Santa Fe Baldy
Santa Fe Baldy rises in the Pecos Wilderness within the Santa Fe National Forest, on the water divide between the Rio Grande and the Pecos River. The western slopes are drained by the Rio Capulin and the Rio Nambe, both flowing to the Rio Grande. The eastern side of the mountain consists of two small cirques, one containing Lake Katherine, one of the highest lakes in New Mexico at elevation 11,745 feet (3,580 m). Contrary to popular belief, Lake Katherine was not given its name by theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, in reference to his wife Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer. This naming convention predates their meeting by at least a decade, and the lake is instead named after Katherine Chaves Page Kavanaugh, owner of the Los Pinos Guest Ranch on the Pecos River. The attribution of the name to J. Robert Oppenheimer may be influenced by his known connection to Katherine Chaves Page Kavanaugh, as he was a frequent guest at the Ranch.
The peak is accessed by Trail 251, the Skyline Trail, which climbs to a saddle about 1,000 feet (300 m) below the summit; the remaining distance is covered by a steep unofficial trail along the ridgeline. Under good conditions the summit is a simple "walk-up" climb, but the Sangre de Cristos are unusually prone to lightning, and during the summer months, the wise hiker is off Santa Fe Baldy and other high summits in the range by noon, to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.
Nearby peaks include Lake Peak, 12,409 feet (3,782 m) and Tesuque Peak, 12,043 feet (3,671 m), both located about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south of Santa Fe Baldy. Santa Fe Ski Basin is on the western slopes of Tesuque Peak.
On 11 June 2009, Santa Fe Baldy was the scene of a helicopter accident that claimed the lives of New Mexico State Police Sergeant Andrew Tingwall and University of New Mexico graduate student Megumi Yamamoto. The helicopter crashed after Tingwall rescued Yamamoto. Yamamoto had been hiking with her boyfriend, but had become lost.
Climate
Climate data for Santa Fe Baldy 35.8323 N, 105.7583 W, Elevation: 12,172 ft (3,710 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.7 (−1.3) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
35.7 (2.1) |
40.7 (4.8) |
49.3 (9.6) |
61.0 (16.1) |
63.1 (17.3) |
60.7 (15.9) |
55.7 (13.2) |
46.1 (7.8) |
37.2 (2.9) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
45.0 (7.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.4 (−7.0) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
37.8 (3.2) |
48.3 (9.1) |
51.2 (10.7) |
49.6 (9.8) |
44.8 (7.1) |
35.6 (2.0) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
33.9 (1.1) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.1 (−12.7) |
8.9 (−12.8) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
17.7 (−7.9) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
35.7 (2.1) |
39.3 (4.1) |
38.5 (3.6) |
33.8 (1.0) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
9.8 (−12.3) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.21 (82) |
3.01 (76) |
3.36 (85) |
3.19 (81) |
1.95 (50) |
1.91 (49) |
4.35 (110) |
4.08 (104) |
2.94 (75) |
2.76 (70) |
2.79 (71) |
3.39 (86) |
36.94 (939) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group |
Gallery
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With fresh snow, January 2010
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From Truchas Peak, with Pecos Baldy in the foreground
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Looking down on Lake Katherine from near the peak of Santa Fe Baldy
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Looking north-northeast from the switch-backed section of the trail to Lake Katherine summit