Aspen Vista Ridge Trail

Wednesday Irregulars met at Aspen Vista parking lot on ski hill road in Santa Fe.  Some walked up Aspen Vista Trail (aka Tesuque Peak Road), some took the lift up and some took a trail up that I've never taken before which I'll call Aspen Vista Ridge Trail.

Husband took off work today and he went up the ridge trail to the lift, took the lift down and then walked downhill to the car.

I was ahead of him.  When I got to the lift, even though I've been up Tesuque Peak several times, I thought I was on top and was ready to go back down until another hiker explained to me that "on top" was way up there!  So, I walked to the top from the lift.  It was steep but not impossible.  Had great views from the back of Tesuque Peak into the Santa Fe Lake basin and of Penitente and Deception Peaks and Santa Fe Baldy.  Saw two grouse.  Beautiful Fall colors.  Great elevated heart rate!

A hiker who had been up Cerro Rubio recently told me that the aspens leaves are just turning brown.  The Jemez Mountains may have a disappointing aspencade this season but in the Sangres, colors are busting out in Technicolor!

Celery Chomping Mountain Lions

More thoughts on Ms SUV:  Maybe her and I were separated at birth. At times on the recent hike I took with her, we seemed to get along like feuding sisters.  I'd rather take my chances walking alone and getting eaten by celery chomping mountain lions than make Ms SUV my regular hiking partner.  Too bad for me because she likes to explore and has lots of spunk!

I was inspired to coin the phrase "celery chomping mountain lions" after listening to an NPR segment on a book about how animal sounds are often faked in nature movies.  To make the sound of a lion crunching down on its prey, for instance, the sound person breaks a stalk of celery