Vallecito Mountain - A Challenging Climb Near Taos, New Mexico

Vallecito Mountain (12,652') is No. 14 on the New Mexico elevation list. It is part of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness and westernmost member of the large massif of peaks connected to that mountain. Many people in Taos, especially tourists, confuse either Pueblo Peak or Vallecito Mountain for Wheeler Peak, which is actually much further into the mountains and not visible from the city. "Vallecito" is Spanish for "little valley", though it's not clear which little valley the mountain takes its name from. "El Salto del Agua" means "the water jump" in Spanish, and presumably refers to the popular waterfall north of the Canoncito trailhead. I think it would be funny if this mountain was renamed "Lomo Saltado" after the land grant, as this is also the name of a popular and delicious Peruvian dish. I somewhat regret not summiting South Fork Peak, which is 11,989' in elevation and the 37th-highest ranked peak in New Mexico.

Vallecito Mountain is contained inside the Wheeler Peak Wilderness, which includes its namesake peak. The Wheeler Peak Wilderness is nearly contiguous with the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness - the two are separated by NM-150 heading towards Taos Ski Valley and the pipelines that run through Bull-of-the-Woods pasture to the West Fork of the Red River. The Wheeler Peak Wilderness is not very large by western standards, and it sees a lot of visitation, but the western side, where Vallecito Mountain is located, is essentially untouched by trails, aside from these mysterious unexpected routes.

Other videos in the area:

   • Scrambling at Taos Ski Valley || LAKE FORK...  

   • Alone on New Mexico's Highest Mountain at ...  

   • Traversing New Mexico's High Country - Gol...  

Music by me - "Vallecito"


0:00 - intro sequence
0:33 - about the hike
3:40 - hiking on the trail
7:03 - crossing onto forest service land
11:34 - heading off-trail
13:32 - surprise back on-trail
14:51 - at the saddle
15:47 - above treeline
18:29 - at the summit
20:25 - views
21:25 - heading down