportunities anywhere.

2. Mangas Mountain where we shall see large single trunk Gambel oaks

3. Gila National Forest to see what the US Forest Service claims as the largest Gambel oak in the United States

4. Whitewater Creek to see massive flood effects from a forest fire and a 500-year flood in 2013 when over 24 inches of rain fell on a fresh forest fire site.

5. Mimbres Hot Springs in the Gila's Black Range where a possible Emory oak National Champion grows and where we can soak in a hot spring.

6. Turkey Creek Canyon in the Diablo Range of the Gila National Forest, the place where Geronimo was born and large silverleaf oaks now grow. Crossing of the Gila River three times will be required in order to gain access to this canyon.

7. Pinaleño Mountains of Arizona, a towering Sky Island mountain climbing from 3,000 feet at its base to 10,700 feet at the summit.

8. Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona's Coronado National Forest, where the tropics meet the conifer mountains of the Southwest. Famous for bird watching.

9. The Peloncillo Mountains of New Mexico, where the Mexican Sierra Madre Occidental comes into the United States providing a continuous wildlife corridor for jaguar and many other rare animal species, along with a Madrean pine-oak woodland ecotone.

Oak species we hope to see include exemplar trees of the following:

Quercus arizonica
Q. chrysolepis
Q. emory (possible new National Champion)
Q. grisea
Q. gambelii (huge single trunk specimens)
Q. hypoleucoides
Q. rugosa
Q. turbinella
Q. toumeyi
Q. ×undulata (evergreen type)

Space is very limited. Participants will use/share private vehicles and stay in affordable motels.  For details, contact Michael at michael@soilsecrets.com