Trail 113

This trail is variously called Bland-Frijoles or Alamos.  I took our grandson on it.  One hiker's GPS posted 5 miles and 900' elevation gain; in otherwords, it was a tough hike but 9 year old grandson made it! 

Of course, he did a tiny amount of kvetching but that's understandable as his first choice of what to do today was to go to the Activity Center and play video games. 

He didn't like that I insisted on stopping in the shade on the way up for water breaks - got querulous about that!  He also told me how much he didn't like the uphill by saying that he wanted to jump off the trail into the canyon.  He did agree at the end, though, that living through the hike was better than ending it all by falling into the canyon!

I took him to McD's for a wildberry smoothie - he earned it!!  He's here now, vegging out, waiting for his Dad to come pick him up.

There were at least 14 people on the hike, 5 cars and 2 dogs (the dogs had a good dip in the stream at lunch).  The weather was good but warm on the uphill - we all sweated a lot.

The hiking leader took us up to the gate into Pines, private property in the national forest that's a holdover from the homesteading era.  As one hiker explained, any land that was flat wasn't included in the forest reserve in 1906 but was opened up for homesteading. 

Some residents were at the gate and one talked with us.  Says she's been walking the area for 35 years yet seemed in awe that we had walked down the trail we did.  Said if she didn't have to get to lunch by 1 pm, would have taken us in to show us around (but oddly, didn't seem to want to answer any questions like how many buildings are behind the fence).  Also "kiddingly" said that she had lots of guns and didn't want to have to shoot us - ha, ha!!  She did give her contact info to the hiking leader.  The hiking leader is very enthralled with Pines and would like to learn more.

What a deal to live in your own private reserve in the national forest - there are several neighbors that I would like to lock out and never have to deal with again.  Sometimes modern life is like living in a fish bowl.  How awesome to have your own private land in the midst of all the public land.  Although, as a hiker, I absolutely hate it!! ;  D

Afterward, we walked a little further down Cochiti Canyon to where Trail 113 resumes its travels, ascending steeply to Dome Road.  There we had lunch by a stream.

On the drive back on FR36 and Dome Road, I had fond memories of past adventures and explores all along in that area.  I was so grateful to be given a ride by a husband-wife pair who are inveterate mountaineers, hikers, bicyclists and cross country skiers.