Joseph’s Mine - Hike in Ojo Caliente
Winter Hiking in New Mexico is an experience of magical lighting, western tales, and rugged solitude. Ojo Caliente, best known for its acclaimed spa, rests at the foot of seldomly traversed hills. These arid hills contain classic New Mexico Vistas, historical mines, and that classic feel of peace and solitude.
The draw of the Ojo Caliente Spa prevents most from seeing the hiking in the area. Furthermore, information seems to be sparse concerning these trails as I encountered numerous well established trails for which I found no information as to their length or where the trail may lead. More exploration beckons, but for now we will focus on Joseph’s Mine.
The trail is relatively easy 4 mile out and back trail with about 500 ft of elevation gain/loss. A wide, modestly graded road which appears to be an old jeep track snakes through the hills. If hiked at sunset, the golden lighting is exceptionally pleasant on the earth. While many offshoots are present, stay on the largest, most established trail/road to arrive at the Joseph’s mine. I would recommend downloading some sort of GPS app as the signage is not super clear (though the chance of getting lost out here is slim).
As you near the mine, almost exactly two miles from the trail head, you may notice a dazzling quality to the soil. Joseph’s Mine is a mica mine and fragments of this flaky, silver-like mineral abound. The hiker will see it in rocks, on the trail and sprinkled everywhere in large quantities. It is a bizarre material; paper-like in its texture, it almost feels soft, yet highly brittle, and it has a radiant glimmer.
Pueblos used the mica from this area in pottery and apparently certain topicals in the Ojo Caliente gift shop still utilize the Mica from this mine. The mine was commercially resourced from 1900 to 1940.
I bopped around the mine for a while, stepping into the caves where the mining was conducted, but daylight was fading. Alas, I needed to turn back before sun down. I hear proceeding a ¼ mile past Joseph's Mine treats the hiker to shiny fields of mice and more mines can be found deeper in the hills. I would like to explore the other sites in the area, but reportage on that will have to wait for another time.
