The Mustang

Issue date: 3/11/05 Section: Student Life

Media Credit: DeAnna Smith Students Will Blanchard, Rory Deubel, and Jeff Ubinger enjoy time off at the Gila River last September.

Ahhh...Spring break is a luxurious week for teachers and students alike to sit back and relax or party non-stop. Students often travel far and wide, some to hot spots such as Miami Beach, Florida and Cancun Mex. However, what about you students who do not have the opportunity, money, or resources to leave life in Silver City? No fear, there are other options. The glorious beauties of NM are abundant and offer students both an affordable and opportune alternative. There is something for everyone to enjoy. For example, in just a two hour travel period there is The Gila National Cliff Dwelling Monument and The Catwalk National Scenic Trail. Other popular, nearby attractions include: The City of Rocks State Park, Fort Bayard, the town of Mogollon, and the scenic 93 mile trail of the scenic byway.

Students interested in hiking can endure either The Gila National Cliff Dwelling Monument or the Catwalk National Scenic Trail. The Cliff Dwelling is only 44 miles from Silver City; however, it takes two hours due to winding and twisting mountain terrain. In order to get there the State Highway 15 north through Pinos Altos and into the Gila National Forest can be taken, or the longer but easier to travel NM State Highway 35 through Mimbres. Gila National Monument presents a quick look at the homes and lives of the people of the Mogollon culture who inhabited the Gila Wilderness from the 1280's through the early 1300's. The Cliff Dwellings are opened Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day from 8am to 6pm, the rest of the year they are open from 9am. to 4pm. Daily tours are offered at 11am. and 2pm and are included in the entrance fee.

The Catwalk National Scenic Trail, on the other hand, is only five miles from Glenwood (which is about an hour north of Silver City on Highway 180) at the end of the NM Highway 174. The Catwalk, which is the result of cataclysmic volcanic activity, offers a peek into the geological and historic foundations of Grant County.

The Catwalk now offers a wonderful picnic location near Whitewater Creek, as well a difficult one mile hike along the waterway that was mined in the 1890s. The first part of the trail is relatively easy and leads to beautiful hidden pools and waterfalls. The trail does, however, get progressively worse the further it goes. The Catwalk Recreation area is a day-use area; therefore, it is open from sunrise to sunset. A parking fee is $3 per vehicle and is paid at a self-pay station in the parking lot.

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