Apache Springs Trail to Edge of Frijoles Canyon

Spouse and I hiked this 5 mile roundtrip hike this morning.  We enjoyed lunch at the edge of Frijoles Canyon.  Spouse considered this a hard walk but it may be that he didn't eat enough for breakfast.  I was happy for the company.

At the beginning of the hike, we spotted 4 deer in a meadow.  Of course, like all the deer around here, they stood and watched us from the shadows of some young ponderosa pines. Elk, when we see them, have more common sense and quickly flee.

Later, I noticed the aspens cast shadows across the trail and true to their names, quaking aspens, the leaves' shadows shivered in the wind.  We didn't shiver, though, because it was a lovely, warm day.  Not much in the way of clouds although we saw some interesting ones with their bottoms shredded into veils.

Letter Written to Representative Ben Lujan

Dear Representative Ben Lujan,

I urge you to endorse Senate Bill 564, introduced by Senator Bingaman and supported by Senator Udall, which would transfer management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve to the National Park Service.  I would like you to please introduce a similar bill in the House. 

The Valles Caldera Trust chairman, Raymond Loretto, recently testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that a majority of the Trust are in support of  this bill.  I am in support of of management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve by the National Park Service and I urge you to help make it happen.  The Preserve is a national treasure that New Mexico is lucky to have in our state and it deserves to be better managed.  I trust in the National Park Service to do this.  I'm completely 100% against the status quo continuing at the Preserve.  I think that the Caldera will be better protected by the National Park Service than if the forest service takes over management in 2015.  Why haven't you spoke out in support of S. 564 yet and why haven't you introduced similar legislation in the House?

Thank you,