Hiking The Lateral

THURSDAY. Albuquerque is honeycombed with a sophisticated system of storm water drainage canals and arroyos. Just two short blocks from our house, hidden far from traffic, the Griegos Lateral winds alongside farms and private residences, ultimately intersecting a larger riverside canal and the Rio Grande.


The most important feature of the Griegos Lateral, other than the obvious--flood protection and the capability of carrying enormous amounts of storm water away from city streets--is the trail that parallels the canal through the North Valley. Unlike some of Albuquerque's canals, this one is picturesque and bucolic. Well known to neighborhood dog-lovers, the Griegos Lateral is THE place to walk dogs off lead. Whether or not this conforms to city ordinances remains to be seen. Throwing caution to the wind, however, we've joined the neighbors and have become daily Lateral walkers.

It's a short hop from our front door to the Lateral, and Murphy already knows the way. He's eager to go for walks these days, now that we've discovered this marvelous trail. Cows greet us at the edge of the Lateral. (The sign is most helpful for those whose bovine identification skills are weak.)

The trail cuts through the largest farm in the North Valley. At the perimeter of the farm, we climb through a large opening in a fence that keeps horses and cows inside, but allows for human traffic.





As the path winds for two miles through the valley, we enjoy encounters with Rio Grande cottonwoods, bamboo, horses, goats, chickens, dogs, mountain views, falcons, sandhill cranes, geese, and songbirds I have yet to identify.








The Griegos Lateral dried up about a month ago. During the rainy season, water flows fast and deep in these ditches, necessitating flash flood warnings. For the moment, the canals are quiet, empty and dry. When full, the water can be six feet deep, or more.


One of the curiosties we've noticed is a house with a tree growing through the roof.


And then there are the llamas and goats...


Once the riverside drain is in sight, Murphy gets frisky. As we get closer, the sound of swift water is too compelling for our water dog to resist, and he rushes to the stream for his daily dunk. A powerful swimmer, Murphy makes easy work of the strong currents.



Bark softly, but carry a big stick...


We're reaping the benefits of our daily four mile hikes. Murphy sleeps for hours after his walks. I find these daily Constitutionals clear my head and elevate my mood like nothing else.

Hope you enjoyed walking the Griegos Lateral with us. It's hard to believe this trail is within the city limits. Ain't life grand?