Wished so much that spouse would have shared seeing on Saturday the aspen extravaganza along Camp May Road and on Pajarito Mountain. The golden leaves of the young aspens start about 2 miles up Camp May Road in the burnt area near FR2998 and continue all the way up to the top of the ski hill.
Ski Area is so much pleasanter when lifts aren't running and when the mountain isn't invaded by testosterone-crazed bicyclists! The bicyclists that actually bike to the top are much saner!
Studied Bonita Point (Loco Triangle) from the jeep road on Pajarito Mountain. I can see now that it would have worked to go down along the end of the conifers to edge of Cañada Bonita Canyon and over along canyon edge to get around the tangle of aspens and out to Bonita Point.
The view from on high also made me think that perhaps I had the right idea about going further east on the projection from Paul's Portal overlook. It almost looks like the projection gradually steps down to a shallower portion of the Cañada Bonita Canyon. Instead, we walked away from the overlook and went through a bunch of aspens and then we were where the bottom of Cañada Bonita Canyon looked dauntingly far below. Perhaps I need to revisit Paul's Portal one day.
I could also see from on high that on the way back to Cañada Bonita meadow that day, we should have avoided the aspens that cascade down from the very top of the steep ridge that was above us. If we had instead stayed close to the edge of Cañada Bonita Canyon, even though it would have been more difficult walking due to the cant of the hillside, we would have avoided having to wrest ourselves out of the jigsaw-puzzle aspen grove!
In fact, hugging the canyon edge to go out to Bonita Point may be the best ticket of all. After all, it's not like this canyon edge is along a cliff. I'm guessing this would actually be easier (and safer!) than going from Paul's Portal and trying to descend into and out of the canyon!
I wasn't the only one alone on the mountain today. Saw two other lone hikers and a lone bicyclist. Even so, I morosely thought to myself "What does being alone matter? In the end, when I die, I die alone."
Sunday, spouse and I went to REI for the last day of their Fall sale. I bought a pair of Brooks Adrenaline shoes and he bought REI Sahara Cargo pants. Then we ate at Flying Star. This time, instead of the tofu Buddha bowl, I had the Acapulco Salad with avocados, orange sections, jicama, salad mix, red onions, grilled shrimp, salsa - good! We finished off the day by returning moldy tasting Flame raisins to Vitamin Cottage and buying a few items. For my exercise, I walked downtown in the evening.
Today, the Monday group did the postponed Sawyer's Mesa hike, finishing at Ponderosa Campground for a 9 mile jaunt! It was good to do it in October and enjoy the Fall colors and cool weather. The Gambel oaks with leaves of red, yellow and orange reminded me of making Autumn leaves in grade school out of construction paper! The leaves of the barberry shrub were such a brilliant red. We could see lots of golden aspen across Frijoles and Alamo Canyons.
After the hike, I took one of the hikers back up on the Dome Road to the Sawyer Mesa Road so she could pick up her car. The Dome Road is in great shape right now! Saw some wood gatherers by the side of NM4 right before the Cerro Grande parking area. Bandelier National Monument recently gave free permits so people could collect the wood stacked in teepees near the road - good deal!