Flying R Ranch/Guajalote Flat Loop - FR 4695 - 4695A

This loop trail is accessed through a closed gate. There are private ranches along the trail, and it is imperative that travelers close all gates securely behind them. After the second gate, and beside a well-maintained ranch house, we met an elderly cowboy who stopped to chat, toothlessly thanked us for closing the gate, and advised us that the road ahead was not difficult. We passed a flock of wild turkeys and began the narrow tree-lined trail; pinstriping is to be expected. While the trail was winding, dusty, and rocky in sections, it was not difficult, though there were a few steep inclines and declines until the forest cleared and the landscape changed to grassland. We chose to drive in low range for the more difficult stretches of the trail. At the top of the trail, we found an excellent campsite with views across the mountains, inhabited by thirsty bees. Dropping down from the grassland, we again entered the forested area, and a well-traveled gravel road completed the loop. No facilities such as trash, water, or ablutions.