近距离内射合集

Before he sets out into the Gila Wilderness on the southwestern edge of New Mexico, Grant County Search and Rescue President Russ Imler always does his best to determine where the water is 鈥� and where it won鈥檛 be.

It鈥檚 an essential calculation to make in the southwestern backcountry, one that he says has become even more of an approximation this year for hikers and backpackers estimating how much water to pack in versus what natural waterways might offer.

As temperatures spike this summer and the year鈥檚 meager spring snowmelt tapers to a trickle, miscalculating by just a few liters can carry serious consequences.

In years past, the Gila River ran a reliable 40 miles through meandering canyon corridor in the state鈥檚 largest national forest. Springs bubbled from hillsides, originating from deep underground aquifers fed by high-mountain snowpack. Even at those higher elevations, creek beds might see water into early summer, giving outdoorists and wildlife alike another place to rehydrate and cool down.

This year has been different, Imler says, marked by a pattern of increasing aridity that鈥檚 dried up ephemeral waters that can serve as lifelines all around the state.

鈥淎 lot of people rely or expect to find water from springs and creeks that are on maps, but sometimes those maps are very old,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen those maps were created, there were springs there that were flowing, and there were creeks that were flowing most of the time. These days, maybe not.鈥�

So far this year, all of Grant County Search and Rescue鈥檚 missions have been tied to overheating and dehydration, two life-threatening dangers that often coalesce.

The rise in calls is at least partly attributable to intensifying drought throughout New Mexico this year on the heels of a second consecutive winter of record-low snowpack.

, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Even as monsoon rains set in this month, pockets of extreme drought extend across northern New Mexico, especially near the Four Corners area.

Many parts of the state hit record-high temperatures this spring, with Albuquerque logging nine consecutive days over its prior heat record of 85 degrees in late March. On June 17, the state鈥檚 largest city also hit its first 100-degree day; cities are nearly always warmer than their surroundings due to a high concentration of heat-absorbing surfaces, like asphalt, and a lack of vegetation.

From 2010 to 2022, , according to the state Environment Department, and officials have issued warnings this year for New Mexicans to find ways to stay cool and well-hydrated.

鈥淎ny outdoor activity from working to hiking and anywhere in between depend on water, rest, and shade for safety under the sun,鈥� said Chelsea Eastman Langer, chief of the New Mexico Department of Health鈥檚 Environmental Epidemiology Bureau. 鈥淗ikers, particularly, should be sure to carry enough water for the entire hike and not rely on being able to filter water along the way.鈥�

Joe Zupan, executive director of Amigos Bravos, said last winter鈥檚 low snowpack has caused the state鈥檚 five main river systems to either dry out or stagnate in many areas, rendering water undrinkable even when using a portable water filter, a potentially life-saving tool experienced backpackers always carry.

鈥淟ast year, we had a pretty bad algae bloom right there on the Rio Grande,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople that were doing river rafting were noticing these thick mats of algae on the river. We鈥檒l probably get that again.鈥�

Based in Taos, Amigos Bravos focuses its water conservation efforts on high-country wetlands and meadows, where Zupan says the finger-like tributaries of the state鈥檚 major waterways have slowed or turned to dust this year due to the low snowpack.

He issued a reminder that humans aren鈥檛 the only living organisms affected by the drought: 鈥淵ou can get some restless animals, too.鈥�

Black bears, for example, are known to wander in response to drought, which limits growth of plants, their primary food source.

Several recent black bear sightings have been reported around New Mexico, with multiple sightings in the town of Taos last week. Black bears were also spotted in Albuquerque鈥檚 Northeast Heights this month and in the northwestern part of the city in early May.

Black bears were declared the official state mammal of New Mexico in 1963 and are often light-brown or cinnamon-colored, according to Valles Caldera National Preserve. A lack of forage for another black bear food source, elk, has also prompted bears to migrate, increasing the odds of encounters with humans and vehicles.

While bear encounters with humans are generally rare, experts advise staying calm, backing away slowly and avoiding direct eye contact. If a bear becomes aggressive, making loud noises, appearing larger than normal or deploying bear spray can prove effective deterrents.

Erratic migration patterns among mammals in the state increase the importance of limiting road construction through wilderness areas, said Shelby Bazan, conservation organizer for New Mexico Wild. The group is currently fighting

鈥淩oadless areas are important to wildlife and birds and migratory corridors, just to make sure that they're unfragmented,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t helps protect their waters.鈥�

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, climate models predict an increased need for water amid dwindling supply. Higher temperatures increase the rate at which water evaporates from soils, plants and surface waters, raising the need for water on irrigated farmland, for example.

鈥淭he combination of more fires and drier conditions may expand deserts and otherwise change parts of New Mexico鈥檚 landscape,鈥� according to the EPA. 鈥淢any plants and animals living in arid lands are already near the limits of what they can tolerate.鈥�

As the resource officer for New Mexico State Police Search and Rescue, Bob Rodgers oversees more than 40 volunteer teams that help locate and rescue people lost or injured in the wilderness each year. Aside from an inadequate supply of water, he said the state鈥檚 varied topography is another common reason outdoorists get into trouble.

鈥淲e鈥檒l get what we call 鈥榝latlanders鈥� from out of state coming here and trying to climb the Sandias,鈥� he said, noting that La Luz Trail has long been a hotspot for search and rescue calls. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l get into elevation sickness, and in summertime, with the heat going up the way it is, we see heat-exhaustion-type issues as well.鈥�

New Mexico search and rescue missions have declined since 1996, according to state data, a statistic Imler attributes to more advanced navigation technology. After water, he said, carrying a GPS system 鈥� even a cellphone 鈥� has become one of the most important tools to bring into the backcountry.

鈥淭he electronics that people carry nowadays, people aren鈥檛 getting as lost,鈥� he said. 鈥淓specially with a Garmin or iPhone alerts, they can find their way pretty well sometimes. I think that鈥檚 led to a serious decline in the call volumes we鈥檝e received.鈥�

But calls for service due to dehydration and overheating remain a significant concern for Grant County and the other volunteer search and rescue teams throughout the state amid this year鈥檚 warmer, drier conditions.

In May, Imler鈥檚 team trekked into the Gila to rescue two men who were overheated and on the verge of dehydration, with no water in sight.

鈥淚 can't tell you the number of hikers that have said to me, you know, 鈥業've hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, or I've hiked the Appalachian Trail, and I thought this would be the same,鈥� and it is not down here,鈥� Imler said. 鈥淭here are certain areas down here that will take you four or five days, depending on weather and river crossings, just to get where you鈥檙e going and see some civilization.鈥�

John Miller is the 近距离内射合集鈥檚 northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.