Apache Kid Peak via Cold Spring Trail in Cibola National Forest, NM

Hike Apache Kid Peak via Cold Spring Trail Cibola National Forest, NM

Class 2 12.8 miles 4100 gain 6-8 hrs Out + Back Oct 10, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Apache Kid Peak via Cold Spring Trail GPX Track

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A 2020 fire may have burned the ridgeline leading to Apache Kid Peak. Although that section was not heavily forested (until the last bit to the summit), I don't know the current conditions due to the fire.

Without any information regarding the trail system in the San Mateo Mountains and only an old map outlining some trails that lead from the east up to Apache Kid Peak, I was moderately excited to get into the middle of nowhere and expected some bushwhacking on very old trails, and I dragged Austin along with me to this potential sufferfest. The initial goal was to go up the Teepe Trail to Blue Mountain, and come down the Cold Spring Trail to make a pleasant loop, but as you'll find out, nature was having none of it.

Starting from the trailhead, unmarked except by a broken sign hidden in the grass, follow the Cold Spring Trail down into Basin Canyon, where basalt pillars make up the canyon walls – it was really pretty. The trail is overgrown, but fairly easy to follow at this point, and it leads west into a canyon for a few miles. We passed the junction with the Teepe Trail, but the trail itself looked like it was nonexistent, so we opted to skip that leg of our trip (the first of many changes to our plans) and instead just go up to Cyclone Saddle and call it a day. Eventually, the Cold Spring Trail enters a narrower section of canyon and becomes more annoying, and only gets worse from there. We attempted to follow the trail as it skirted the ridgeline, but it had eroded so much that we gave up and decided to nix our plan to get up to Cyclone Saddle (change #2, blue line on the map), instead opting to bushwhack up the ridge in an attempt to summit Apache Kid Peak. The slope is steep and has some bushwhacking, but it was totally reasonable, had nice views, and avoided the likely failure of trying to stay on the Cold Spring Trail. Apache Kid Peak is forested, but does have a summit register with only a few entries. We decided to go back down the ridge we came up, but rather than retrace our steps on the basically nonexistant Cold Spring Trail, we avoided the most annoying bushwhacking and got down into the canyon via the ridge (see map). Overall not the most fun adventure, but we bagged a seldom-visited peak and area, so there's that.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Apache Kid Peak
10048 ft
1114 rise

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Park on the side of the dirt road since there's no official parking area. There was a broken sign marking the start of the Cold Spring Trail.
Park on the side of the dirt road since there's no official parking area. There was a broken sign marking the start of the Cold Spring Trail.
Along the Cold Spring Trail, some nice views into Basin Canyon.
Along the Cold Spring Trail, some nice views into Basin Canyon.
Close-up north into Basin Canyon.
Close-up north into Basin Canyon.
Apache Kid Peak is in the center of this photo. The trail does up the canyon that goes diagonally to the right in the center of this photo.
Apache Kid Peak is in the center of this photo. The trail does up the canyon that goes diagonally to the right in the center of this photo.
Enter the pretty, narrow canyon, the trail starting to get a bit more difficult to follow.
Enter the pretty, narrow canyon, the trail starting to get a bit more difficult to follow.
Lush canyon with sheer volcanic walls on either side.
Lush canyon with sheer volcanic walls on either side.
Image 6 from gallery
Image 7 from gallery
Image 8 from gallery
Meadows within the canyon along the Cold Spring Trail.
Meadows within the canyon along the Cold Spring Trail.
Forested sections on the Cold Spring Trail.
Forested sections on the Cold Spring Trail.
It's mostly just a long walk up a pretty canyon, jumping between forest and meadow, with nice rock walls occasionally appearing on either side.
It's mostly just a long walk up a pretty canyon, jumping between forest and meadow, with nice rock walls occasionally appearing on either side.
Image 12 from gallery
A narrow section along the Cold Spring Trail.
A narrow section along the Cold Spring Trail.
Image 14 from gallery
This photo was taken past the black dot  on the map (blue line on map), but as you can see, there's no trail. I recommend just going up the ridge and not following
This photo was taken past the black dot on the map (blue line on map), but as you can see, there's no trail. I recommend just going up the ridge and not following
Also along the blue line shortly before we gave up and just followed the steep ridgeline.
Also along the blue line shortly before we gave up and just followed the steep ridgeline.
Looking down into the canyon where the Cold Spring Trail came up.
Looking down into the canyon where the Cold Spring Trail came up.
Interesting rock stuff along the ridgeline.
Interesting rock stuff along the ridgeline.
The northern section of the canyon where the Cold Spring Trail apparently would have gone up. Cyclone Saddle is somewhere up there. I preferred the high road to bushwhacking ;)
The northern section of the canyon where the Cold Spring Trail apparently would have gone up. Cyclone Saddle is somewhere up there. I preferred the high road to bushwhacking ;)
Looking back along the ridgeline on the way up to Apache Kid Peak.
Looking back along the ridgeline on the way up to Apache Kid Peak.
Apache Kid Peak ahead.
Apache Kid Peak ahead.
Image 22 from gallery
Image 23 from gallery
Image 24 from gallery
Apache Kid Peak, no views. Totally forested. There was a fairly hidden summit register that had only been signed twice since 1997.
Apache Kid Peak, no views. Totally forested. There was a fairly hidden summit register that had only been signed twice since 1997.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!