Magdalena Mountains: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox mountain range |
{{Infobox mountain range |
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| name=Magdalena Mountains |
| name=Magdalena Mountains |
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| photo=MagdalenaMtns SawmillCanyon.jpg |
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| photo=11 - Landscape, US Rte 60, West of Socorro, NM 3-Jan-2010.JPG |
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| photo_caption=The view looking southwest at Sawmill Canyon, near the Langmuir Research Site in the Magdalena Mountains. |
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| photo_size= |
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| photo_caption=Magdalena Mountains seen from about 10 miles to the east along U.S. Route 60. |
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| country=United States |
| country=United States |
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| state=New Mexico |
| state=New Mexico |
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| map_caption=Location of the Magdalena Mountains within New Mexico |
| map_caption=Location of the Magdalena Mountains within New Mexico |
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}} |
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| ⚫ | The '''Magdalena Mountains''' are a |
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[[File:SunriseOverMagdalenaRidge.jpg|thumb|left|Sunrise over the Magdalenas, near the [[Magdalena Ridge Observatory]] (MRO). Photo: MRO]] |
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The Magdalena Mountains are an east-tilted [[fault-block mountain|fault-block]] range, superimposed on [[Cenozoic]] [[caldera]]s. They form part of the western edge of the [[Rio Grande Rift]] Valley, fronting the La Jencia Basin. Much mining activity, involving gold, silver, zinc and lead, occurred on the west side of the range between 1866 and 1960.<ref name="butterfield_greene"/> The mines in the vicinity are particularly well known for museum-quality specimens of the zinc carbonate mineral [[Smithsonite]]. |
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| ⚫ | The '''Magdalena Mountains''' are a regionally high, mountain range in [[Socorro County, New Mexico|Socorro County]], in west-central [[New Mexico]] in the southwestern [[United States]]. The highest point in the range is [[South Baldy (New Mexico)|South Baldy]], at 10,783 ft (3,287 m), which is also the tallest peak in [[Socorro County, New Mexico|Socorro County]]. The range runs roughly north-south and is about 18 miles (28 km) long. The range lies just south of the community of [[Magdalena, New Mexico|Magdalena]], and about 18 miles (28 km) west of [[Socorro, New Mexico|Socorro]]. The Magdalena Mountains are an east-tilted [[fault-block mountain|fault-block]] range, superimposed on [[Cenozoic]] [[caldera]]s. The complex geologic history of the range has resulted in spectacular scenery, with unusual and eye-catching rock formations. They form part of the western edge of the [[Rio Grande Rift]] Valley, fronting the La Jencia Basin. The mountains remain isolated and natural due to the absence of any significant human development within or near the range. |
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Most of the Magdalena Mountains are within the Magdalena Ranger District of the [[Cibola National Forest]], and parts are also administered by the [[Bureau of Land Management]]. There are no designated [[wilderness area]]s in the range, but there are sizeable (up to approximately 35,000 acre) roadless areas featuring trails and abundant [[hiking]] opportunities. There are two Wilderness Study Areas in the southern end of the range.<ref name="butterfield_greene"/><ref name="nmwild">[http://www.nmwild.org/places/highlands/magdalena Magdalena Mountains at the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance]</ref> At the southern end of the main range crest, just south of South Baldy, lies the [[Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research]] of the [[New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology]] ([[New Mexico Tech]]). The same area hosts the [[Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer]], also operated by New Mexico Tech, along with other institutions. A well-established network of trails exists in the Magdalena Mountains. GPS tracks of many hikes, trail runs, and mountain biking routes can be found at the [http://www.ees.nmt.edu/orecn NMT Earth and Environmental Science Department Outdoor Recreation web page] and in the [http://www.socorro.com/fattire/trails.html Socorro Area Fat Tire Guide]. |
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The range takes its name from a [[volcanic]] peak on the west side, named Magdalena Peak, after [[Mary Magdalene]]. A talus formation and shrub growth on the east slope of Magdalena Peak is said to resemble a woman's face.<ref name="butterfield_greene">Butterfield, Mike, and Greene, Peter, ''Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico'', New Mexico Magazine Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-937206-88-1</ref> According to Julyan’s ''Place Names of New Mexico'', one legend about the mountain purports that “a group of Mexicans were besieged by Apaches on the mountain, when the face of Mary Magdalene miraculously appeared, frightening the Indians away.”<ref>{{cite book|last=Julyan|first=Robert|title=The Place Names of New Mexico|year=1996|publisher=University of New Mexico Press}}</ref> |
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==Management== |
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Most of the Magdalena Mountains are within the Magdalena Ranger District of the [[Cibola National Forest]], and parts are also administered by the [[Bureau of Land Management]]. While there are no designated [[Wilderness area]]s in the range, the Ryan Hill Inventoried Roadless Area is sizeable (up to approximately 35,000 acre). In 1980, Public Law 96-550 established Langmuir Research Site in the Magdalena Mountains. Congress found the mountains uniquely suited for atmospheric and astronomical research which has been conducted at Langmuir Laboratory near South Baldy since the mid 1960's. The Act designated a 31,000 acre portion of the mountain as essentially roadless, but not wilderness. There is overlap between the Ryan Hill IRA and the congressionally designated Langmuir Research Site management area. The Devil’s Backbone and Devil’s Reach Wilderness Study Areas, located in the southern end of the range, are managed by the BLM.<ref name="butterfield_greene"/><ref name="nmwild">[http://www.nmwild.org/places/highlands/magdalena Magdalena Mountains at the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance]</ref> The Forest Service and BLM roadless areas within the Magdalena Mountains combine to be 59,278-acres. |
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[[File:MRO Panorama 2-23-2005.jpg|thumb|center|upright=2.0|The panoramic view from the Langmuir Research Site on South Baldy Peak. Photo: Magdalena Ridge Observatory]] |
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==Recreation== |
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A well-established network of trails exists in the Magdalena Mountains, providing adundant hiking, backpacking, hunting, horseback-riding, and stargazing opportunities. The Forest Service notes that there are over 60 miles of trails in the Magdalenas. Over half of the trails are in the Ryan Hill Inventoried Roadless Area. |
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[[File:Magdalenas TimberPeakTrail.jpg|thumb|left|Looking southwest at the Rio Grande Valley from a high ridgeline along the Timber Peak Trail within the Magdalena Mountains.]] |
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GPS tracks of many hikes, trail runs, and mountain biking routes can be found at the [http://www.ees.nmt.edu/orecn NMT Earth and Environmental Science Department Outdoor Recreation web page] and in the [http://www.socorro.com/fattire/trails.html Socorro Area Fat Tire Guide]. Additionally, the Water Canyon Campground is a developed campsite located at 6,800 ft elevation in the Magdalenas. |
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Significant summits include:<ref name="listsofjohn">[http://www.listsofjohn.com/NewMexico/NM.php NM peaks on Lists of John]</ref> |
Significant summits include:<ref name="listsofjohn">[http://www.listsofjohn.com/NewMexico/NM.php NM peaks on Lists of John]</ref> |
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|align=right|625 |
|align=right|625 |
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==Scientific Research== |
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At the southern end of the main range crest, just south of South Baldy, lies the [[Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research]] of the [[New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology]] (New Mexico Tech). The Langmuir’s location in the Magdalena Mountains was chosen “because thunderstorms are initiated by the mountains and the storms are often isolated, stationary, and relatively small” and occur with high frequency. Visiting scientists at Langmuir also study bats, hummingbirds, butterflies and plant life in the area.<ref>{{cite web|last=Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research|title=1977 Lab Brochure|url=http://langmuir.nmt.edu/about/1977-lab-brochure|publisher=New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology}}</ref> The same area hosts the [[Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer]], also operated by New Mexico Tech, along with other institutions. |
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[[File:MRO NightSky.jpg|thumb|The spectacular night sky behing the Magdalena Ridge Observatory's (MRO) 2.4m telescope building. Photo: MRO]] |
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==History== |
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The history of the Magdalena Mountains is intimately linked with the rich history of the surrounding area. Basham (2011) noted in his report documenting the archeological history of the Cibola’s Magdalena Ranger District that “[t]he heritage resources on the district are diverse and representative of nearly every prominent human evolutionary event known to anthropology. Evidence for human use of district lands date back 14,000 years to the [[Paleoindian]] period providing glimpses into the peopling of the [[New World]] and [[Megafauna#Megafaunal mass extinctions|megafaunal extinction]].“<ref name=Basham>{{cite book|last=Basham|first=M.|title=Magdalena Ranger District Background for Survey|year=2011|publisher=US Forest Service}}</ref> |
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Much of the now Magdalena Ranger District was a province of the [[Apache]]. Bands of Apache effectively controlled the Magdalena-Datil region from the seventeenth century until they were defeated in the [[Apache Wars]] in the late nineteenth century.<ref name="Basham" /> |
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A mining rush followed the Apache wars – gold, silver, and copper were found in the mountains. While miners combed the mountains for mineral riches during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, stockmen drove tens of thousands of sheep and cattle to stockyards at the village of Magdalena, then linked by rail with Socorro.<ref>{{cite book|last=Julyan|first=Robert|title=The Mountains of New Mexico|year=2006|publisher=University of New Mexico Press}}</ref> In fact, the last regularly used cattle trail in the United States stretched 125 miles westward from Magdalena. The route was formally known as the Magdalena Livestock Driveway, but more popularly known to cowboys and cattlemen as the Beefsteak Trail. The trail began use in 1865 and its peak was in 1919. The trail was used continually until trailing gave way to trucking and the trail official closed in 1971.<ref name="Basham" /> |
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==Ecology== |
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[[File:Magdalena Mtns Aspens.jpg|thumb|left|A stand of aspen within the Magdalena Mountains.]] |
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The Magdalena Mountains contain a wide variety of vegetation types, including scrubland, pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine forest, spruce-fir forest, grassland, and riparian areas. At lower elevations, grasses include black and sideoats grama, poverty threeawn, fluffgrass, burrograss, and galleta grass. Higher up, grass species include blue and hairy grama, little blue stem, and Arizona fescue. Shrubs that are mixed in the grasslands include sotol, cholla, yucca, Apache plume, mountain mahogany, shrub live-oak, gambel oak, and alligator juniper. |
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[[File:Site of Kelly, NM.jpg|thumb|Magdalena Mountains and blooming [[Ericameria|chamisa]] at site of [[Kelly, New Mexico]].]] |
[[File:Site of Kelly, NM.jpg|thumb|Magdalena Mountains and blooming [[Ericameria|chamisa]] at site of [[Kelly, New Mexico]].]] |
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The range of habitat areas available is reflected by the variety of wildlife in the area. The mountains are home to mountain lions, black bears, pronghorns, mule deer, coyotes, red and grey foxes, bald and golden eagles, prairie falcons, kestrel, and Mearn’s quail. Additionally, several thousand acres of [[Mexican Spotted Owl]] critical habitat lie within the range. The Magdalenas provide important habitat and an east-west movement corridor for mountain lions, and the area is considered important for species movement across the landscape.<ref>{{cite book|last=Menke|first=K.|title=Locating Potential Cougar (Puma concolor) Corridors in New Mexico Using a Least-Cost Path Corridor GIS Analysis|year=2008|url=http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/conservation/share_with_wildlife/documents/SwW08Menke.pdf}}</ref> [[The Nature Conservancy]] identified the Magdalena Mountains as part of a key conservation area due to their ecosystem diversity and species richness.<ref>{{cite book|last=The Nature Conservancy|title=Chapter 10: Ecological & Biological Diversity of the Cibola National Forest, Mountain Districts in Ecological and Biological Diversity of National Forests in Region 3|year=2004|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r3/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fsbdev3_022067}}</ref> |
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{{Gallery |
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|title=Wildlife in the Magdalena Mountains |
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|align=center |
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|width=160 |
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|height=130 |
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|lines=6 |
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|File:Pronghorn - Magdelena Background.JPG|A pronghorn herd standing in front of the Magdalena Mountains. |
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|File:mule_deer_fawn_in_snow.jpg|A mule deer fawn in the snow. Photo: US Forest Service. |
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|File:MountainLion OnMtTaylor USFS.Jpg|A mountain lion in the [[Cibola National Forest]]. Photo: US Forest Service. |
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|File:Kaibab Elk.jpg|The Magdalena Mountains are home to elk. Photo: US Forest Service. |
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|File:Bear on MtTaylor USFS.jpg|A black bear in [[Cibola National Forest]]. Photo: US Forest Service. |
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}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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==External Links== |
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*[http://www.nmt.edu/ New Mexico Tech] |
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*[http://www.mro.nmt.edu/ Magdalena Ridge Observatory] |
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*[http://langmuir.nmt.edu/ Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research] |
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*[http://prdp2fs.ess.usda.gov/detail/cibola/about-forest/districts/?cid=fsbdev3_065703 Cibola National Forest, Magdalena Ranger District] |
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[[Category:Mountain ranges of New Mexico]] |
[[Category:Mountain ranges of New Mexico]] |
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Revision as of 18:03, 6 August 2013
| Magdalena Mountains | |
|---|---|
 The view looking southwest at Sawmill Canyon, near the Langmuir Research Site in the Magdalena Mountains. | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | South Baldy |
| Elevation | 10,783 ft (3,287 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 18 mi (29 km) North-South |
| Geography | |
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| |
| Land | Vereinigte Staaten |
| State | New Mexico |
The Magdalena Mountains are a regionally high, mountain range in Socorro County, in west-central New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The highest point in the range is South Baldy, at 10,783 ft (3,287 m), which is also the tallest peak in Socorro County. The range runs roughly north-south and is about 18 miles (28 km) long. The range lies just south of the community of Magdalena, and about 18 miles (28 km) west of Socorro. The Magdalena Mountains are an east-tilted fault-block range, superimposed on Cenozoic calderas. The complex geologic history of the range has resulted in spectacular scenery, with unusual and eye-catching rock formations. They form part of the western edge of the Rio Grande Rift Valley, fronting the La Jencia Basin. The mountains remain isolated and natural due to the absence of any significant human development within or near the range.
The range takes its name from a volcanic peak on the west side, named Magdalena Peak, after Mary Magdalene. A talus formation and shrub growth on the east slope of Magdalena Peak is said to resemble a woman's face.[1] According to Julyan’s Place Names of New Mexico, one legend about the mountain purports that “a group of Mexicans were besieged by Apaches on the mountain, when the face of Mary Magdalene miraculously appeared, frightening the Indians away.”[2]
Management
Most of the Magdalena Mountains are within the Magdalena Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest, and parts are also administered by the Bureau of Land Management. While there are no designated Wilderness areas in the range, the Ryan Hill Inventoried Roadless Area is sizeable (up to approximately 35,000 acre). In 1980, Public Law 96-550 established Langmuir Research Site in the Magdalena Mountains. Congress found the mountains uniquely suited for atmospheric and astronomical research which has been conducted at Langmuir Laboratory near South Baldy since the mid 1960's. The Act designated a 31,000 acre portion of the mountain as essentially roadless, but not wilderness. There is overlap between the Ryan Hill IRA and the congressionally designated Langmuir Research Site management area. The Devil’s Backbone and Devil’s Reach Wilderness Study Areas, located in the southern end of the range, are managed by the BLM.[1][3] The Forest Service and BLM roadless areas within the Magdalena Mountains combine to be 59,278-acres.
Recreation
A well-established network of trails exists in the Magdalena Mountains, providing adundant hiking, backpacking, hunting, horseback-riding, and stargazing opportunities. The Forest Service notes that there are over 60 miles of trails in the Magdalenas. Over half of the trails are in the Ryan Hill Inventoried Roadless Area.
GPS tracks of many hikes, trail runs, and mountain biking routes can be found at the NMT Earth and Environmental Science Department Outdoor Recreation web page and in the Socorro Area Fat Tire Guide. Additionally, the Water Canyon Campground is a developed campsite located at 6,800 ft elevation in the Magdalenas.
Significant summits include:[4]
| Mountain | Height (ft) | Height (m) | Coordinates | Prominence (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Baldy | 10,783 | 3,287 | 33°59′29″N 107°11′17″W / 33.9913°N 107.1880°W | 3,813 |
| Timber Peak | 10,510 | 3,203 | 33°58′44″N 107°09′37″W / 33.9790°N 107.1603°W | 650 |
| North Baldy | 9,858 | 3,005 | 34°03′01″N 107°10′53″W / 34.0503°N 107.1813°W | 554 |
| Buck Peak | 9,085 | 2,769 | 33°58′58″N 107°07′51″W / 33.9827°N 107.1307°W | 625 |
Scientific Research
At the southern end of the main range crest, just south of South Baldy, lies the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech). The Langmuir’s location in the Magdalena Mountains was chosen “because thunderstorms are initiated by the mountains and the storms are often isolated, stationary, and relatively small” and occur with high frequency. Visiting scientists at Langmuir also study bats, hummingbirds, butterflies and plant life in the area.[5] The same area hosts the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer, also operated by New Mexico Tech, along with other institutions.
History
The history of the Magdalena Mountains is intimately linked with the rich history of the surrounding area. Basham (2011) noted in his report documenting the archeological history of the Cibola’s Magdalena Ranger District that “[t]he heritage resources on the district are diverse and representative of nearly every prominent human evolutionary event known to anthropology. Evidence for human use of district lands date back 14,000 years to the Paleoindian period providing glimpses into the peopling of the New World and megafaunal extinction.“[6] Much of the now Magdalena Ranger District was a province of the Apache. Bands of Apache effectively controlled the Magdalena-Datil region from the seventeenth century until they were defeated in the Apache Wars in the late nineteenth century.[6]
A mining rush followed the Apache wars – gold, silver, and copper were found in the mountains. While miners combed the mountains for mineral riches during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, stockmen drove tens of thousands of sheep and cattle to stockyards at the village of Magdalena, then linked by rail with Socorro.[7] In fact, the last regularly used cattle trail in the United States stretched 125 miles westward from Magdalena. The route was formally known as the Magdalena Livestock Driveway, but more popularly known to cowboys and cattlemen as the Beefsteak Trail. The trail began use in 1865 and its peak was in 1919. The trail was used continually until trailing gave way to trucking and the trail official closed in 1971.[6]
Ecology
The Magdalena Mountains contain a wide variety of vegetation types, including scrubland, pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine forest, spruce-fir forest, grassland, and riparian areas. At lower elevations, grasses include black and sideoats grama, poverty threeawn, fluffgrass, burrograss, and galleta grass. Higher up, grass species include blue and hairy grama, little blue stem, and Arizona fescue. Shrubs that are mixed in the grasslands include sotol, cholla, yucca, Apache plume, mountain mahogany, shrub live-oak, gambel oak, and alligator juniper.
The range of habitat areas available is reflected by the variety of wildlife in the area. The mountains are home to mountain lions, black bears, pronghorns, mule deer, coyotes, red and grey foxes, bald and golden eagles, prairie falcons, kestrel, and Mearn’s quail. Additionally, several thousand acres of Mexican Spotted Owl critical habitat lie within the range. The Magdalenas provide important habitat and an east-west movement corridor for mountain lions, and the area is considered important for species movement across the landscape.[8] The Nature Conservancy identified the Magdalena Mountains as part of a key conservation area due to their ecosystem diversity and species richness.[9]
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A pronghorn herd standing in front of the Magdalena Mountains. -
A mule deer fawn in the snow. Photo: US Forest Service. -
A mountain lion in the Cibola National Forest. Photo: US Forest Service. -
The Magdalena Mountains are home to elk. Photo: US Forest Service. -
A black bear in Cibola National Forest. Photo: US Forest Service.
References
- ^ a b Butterfield, Mike, and Greene, Peter, Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico, New Mexico Magazine Press, 2006, ISBN 978-0-937206-88-1
- ^ Julyan, Robert (1996). The Place Names of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press.
- ^ Magdalena Mountains at the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance
- ^ NM peaks on Lists of John
- ^ Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research. "1977 Lab Brochure". New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
- ^ a b c Basham, M. (2011). Magdalena Ranger District Background for Survey. US Forest Service.
- ^ Julyan, Robert (2006). The Mountains of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press.
- ^ Menke, K. (2008). Locating Potential Cougar (Puma concolor) Corridors in New Mexico Using a Least-Cost Path Corridor GIS Analysis (PDF).
- ^ The Nature Conservancy (2004). Chapter 10: Ecological & Biological Diversity of the Cibola National Forest, Mountain Districts in Ecological and Biological Diversity of National Forests in Region 3.
External Links
- New Mexico Tech
- Magdalena Ridge Observatory
- Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research
- Cibola National Forest, Magdalena Ranger District
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