I started around 10:40am and got back to the car around 2:50pm. According to my GPS, I walked a grand total of 5.45 miles. I saw no one else on the Rabbit Ridge Road or on top of Rabbit Ridge. The weather held fantastically - no thunderstorms or threat of them for the whole trek.
A few aspens are already showing the beginnings of the fall color change. Shrubs and forbs are already turning yellow and red. Autumn is the most beautiful time of year! There is such a feeling and anticipation of change in the air. It enlivens me and even somewhat saddens me. The sadness comes from knowing that nothing is permanent, including me. The enlivenment is from the joy of seeing another autumn and the beauty of the transformed landscape.
On top of Rabbit Ridge, I heard a breaking branch and saw two elk bolting downhill - hard for me to see through the trees whether cow or bull. Later, I heard a bull elk bugle - a shrill sound, almost mechanical-like. These wild occurences didn't scare me; in fact, I enjoyed them.
I did get scared, though, when I heard what sounded like soft footsteps and then a sound like the stomach makes when it has hunger pains. It could have been a bird because nothing jumped out at me. I was in an area near one of the felsenmeers that's hemmed in by bushes - this made me nervous!
I kept a steady pace, taking water and bathroom breaks and peeks at the GPS at the felsenmeers. The backside meadows on Rabbit Ridge are very golden and there are views to the south of St. Peter's Dome, Cerro Picacho, Cerro Boletas and Cochiti Lake.
On the way to Rabbit Mountain, I counted 4 felsenmeers and one bump that didn't appear to have a felsenmeer.
I didn't linger on top of Rabbit Mountain's extensive felsenmeer. I had decided not to retrace my steps along Rabbit Ridge and I was going to go down through the woods right beside and east of Rabbit Mountain but as I stopped at the top, poised to start down, I heard this awful roaring ruckus down below. It sounded like an angry bear! I really don't know what it was but it was not an elk bugling.
Instead, I walked a little further on the ridge down to the grassy saddle at the base of the high hill just east of Rabbit Mountain. The woods below looked open and I saw patches of sunlight. I didn't hear any distressing sounds so I started down.
I used my compass the guide me mostly north back to NM4 where my car was parked. I picked my way down to the west side of the next felsenmeer over from Rabbit Mountain and crossed it where it was narrower.
Eventually I hit a long-abandoned logging road and then was able to follow old logging roads, past series of stumps and meadows, to Rabbit Ridge Road. Deal was, though, that I thought it was another road that turns off from Rabbit Ridge Road so I turned right but when I started going uphill, I pulled out my GPS and saw my mistake. As I went downhill to the intersection with the Coyote Call Trail, I surprised a turkey in the road and as it ran away, head bobbing, I saw there were about 6 altogether. I wonder - where do turkeys go in the winter? They don't look strong enough to over-winter and I don't think they fly.
I didn't have my Coker lunch until I was on the Coyote Call Trail and almost back to the final meadow above Valle Grande. I didn't want to attract whatever was bellowing in those woods. ; D
Thinking back on the hike, I'm happy I did it and proud that I made it to the top of Rabbit Mountain but, even though I was appreciating the beauty of the ridge and the views as I walked along, I didn't linger because since I was alone, I felt the need to keep moving along.
I would have liked to have done this hike with someone but no one was available. But, I did, after all, get in two group hikes this week so I should be happy!
Stopped by daughter's this evening to see her adorable new kitty that she adopted from the animal shelter. Grandson was busy on the computer designing a Lego jet plane with a swiveling gun turret on top. There were an empty Swizzlers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers next to the computer. He had a cola drink that he was swigging from. He now goes to the Activity Center one day a week and as a treat, gets some money to spend.
Daughter was baking a cake for get-together tomorrow with in-laws. The cake overflowed and she made jokes about how it was out to get her. Aidan enjoyed licking the icing off the mixer beaters! I remember doing that as a kid except there were 5 of us that had to share! We loved it when our Mom made cream puffs and we were allowed to gobble up the soft dough inside the puff pastry before she stuffed it with pudding.
On top of Rabbit Ridge, I heard a breaking branch and saw two elk bolting downhill - hard for me to see through the trees whether cow or bull. Later, I heard a bull elk bugle - a shrill sound, almost mechanical-like. These wild occurences didn't scare me; in fact, I enjoyed them.
I did get scared, though, when I heard what sounded like soft footsteps and then a sound like the stomach makes when it has hunger pains. It could have been a bird because nothing jumped out at me. I was in an area near one of the felsenmeers that's hemmed in by bushes - this made me nervous!
I kept a steady pace, taking water and bathroom breaks and peeks at the GPS at the felsenmeers. The backside meadows on Rabbit Ridge are very golden and there are views to the south of St. Peter's Dome, Cerro Picacho, Cerro Boletas and Cochiti Lake.
On the way to Rabbit Mountain, I counted 4 felsenmeers and one bump that didn't appear to have a felsenmeer.
I didn't linger on top of Rabbit Mountain's extensive felsenmeer. I had decided not to retrace my steps along Rabbit Ridge and I was going to go down through the woods right beside and east of Rabbit Mountain but as I stopped at the top, poised to start down, I heard this awful roaring ruckus down below. It sounded like an angry bear! I really don't know what it was but it was not an elk bugling.
Instead, I walked a little further on the ridge down to the grassy saddle at the base of the high hill just east of Rabbit Mountain. The woods below looked open and I saw patches of sunlight. I didn't hear any distressing sounds so I started down.
I used my compass the guide me mostly north back to NM4 where my car was parked. I picked my way down to the west side of the next felsenmeer over from Rabbit Mountain and crossed it where it was narrower.
Eventually I hit a long-abandoned logging road and then was able to follow old logging roads, past series of stumps and meadows, to Rabbit Ridge Road. Deal was, though, that I thought it was another road that turns off from Rabbit Ridge Road so I turned right but when I started going uphill, I pulled out my GPS and saw my mistake. As I went downhill to the intersection with the Coyote Call Trail, I surprised a turkey in the road and as it ran away, head bobbing, I saw there were about 6 altogether. I wonder - where do turkeys go in the winter? They don't look strong enough to over-winter and I don't think they fly.
I didn't have my Coker lunch until I was on the Coyote Call Trail and almost back to the final meadow above Valle Grande. I didn't want to attract whatever was bellowing in those woods. ; D
Thinking back on the hike, I'm happy I did it and proud that I made it to the top of Rabbit Mountain but, even though I was appreciating the beauty of the ridge and the views as I walked along, I didn't linger because since I was alone, I felt the need to keep moving along.
I would have liked to have done this hike with someone but no one was available. But, I did, after all, get in two group hikes this week so I should be happy!
Stopped by daughter's this evening to see her adorable new kitty that she adopted from the animal shelter. Grandson was busy on the computer designing a Lego jet plane with a swiveling gun turret on top. There were an empty Swizzlers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers next to the computer. He had a cola drink that he was swigging from. He now goes to the Activity Center one day a week and as a treat, gets some money to spend.
Daughter was baking a cake for get-together tomorrow with in-laws. The cake overflowed and she made jokes about how it was out to get her. Aidan enjoyed licking the icing off the mixer beaters! I remember doing that as a kid except there were 5 of us that had to share! We loved it when our Mom made cream puffs and we were allowed to gobble up the soft dough inside the puff pastry before she stuffed it with pudding.