Albuquerque

Never mind the emailed directions; here are some..

1. get to I-25 and go North towards Santa Fe. Once
you pass the Tramway exit in Albuq, it will be approx. 16 mi. to the exit you will take.

2. When you see the Hwy 550 exit, turn off and stay in the Right lane up to the stop sign at 550. Turn Right.

3. Proceed about 100-200 yards, and then turn Left.
This will curve back down and follow alongside I-25.

4. Go about about a mile, until you reach a pair of adjascent turnoffs to the Right: the first one is a gravel pit. I think it's called Western Mobile; there will be large gravel trucks coming and going. Take the adjascent turnoff which has a sign saying Sunset Mesa.

5. Go up this paved road about 3/4 - 1 mile. You will be in a new housing development. Take the 2nd Left turn.

6. Follow this street down a hill, curving back around to the right. When it comes to a fork, turn Left. Don't go back up the hill.

7. As you pass the only house on the Left, you will come up to a closed gate. Get out and open it, drive thru and close it again. You are on BLM land now.

8. go down this gravel road about a mile. The road will end in a turnaround loop. Park here and walk over to the gate at the East end of the fenced area.

9. Now, you can either go back to the hillside immediately to your Right. There are rounded river rocks all over the slope and mesa tops here. There will be agates, jasper, chalcedony, quartz, mixed in with all the other stuff. Or..

9b. go Left across the dry stream bed to a dirt two-track and walk down that to your Right until you come to a wash [called arroyo around here] opening between hills at your Left. Go up the wash, or up on the hillsides, or up on the mesa top. Same mixed rounded river rocks here.

good luck. ed