DESCRIPTION:

From its southeastern trailhead, T93 initially follows the bottom of Perk Canyon.  The trail crisscrosses a small stream and, in a small glen with maples, there is a waterfall at mile 2.2 [18” high – but this is New Mexico – take what you can get!].   The trail threads through a mostly mixed conifer and oak corridor and climbs out of the canyon bottom to join T92 near its high point.

USE: Moderate SEASON: Year-round, depending on the weather.

ACCESS:

The upper trail end cannot be reached by car; but T93 can be part of a very nice loop hike as described below.

To access the lower trailhead, in Ruidoso, go 1.3 miles south from Smokey Bear Ranger District Office along New Mexico NM48 to where it turns left at a traffic light. This is the intersection of Mechem and Sudderth Drive. Zero your trip odometer here. Turn right and head west on Sudderth. At mile 0.2 from the traffic light, turn right at a complicated intersection on unsigned Main Road, within view of a 1st National Bank office. At mile 0.5, continue following Main Road as it angles right. At mile 0.7, at the Story Book Cabins sign, turn right on signed, paved Ebarb Drive. At mile 1.0, turn left on signed paved Perk Canyon Drive. At mile 1.5, the road and pavement ends, and there is modest parking and the carsonite sign for T93’

DISTANCES AND ALTITUDES:

A very nice loop hike consists of starting at the lower T93 trailhead (3.0 miles) and returning to the lower T93 trailhead by taking T9 Perk Ridge Trail east to its end at the Forest boundary (1.7 miles) and Thunderbird Drive (0.4 miles) downhill to close the 5.1 mile loop.  The altitude gain is 940 feet.

Hikers who want a gentle, pleasant hike may wish to hike up Perk Canyon and return by the same path.  The gradient averages about 4% all the way to the glen with maples at mile 2.2.