#6: [04-Oct-15]

#5: [07-Feb-15]

#4: [10-Oct-11]

#3: [26-Dec-08]

#1: [04-Jul-00]

#7: [19-Nov-16] (incomplete)

21-Jul-2000 -- I left Albuquerque heading West on I-40 toward exit #140. After being stuck in traffic for twenty minutes, (I completely forgot about the massive reconstruction project going on till 2002) it was a quick 25-mile drive out to the town of Rio Puerco.

To reach the confluence, I took exit 140 and headed south. On the south end is a Stuckey's station. At the station is a one-lane dirt road that stretches to the west paralleling eastbound I-40. At the top of a hill, the road turns left and south and is fronted by a rather imposing "No Trespassing" sign (see photo below). The confluence is on the tribal land of the Laguna Pueblo, but this was no match for a confluence hunter.

The road then winds down south for about 3 - 5 miles, passing by two homes and stopping at what seemed to be an abandoned farm (see photo). At this point I almost gave up, because the road stretched out more but was blocked by a barbed wire fence. On one side of the fence was a corral with its gates open (luck or another confluence hunter perhaps?) which allowed me to bypass the fence and start hiking the 2 miles or so toward the confluence.

35N 106.995W is home to a very large shade tree with fallen branches that serve as a nice place to rest for a moment. This tree had a dead branch that snagged my shirt which tore up the back, causing the first casualty of 35N 107W.

Apparently I underestimated my maps and had not taken enough water; I finished off my last bottle just outside of the confluence. Beginning to dehydrate, I reached the confluence and took the pictures as shown below. 35N 107W is up on a hill overlooking my entire hike route in an open clearing of sagebrush and cactus.

Nearby was the blocked dirt road which I was able to follow all the way back to the fence and corral. I probably would have died of thirst and been eaten alive by the wandering cows if I hadn't found this shortcut back to my car.

In the Laguna Indian Reservation.