Heart Attack Canyon Lincoln National Forest

As the name indicates, Heart Attack Canyon is no joke! I went to Cloudcroft, NM a few weeks ago to get out of the desert heat and enjoy some time in the Lincoln National Forest. I ran the Bluff Springs, Willie White and Wills Canyon trails that you can read about in my last post. Several years ago I ran the Rim Trail that mostly parallels the Sunspot Scenic Byway and noticed a sign pointing the way to Heart Attack Canyon. I became very intrigued by this side trail and thought to myself —how hard could it be? Well, I went back to find out.

To reach the trailhead, I parked my car off of the scenic road on Atkinson Canyon Rd (first right past Upper Rio Peñasco Rd). I ran one mile to reach Atkinson Field where there is a corral and some cattle pastures. I had a hard time finding the Rim Trail (T105) because of all the fencing and cattle gates, but used my Avenza Maps App to help find my way. Once I was on the Rim trail I found the junction for Atkinson Field Trail (T111). 

Atkinson Field Rd

I started down this gnarly rocky trail which became very steep in just a short while. Soon I was in a badly eroded creek bed and wasn’t even sure I was on the correct path. A look at my map app showed that I was on the right track though. I couldn’t run at all because the route was so steep and technical with a lot of tree cover and brush lining the creek bed. Dry leaves covered the boulders, rocks, sticks and other tripping hazards which made the descent really tough. After 1.5 miles I reached a “T” where I turned left onto Alamo Peak Trail (T109). If you turn right the trail takes you to Alamo Peak where there once was a fire lookout tower but is now occupied by a US Air Force telemetry antenna.

Alamo Peak Trail

This trail was mostly smooth and flat with a few eroded sections. In a short while I reached West Side Rd (FR90), a wide well maintained dirt road, where I turned left. I didn’t think the forest road would be very interesting or difficult to run, but I was mistaken. The views of the gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument and the rugged canyons of the Sacramento Escarpment were exceptional. Several years ago I ran a 50K race with almost 9000’ of elevation gain from Dog Canyon (Oliver Lee State Park, NM) up the escarpment ending in Cloudcroft, NM. 

Read: Cactus to Cloud 50K

Westside Rd (FR90)

The forest road was mostly uphill so I alternated between a walk and run on this stretch.  Finally I reached my destination; Heart Attack Canyon Trail (T235). I could have run this route in a clockwise loop descending Heart Attack, but that sounded like cheating so I made sure to ascend it to see if its namesake was all it was cracked up to be. I didn’t waste any time and started up the mountain. 

The first part was an eroded gully of smooth red dirt and very steep. The trail leveled off a little bit and followed the contour of the mountain, but before long, I was climbing straight up on a rocky path. It was really hot at this point and I had to stop frequently to catch my breath. My heart was beating out of chest and all I could think about was how many poor souls actually had a heart attack trying to climb this damn mountain! Nevertheless, I chipped away at the trail slowly and steadily. 

Heart Attack Canyon Trail

I hadn’t seen a single person all day and knew why when I neared the top of the trail. It became even steeper so I had to completely stop to rest in the shade a few times. The National Forest Service lists this trail's usage as “Light”. In other words, no one in their right mind hikes it. Anyway, after much sweat and toil I reached the top and was greeted by a grassy meadow with some huge shade trees. After a short rest, I picked up the Rim trail and headed North.

View from Rim Trail, White Sands on the desert floor

I thought my climbing was over, but I started to ascend again right away. My water was running low at this point, but I knew my run would be over in a few miles. I reached the top of the mountain where there was an excellent vista looking down to the desert floor below. The gypsum dunes, a remnant of an ancient sea, were unmistakable. I continued running through the forest and eventually reached Atkinson Field where I ran down the road to reach my car. The total mileage was almost 11 miles with 2700’ of ascent. It was a tough loop, but very well worth the effort and I didn’t suffer a heart attack even though it felt like it at times.

Westside Rd as seen from the Rim Trail

See you on the trail.