Nogal - White Mountain Wilderness - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Nogal - White Mountain Wilderness
Country:	United States
State:	New Mexico
Nearby Town:	Nogal
Rating:
Directions:	Take US 70 into Ruidoso. Follow NM 37 North to Nogal. Take the Forst Road leading West from Nogal and start walking. Essentially head West out of Nogal, and watch for the brown Forest Service trail markers. As soon as you see the first one, take it and stay west. When you cross a large trail intersection, head South. It sounds a lot more complicted than it is.
Total Hike Distance:	21.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Difficult
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	One-Way, Shuttle Hike
Hike Starts:	Nogal
Hike Ends:	Parsons (Ghost Town)
Trails Used:	Few trails used. This trip is mostly old logging roads and game trails.
Backcountry Campsites:	Yes
Backcountry Water Sources:	Streams, Springs
Management:	U.S. Forest Service
Contact Information:	Lincoln National Forest 1101 New York Ave. Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310 (505) 434-7200 http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/
Best Season:	Spring, Summer, Fall
Users:	Hikers, Dogs, Horses
Road Conditions:	Primary Paved Roads, Maintained Gravel or Dirt Roads
Hike Summary:	This trip will run most hikers three days. It begins at Nogal, which is little more than a ghost town, and ends at Parsons, which is the remains of an actual ghost town. Along the way, you'll see mine ruins, elk, deer, turkey, several variants of hawk, and if you get lucky, huge feral hogs. Trail pressure will be nonexistent, and walking is fairly, being mostly on abandoned logging ot mining roads. Many structures remain, giving you a place to shelter in bad weather, and there are plenty more caves and mines. Water is fairly easy to come by, and if nothing else works, look in mines, as many of them are partially flooded. Game animals are abundant, and if you rise early, you can have breakfast with the elk, which aren't the least bit shy. Elevation will rise to over 10,000, so coast dwellers allow a little more time for the trip. There will be spots where you can see over 100 miles in every direction. If you are feeling really frisky, you can turn this into a 6 day hike by continuing on down Three Rivers Canyon, as described in another of my hikes.