Last Staurday (10/30/10) Teri and I went on a run in Bandelier Nat. Monument. Instead of going out and back on the Burnt Mesa Trail, we dropped off the end of the mesa and went down into the slot canyon off the Northeast side of Burnt Mesa. There is no trail off the mesa or in the slot canyon. In the bottom we saw fresh mountain lion tracks in the sand, and just a few yards down canyon found a freshly killed coyote - it was a bit creepy. I guess it's not surprising to know that cougars prey on coyotes - they are probably easier to catch than a deer. Feeling the big cat was watching us from somewhere above, we didn't stick around there long and made our way further down the slot canyon, hoping we could drop into Frijoles Canyon and then run back to Park Headquarters and the parking lot where we had left a second car. When we got to the canyon edge where the slot canyon met Frijoles, it was a water-spout hole with a 200 foot drop to the next level! No way down without ropes.
We climbed out the Northeast side of the slot canyon and looked for another way down.... No luck. We ended up running and hiking along the North rim of Frijoles Canyon and caught the Overlook Trail, then the Frey Trail down to the bottom and the parking lot. Total mileage was about 8 miles. Very fun, and the slot canyon was a true wilderness experience.
