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The Crags
Rick Bradshaw following the 3rd pitch of Sun Devil
Getting There: Get on the Santa Fe Bypass route (Veterans Memorial Hiway 599) either from I-25 south of Santa Fe or off of Saint Frances Drive NW of Santa Fe. Exit onto Camino La Tierra heading west toward the Rio Grande, setting your odometer to 0 at the turnoff. After 3.8 miles the pavement ends and the road continues on a reasonably well maintained dirt road. At 7.7 miles you'll pass a windmill painted like a daisey on your left as you follow the main Diablo wash toward the river. At 12.2 miles you should reach the first turn off into the Diablo parking area. The canyon is clearly visible beyond. 2WD vehicals make it there all the time. They get stuck in the sand or mud on their way out at a somewhat less frequency.
Watch out for rattlesnakes basking and tarantulas looking for mates in the middle of the road. This is their home we're visiting, please give them the right of way.
From the parking area, it is possible to drive into the main Diablo wash by crossing a cattle gaurd at the near end of the parking area. This will get you closer to the climbs and add a significant amount of risk to your day. First, flash floods can, and have taken cars parked in the arroyo down the wash and smashed them into the waiting boulders below Sun Devil. In most cases, it isn't even raining in the canyon when you hear water approaching about 30 seconds before it arrives. That is the amount of warning you may have. Second, if you take a 2WD vehical into the wash you'll have about a 20% chance of getting it out without assistance. Third, rocks can fall from high on the Sun Devil Wall and make it all the way to your car. But, what the heck it'll save you 5 minutes of walking.