LL gang had planned to do this hike but there is not a whole lot of shade on the Banco Bonito Road so they opted instead to wade the East Fork River a mile in from the El Blanco (?) parking, near the road to El Cajete.
Instead of walking the Banco Bonito Road out, which is dry, dusty and shadeless, I walked beneath the topographic eastern rim of San Diego Canyon. There were great views down into the canyon, south toward Jemez Springs and northwest toward La Cueva, and of stunning cliffs lining both sides of the canyon. I could clearly see the parking area for Spence Hot Springs but couldn't actually see the springs although I saw people walking in the woods to the springs way down below me. At one overlook, I found an old canvas chair placed to get the best views!
I followed a path, only as wide as a game trail in places, as close to the edge as I could stomach. There were some places that I'd rather not go back to as it would have been a steep way down if I slipped but I survived (probably not as scary as I make it sound!).
I somehow skipped a large portion of the rim when I followed alongside a deep drainage leading away from it and didn't go back to the edge right away. To get back to it, I followed a steep dirt road uphill and then had to go downhill to get back on the very edge.
I couldn't see Battleship Rock but I'm sure I was walking in places that are above the Battleship Rock area and that aren't too cliffy to get down.
When I had had my fill of the rim, I left it and headed downhill, running into a grown over logging road that had been hideously heaped with dirt berms and large tree stumps to close it. This road intersected the Banco Bonito Road which I followed back and it was every bit as hot as the LL gang feared. The reflective umbrella helped. However, where I was walking - in the forest and above the cliffs, I had shade and good breezes. No rain! I ended up wandering 6 miles. I ate lunch while walking. Didn't eat until 12:30pm - no hungry LL hikers whining for lunch at 11am!!
(Truth in advertising: Upon looking at a topo map, technically speaking, I was looking down into the canyon of San Antonio Creek because it's not until Battleship Rock that San Antonio Creek joins the East Fork of the Jemez and becomes San Diego Canyon. The Santa Fe National Forest does call where I parked and started my hike San Diego Canyon Overlook. It's in the Jemez National Recreation Area. Regardless of what you call it, it was dramatic to be up on those heights looking down!)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rabbit Ridge Road
Didn't get early, alpine start. Got started at 12:25pm. Walked fast to first felsenmeer on top of Rabbit Ridge. It looked so inviting - sunshine, mountain spray bushes, smell of moist vegetation, squirrel scurrying under rocks. I so much wanted to stay and enjoy it but there was a crack of thunder and I turned tail and went down fast. Encountered light rain and heard thunder but thankfully I didn't have any lightning right overhead!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Legal Hike on Valles Caldera East Rim
This morning I walked up Pajarito Mountain on a jeep road to meet a group riding up on the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area's Aspen Lift. The ski area runs the lifts one weekend a month in the summer. The plan was to legally take a walk along the Valles Caldera east rim between Pajarito Mountain and Cerro Grande. Ordinarily, hikers are not allowed to hike this section of the east rim because the Valles Caldera National Preserve's visitor use and access is very restrictive and hiking in from the rim is not allowed.
The hikers I was meeting had all met earlier that morning at the Cerro Grande parking lot to leave cars but I wanted to walk up.
I ended up blindly walking all the way over to the Mother Lift because I never saw the Aspen Lift through the trees. I was walking on the Logging Road at the back of the mountain where the ski area has torn out a lot of conifers to make way for their snow-making effort and it was fairly distracting to work my way through that.
I eventually upon the hikers and there were a lot of them. Reputedly, there were 36 of us. I wonder if that counted the 4 month old baby that was carried the whole hike in a baby carrier on his father's chest!
After a group picture at the picnic deck downhill from Aspen Lift, we crossed the Valles Caldera National Preserve fence and walked steeply downhill to Valle Canyon pass through hummocky grass that hid plenty of tripping hazards. Fortunately, the father of the 4 month old was very sure-footed. People said that someone sprained her ankle on the hike but I didn't get the details.
From Valle Canyon pass, we crossed the meadow on a bulldozed route (pretty grown over now; the historic road in the pass wasn't damaged by the dozer) used in the fighting of the 2000 Cerro Grande fire. This got us near to a handline cut through the forest during the fire which follows a north-facing ridge to the top of Cerro Grande. We followed that up; someone led a fast group. I helped to make sure people could follow the route around the felsenmeer which some had balked at crossing even though it's very short and the quickest way to get on the ridge. I call the part of the handline past the felsenmeer the Elevator Shaft because it is very STEEP!!
Going up the Elevator Shaft, the local couple that organized the hike (wonderful people!!) stayed behind with some slower hikers including the sprained ankle woman and an older woman who was having some problems with controlling her legs and nausea - perhaps altitude sickness because she's only been in the mountains for 2 weeks, having lived in Columbus, NM before this. That woman, a Brit, was delightful but the hike, which doesn't really follow a trail until the top of Cerro Grande and is very, very rough, was just too much for her. She made it back to the cars OK but it was a very worrisome process. The quote I heard once from a seasoned hiker who leads people of varying abilities on 14er hikes in Colorado came to mind - bring 'em back alive - but just barely! This strategy was operative today!!
One LL hiker was there and a couple of WI hikers so it was worthwhile to send out the hike announcement en masse to the two groups.
I enjoyed the hike, the beautiful views into the Valles Caldera National Preserve and all the colorful red, purple and yellow wildflowers that dotted the tall grass meadows. The nodding onion was especially appealing. The weather was just too perfect!! So lucky to live in the mountains!! I got back to my car at the ski area at 3:45pm. Because of my trot up the ski hill and also going back up the Cerro Grande route to check on progress of the last 3 people, I imagine my mileage was close to 7 miles.
The hikers I was meeting had all met earlier that morning at the Cerro Grande parking lot to leave cars but I wanted to walk up.
I ended up blindly walking all the way over to the Mother Lift because I never saw the Aspen Lift through the trees. I was walking on the Logging Road at the back of the mountain where the ski area has torn out a lot of conifers to make way for their snow-making effort and it was fairly distracting to work my way through that.
I eventually upon the hikers and there were a lot of them. Reputedly, there were 36 of us. I wonder if that counted the 4 month old baby that was carried the whole hike in a baby carrier on his father's chest!
After a group picture at the picnic deck downhill from Aspen Lift, we crossed the Valles Caldera National Preserve fence and walked steeply downhill to Valle Canyon pass through hummocky grass that hid plenty of tripping hazards. Fortunately, the father of the 4 month old was very sure-footed. People said that someone sprained her ankle on the hike but I didn't get the details.
From Valle Canyon pass, we crossed the meadow on a bulldozed route (pretty grown over now; the historic road in the pass wasn't damaged by the dozer) used in the fighting of the 2000 Cerro Grande fire. This got us near to a handline cut through the forest during the fire which follows a north-facing ridge to the top of Cerro Grande. We followed that up; someone led a fast group. I helped to make sure people could follow the route around the felsenmeer which some had balked at crossing even though it's very short and the quickest way to get on the ridge. I call the part of the handline past the felsenmeer the Elevator Shaft because it is very STEEP!!
Going up the Elevator Shaft, the local couple that organized the hike (wonderful people!!) stayed behind with some slower hikers including the sprained ankle woman and an older woman who was having some problems with controlling her legs and nausea - perhaps altitude sickness because she's only been in the mountains for 2 weeks, having lived in Columbus, NM before this. That woman, a Brit, was delightful but the hike, which doesn't really follow a trail until the top of Cerro Grande and is very, very rough, was just too much for her. She made it back to the cars OK but it was a very worrisome process. The quote I heard once from a seasoned hiker who leads people of varying abilities on 14er hikes in Colorado came to mind - bring 'em back alive - but just barely! This strategy was operative today!!
One LL hiker was there and a couple of WI hikers so it was worthwhile to send out the hike announcement en masse to the two groups.
I enjoyed the hike, the beautiful views into the Valles Caldera National Preserve and all the colorful red, purple and yellow wildflowers that dotted the tall grass meadows. The nodding onion was especially appealing. The weather was just too perfect!! So lucky to live in the mountains!! I got back to my car at the ski area at 3:45pm. Because of my trot up the ski hill and also going back up the Cerro Grande route to check on progress of the last 3 people, I imagine my mileage was close to 7 miles.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Span the County Part II: Camp Hamilton Trail to Los Alamos Ranch School Trail
Spouse agreed to go on this one. It was billed as 7 miles long. We caught an Atomic City Transit bus at the Walkup Aquatic Center and were let off at the Camp Hamilton Trailhead below Eastgate, the industrial park on the main hill road. All these years I thought the pit dug in the tuff relatively near the trailhead was a game trap but it was actually for a pit toilet for the guard gate that used to be where the trailhead is now (and maybe also for the lab site that used to be there). Twenty people total.
Beautiful views to the east while going down the Camp Hamilton Trail but everyone was in such a hurry!! It was as fast as a Sierra Club hike.
After going down the Camp Hamilton Trail, we went cross country to the sewer treatment plant road to avoid San Ildefonso Pueblo land. Eventually we turned left onto the new Tent Rocks Trail that Craig Martin, Los Alamos county's open space coordinator, built with the help of volunteers.
It was very hot walking in mostly shadeless Pueblo Canyon. We sweated a whole lot. People finally asked to stop to allow a snack. It didn't look like a legitimate, leisurely lunch break to me so I waited to eat until after the hike.
Spouse did well but was tired by the time we got to the final uphill out of Acid Canyon on the Los Alamos Ranch School Trail. We got back before 1pm.
Beautiful views to the east while going down the Camp Hamilton Trail but everyone was in such a hurry!! It was as fast as a Sierra Club hike.
After going down the Camp Hamilton Trail, we went cross country to the sewer treatment plant road to avoid San Ildefonso Pueblo land. Eventually we turned left onto the new Tent Rocks Trail that Craig Martin, Los Alamos county's open space coordinator, built with the help of volunteers.
It was very hot walking in mostly shadeless Pueblo Canyon. We sweated a whole lot. People finally asked to stop to allow a snack. It didn't look like a legitimate, leisurely lunch break to me so I waited to eat until after the hike.
Spouse did well but was tired by the time we got to the final uphill out of Acid Canyon on the Los Alamos Ranch School Trail. We got back before 1pm.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Home of the Hermit Thrush
Heard lots of hermit thrush song yesterday, Monday, on aspen dendroglyph expedition with Dorothy. Dribbles of rain and sounds of distant thunder occurred occasionally but mostly sunny.
We looked for aspen dendroglyphs in a drainage of Frijoles Canyon that's south of NM4 and Cerro Grande . Bandelier National Monument has drawn pictures of the dendroglyphs there but did not have UTM information for them.
Dorothy is doing this work for the Valles Caldera National Preserve because the drainage was once part of the historic Baca Location No. 1. The VCNP would like to survey and record the aspen art before the old trees deteriorate or are burned in prescribed fires.
We found the 1925 Ottie tree inscription. Dorothy says this was done by O. O. Grant who settled on the Pajarito Plateau in the 1920's where the present-day Guaje Pines cemetery is.
I scoured the woods for dendroglyphs while Dorothy did the gut work of actually photographing them and filling out the paperwork. I left home at 9am and returned at 5 pm. I don't know how many miles I walked searching for dendroglyphs (I'm sure not much although it did include some back and forth to Dorothy to hold up the whiteboard for each aspen's identifying photo) because my gps ran out of batteries.
I forgot to give her back the flagging tape. I'll return it later this week. She temporarily flagged them, with permission from Bandelier, until she completes her project. Dorothy will go back there to draw any dendroglyphs not drawn by Bandelier's team.
We parked east of the first parking area for Cerro Grande. It was hard hiking down to the drainage because of all the dreadfall (deadfall) even though the area we were working in, the upper Frijoles Canyon area south of NM4, was burned in a prescribed fire within the last couple of years. There are some parts of the forest that have opened up as a result of the prescribed fire and aspen saplings have taken hold. On the steepest slope, though, there is still quite a dog-hair forest.
Walking in the meadow was also a challenge because the grass (including Timothy and Parry's oatgrass) is quite tall and effectively hides rocks and sticks that present constant tripping hazards. The meadow has lots of white clover. Dorothy wondered if it was purposely planted.
On Sunday, I exchanged my Keen mid-cut Voyageurs at REI because the sole was separating. I wore the new ones yesterday and even though nominally they are the exact same size, in reality, they are a size too small. This was not comfortable. I will be returning them. You won't believe what a confusion it was and how long it took to return/exchange the shoes. They ended up charging me twice for the shoes and I had to go right back when I realized that. Now the irony is that I have to return the new ones because the size runs small!
Sunday was very busy with the Santa Fe shopping trip, lots of food prep in the evening and my evening walk. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day.
I need to one day take my car into the dealership to get some work done in preparation for a possible CO trip in August. One day I need to call a plumber to check out the hot water heater which sometimes lets small amounts of water out of the overflow pipe. I need to call a roofer to check the roof after the recent hellacious hailstorm in Los Alamos. Today, though, none of that will occur. I will drive to Santa Fe for routine medical tests. Sometimes I wish that there was an alternative to all these routine medical tests that doctor's push!!
Tomorrow I play hooky and go on a hike with a local group!
We looked for aspen dendroglyphs in a drainage of Frijoles Canyon that's south of NM4 and Cerro Grande . Bandelier National Monument has drawn pictures of the dendroglyphs there but did not have UTM information for them.
Dorothy is doing this work for the Valles Caldera National Preserve because the drainage was once part of the historic Baca Location No. 1. The VCNP would like to survey and record the aspen art before the old trees deteriorate or are burned in prescribed fires.
We found the 1925 Ottie tree inscription. Dorothy says this was done by O. O. Grant who settled on the Pajarito Plateau in the 1920's where the present-day Guaje Pines cemetery is.
I scoured the woods for dendroglyphs while Dorothy did the gut work of actually photographing them and filling out the paperwork. I left home at 9am and returned at 5 pm. I don't know how many miles I walked searching for dendroglyphs (I'm sure not much although it did include some back and forth to Dorothy to hold up the whiteboard for each aspen's identifying photo) because my gps ran out of batteries.
I forgot to give her back the flagging tape. I'll return it later this week. She temporarily flagged them, with permission from Bandelier, until she completes her project. Dorothy will go back there to draw any dendroglyphs not drawn by Bandelier's team.
We parked east of the first parking area for Cerro Grande. It was hard hiking down to the drainage because of all the dreadfall (deadfall) even though the area we were working in, the upper Frijoles Canyon area south of NM4, was burned in a prescribed fire within the last couple of years. There are some parts of the forest that have opened up as a result of the prescribed fire and aspen saplings have taken hold. On the steepest slope, though, there is still quite a dog-hair forest.
Walking in the meadow was also a challenge because the grass (including Timothy and Parry's oatgrass) is quite tall and effectively hides rocks and sticks that present constant tripping hazards. The meadow has lots of white clover. Dorothy wondered if it was purposely planted.
On Sunday, I exchanged my Keen mid-cut Voyageurs at REI because the sole was separating. I wore the new ones yesterday and even though nominally they are the exact same size, in reality, they are a size too small. This was not comfortable. I will be returning them. You won't believe what a confusion it was and how long it took to return/exchange the shoes. They ended up charging me twice for the shoes and I had to go right back when I realized that. Now the irony is that I have to return the new ones because the size runs small!
Sunday was very busy with the Santa Fe shopping trip, lots of food prep in the evening and my evening walk. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day.
I need to one day take my car into the dealership to get some work done in preparation for a possible CO trip in August. One day I need to call a plumber to check out the hot water heater which sometimes lets small amounts of water out of the overflow pipe. I need to call a roofer to check the roof after the recent hellacious hailstorm in Los Alamos. Today, though, none of that will occur. I will drive to Santa Fe for routine medical tests. Sometimes I wish that there was an alternative to all these routine medical tests that doctor's push!!
Tomorrow I play hooky and go on a hike with a local group!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Smoky Here Today
I forgot to mention that on yesterday's walk on American Springs Road I could smell and see smoke rising from the San Miguel wildfire in Bandelier National Monument.
Today when I walked on the Camp May Road Route, the mountains were swathed in a thin layer of smoke. I think the wind this afternoon, although not particularly high, did a number on the wildfire, spreading the smoke around Los Alamos. The evening sun has an orangish glow to it.
The Route was in relatively good condition as far as trash around the parking areas. I managed, though, to spend 3 hours going up and down it because I kept bending over to toss sticks and rocks off the trail, maintained the cairns and rerouted a place or two that seemed confusing. All in all, it's a very rough path and not like a real trail at all. Besides, it hurts my right foot on the upper part that goes along a hillside.
The area off Paintball Road no longer has the white RV camping there. They left the campsite very clean.
When I started walking, clouds were piling up, some with dark bottoms, but it seems that the wind blew any moisture they held away and it stayed sunny and clear. It's 87 degrees in the house right now. I have a large box fan blowing on me while I sit at the computer.
Today when I walked on the Camp May Road Route, the mountains were swathed in a thin layer of smoke. I think the wind this afternoon, although not particularly high, did a number on the wildfire, spreading the smoke around Los Alamos. The evening sun has an orangish glow to it.
The Route was in relatively good condition as far as trash around the parking areas. I managed, though, to spend 3 hours going up and down it because I kept bending over to toss sticks and rocks off the trail, maintained the cairns and rerouted a place or two that seemed confusing. All in all, it's a very rough path and not like a real trail at all. Besides, it hurts my right foot on the upper part that goes along a hillside.
The area off Paintball Road no longer has the white RV camping there. They left the campsite very clean.
When I started walking, clouds were piling up, some with dark bottoms, but it seems that the wind blew any moisture they held away and it stayed sunny and clear. It's 87 degrees in the house right now. I have a large box fan blowing on me while I sit at the computer.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Back from OH-PA Trip
Because I won't fly, we drove to OH-PA. Being next to big semi trucks, sometimes hauling double trailers, is not fun. We made it to Canton, OH in 2 1/2 days but took 3 1/2 days to drive back from Harrisburg, PA. We don't plan to drive back East again as it's too hard and takes up too much time. I still won't fly but I'll enjoy shorter driving trips in the Southwest.
Was fun walking with sister and brother in OH! They are both good walkers. Lots of fun to visit peppy 95 year old woman in Richville who lived across the street from us when we were growing up. Siblings and I visited our 88 year old aunt who doesn't feel so well lately and another aunt, with dementia, in her late 70's. In Harrisburg, spouse and I visited his 88 year old aunt. She has health problems too but seems more cheerful.
I made quinoa muffins with ground up pumpkin seeds this afternoon. Yesterday, I had accidentally added cayenne pepper to some roasted pumpkin seeds. The quinoa helped to dilute the hot pepper but the muffins are still hot but taste delicious to me. I meant to season the pumpkin seeds with chili powder - dum, de, dum, dum!!
At MPL's used book store today, I found Craig Martin's Los Alamos Area Mountain Bike Trails. I had recently taken it out of the library and then felt sorry I had sold my copy; how opportune to find a used copy! It provides the key to much of the hiking in the Jemez like the Peralta Road area. He didn't include everything in that book in his later Los Alamos Trails books. It was only $3 - I was happy to find it!
For first walk in the woods since returning home, I chose FR181/American Springs Road. Billowing storm clouds were overhead and thunder rumbled occasionally but it never rained even though it did in town as I discovered on the drive back home. The road is usually deserted but I saw wood gatherers and campers. Saw loads of yarrow and yellow clover. The yellow flowers of summer are coming on - black eyed Susan, golden eye, New Mexico Senecio, a yellow, wild aster. Veronica is rampantly growing in runoff from American Springs. Its blue flower has some similarity to forget-me-nots. Roses are now faded pink in color as summer wanes on. To make up for that, raspberries are ripening.
Was fun walking with sister and brother in OH! They are both good walkers. Lots of fun to visit peppy 95 year old woman in Richville who lived across the street from us when we were growing up. Siblings and I visited our 88 year old aunt who doesn't feel so well lately and another aunt, with dementia, in her late 70's. In Harrisburg, spouse and I visited his 88 year old aunt. She has health problems too but seems more cheerful.
I made quinoa muffins with ground up pumpkin seeds this afternoon. Yesterday, I had accidentally added cayenne pepper to some roasted pumpkin seeds. The quinoa helped to dilute the hot pepper but the muffins are still hot but taste delicious to me. I meant to season the pumpkin seeds with chili powder - dum, de, dum, dum!!
At MPL's used book store today, I found Craig Martin's Los Alamos Area Mountain Bike Trails. I had recently taken it out of the library and then felt sorry I had sold my copy; how opportune to find a used copy! It provides the key to much of the hiking in the Jemez like the Peralta Road area. He didn't include everything in that book in his later Los Alamos Trails books. It was only $3 - I was happy to find it!
For first walk in the woods since returning home, I chose FR181/American Springs Road. Billowing storm clouds were overhead and thunder rumbled occasionally but it never rained even though it did in town as I discovered on the drive back home. The road is usually deserted but I saw wood gatherers and campers. Saw loads of yarrow and yellow clover. The yellow flowers of summer are coming on - black eyed Susan, golden eye, New Mexico Senecio, a yellow, wild aster. Veronica is rampantly growing in runoff from American Springs. Its blue flower has some similarity to forget-me-nots. Roses are now faded pink in color as summer wanes on. To make up for that, raspberries are ripening.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Span Los Alamos County Part I Hike
In celebration of Los Alamos County's 60th anniversary, two Span the County hikes are offered this summer. I took the first one today. We met at Sullivan Field at 8:45 am where we caught an Atomic City Transit bus to Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. A lot of bikers were up at the ski hill getting ready to ride the lift up and bike back down the jeep roads and bike trails. Looked like a fun day was in store! We all profusely thanked our bus driver as we unloaded. There were 20 people on the hike. We filled all the bus seats and 2 people were standing.
The hike was billed as a 10.5 mile hike, starting on the Cañada Bonita Trail (also called Guaje Canyon Trail 282), going out through Cañada Bonita Meadow, down Pipeline Road to the Quemazon Trail and back to our cars at Sullivan Field. There is more uphill than one may imagine going down Pipeline Road but I was grateful for the uphill sections because all downhill is too hard on the knees!
Lots of couples on the hike - 6 at least. Walked for a while with a man who used to hike with the LL hiking group. He's doing wonderfully - hiking strongly after his hip replacement. Another hiker was a real powerhouse, talking passionately about how the real story behind Cerro Grande should be told. Plus, he was a fount of information about flora that we saw. Saw someone from my photography class that I took in the spring. He told me about Mormonism. He converted to it in the 70's. Enjoyed talking with a couple about all our collective animal sightings we could think of. Talked with another couple - had hiked with the wife to Hilton Cabin in the Preserve several years back. Enjoyed our leader's very wry sense of humor! Was in awe of his wife who was patiently picking up trash here and there.
The weather was perfect - cooler up higher but never got too hot even down lower. I enjoyed looking south across Quemazon Canyon at the green ridges between Pipeline Road and Pajarito Mountain. All of us agreed that we live in a beautiful area and are very, very lucky! It was loads of fun talking with all the different people who all have this in common - they appreciate the outdoors!
Span the County Part II takes place on July 18. It starts at the Roundabout, goes down into Bayo Canyon and then over into Pueblo Canyon, coming out on the Hamilton Trail below the Industrial Park. That will be a very hot hike this time of year!
I'm doing laundry now. The last loads before the trip back east. A neighbor is mowing the lawn. All the windows are open, 81 degrees inside, so the sound of the lawnmower is loud. Our backyard is weeds and we don't even own a lawnmower!
Starving - will eat spaghetti with aduki beans as the protein, roast broccoli (as soon as I roast it!) and fruit for dessert!
The hike was billed as a 10.5 mile hike, starting on the Cañada Bonita Trail (also called Guaje Canyon Trail 282), going out through Cañada Bonita Meadow, down Pipeline Road to the Quemazon Trail and back to our cars at Sullivan Field. There is more uphill than one may imagine going down Pipeline Road but I was grateful for the uphill sections because all downhill is too hard on the knees!
Lots of couples on the hike - 6 at least. Walked for a while with a man who used to hike with the LL hiking group. He's doing wonderfully - hiking strongly after his hip replacement. Another hiker was a real powerhouse, talking passionately about how the real story behind Cerro Grande should be told. Plus, he was a fount of information about flora that we saw. Saw someone from my photography class that I took in the spring. He told me about Mormonism. He converted to it in the 70's. Enjoyed talking with a couple about all our collective animal sightings we could think of. Talked with another couple - had hiked with the wife to Hilton Cabin in the Preserve several years back. Enjoyed our leader's very wry sense of humor! Was in awe of his wife who was patiently picking up trash here and there.
The weather was perfect - cooler up higher but never got too hot even down lower. I enjoyed looking south across Quemazon Canyon at the green ridges between Pipeline Road and Pajarito Mountain. All of us agreed that we live in a beautiful area and are very, very lucky! It was loads of fun talking with all the different people who all have this in common - they appreciate the outdoors!
Span the County Part II takes place on July 18. It starts at the Roundabout, goes down into Bayo Canyon and then over into Pueblo Canyon, coming out on the Hamilton Trail below the Industrial Park. That will be a very hot hike this time of year!
I'm doing laundry now. The last loads before the trip back east. A neighbor is mowing the lawn. All the windows are open, 81 degrees inside, so the sound of the lawnmower is loud. Our backyard is weeds and we don't even own a lawnmower!
Starving - will eat spaghetti with aduki beans as the protein, roast broccoli (as soon as I roast it!) and fruit for dessert!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Valle Canyon: A Bear and Forget-Me-Nots
Went up Valle Canyon today to check Clothespin tree for Dorothy. She wants to figure out if it's a limber pine or white pine and needs fresh needles and cones to do that. No luck today. The tree looks like it has absolutely not a single cone on it. The lowest branch is about 24' from the ground and the branch hangs down about 18' from the ground.
Right at the beginning of the Valle Canyon trail are loads of tall forget-me-nots. There is something so endearing about that tiny flower - the blue petals are made so much more intense of a blue by the yellow center.
About 1/2 to 1 mile from the VCNP boundary fence, in a wide section of the canyon, I spotted a brownish-blondish bear on the other side of the stream from me. It looked larger than a cub but was not a huge bear. It had probably heard/seen/smelt me before I spotted it. It was peacefully poised above the stream like it was ready to run uphill. In a medium strength voice, I whooped twice at it and opened my golf-sized umbrella. It did scramble to the next ledge above the stream when I walked past across from where it was. On the way back down, I said "Hey, bear!" a lot!
I wanted so much to go up the VCNP fenceline to Pajarito Mountain (anything to avoid encountering the bear again!) but I didn't bring lunch or enough water, plus, a car shuttle at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area would have been nice. Maybe the WI extracurricular group would want to do that in July or August.
I probably started around 10:30-10:45am and was done and on the road by 1:09pm. The VCNP boundary fence was lonely without the WI hikers! The weather was perfect!
I went to the library afterwards and while I was in the used bookstore, I felt something crawling under my pants. A black beetle had lodged itself in my underwear. The black beetles are everywhere this summer. I took it outside and released it. The tick I found crawling on my leg at home got less humane treatment - burial by flush.
Doing three loads of laundry this afternoon.
Right at the beginning of the Valle Canyon trail are loads of tall forget-me-nots. There is something so endearing about that tiny flower - the blue petals are made so much more intense of a blue by the yellow center.
About 1/2 to 1 mile from the VCNP boundary fence, in a wide section of the canyon, I spotted a brownish-blondish bear on the other side of the stream from me. It looked larger than a cub but was not a huge bear. It had probably heard/seen/smelt me before I spotted it. It was peacefully poised above the stream like it was ready to run uphill. In a medium strength voice, I whooped twice at it and opened my golf-sized umbrella. It did scramble to the next ledge above the stream when I walked past across from where it was. On the way back down, I said "Hey, bear!" a lot!
I wanted so much to go up the VCNP fenceline to Pajarito Mountain (anything to avoid encountering the bear again!) but I didn't bring lunch or enough water, plus, a car shuttle at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area would have been nice. Maybe the WI extracurricular group would want to do that in July or August.
I probably started around 10:30-10:45am and was done and on the road by 1:09pm. The VCNP boundary fence was lonely without the WI hikers! The weather was perfect!
I went to the library afterwards and while I was in the used bookstore, I felt something crawling under my pants. A black beetle had lodged itself in my underwear. The black beetles are everywhere this summer. I took it outside and released it. The tick I found crawling on my leg at home got less humane treatment - burial by flush.
Doing three loads of laundry this afternoon.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
FR181 - Always and Forever
I've been plagued by a bum right knee since last Friday. It bothered me then on a hike from the ski hill to Pipeline Road. I started on Kwage Mesa Saturday but couldn't continue more than one half mile because it felt like my knee cap stiffened and became extremely painful. I slowly walked back, doing my best imitation of Tim Conway 's "slow old man"! The problem was triggered by any downhill. A friend said she had the same problem year's back while hiking down Wheeler Peak. She called it downhill knee.
Sunday night, I couldn't walk more than a mile pain-free but could walk 2 miles pain-free on Monday night - just on the flat, back and forth to the airport. Today, because I badly want to go on the Valle Canyon hike tomorrow, I went to FR181/American Springs Road. Amazingly, I was able to walk four miles without pain, even downhill. I used two poles to strategically off load my weight onto the poles on the downhill, I didn't walk fast and, on the advice of my friend, carried a big ACE bandage, just in case. I didn't need it.
Tomorrow, it's supposed to rain. I want to carry my big golf umbrella as well as use both ski poles. On FR181, I found a bungee cord which I've now used to strap my umbrella to the walking stick. I will be prepared!
FR181 tidbits: The NM locust and wild rose lend such a spicy aroma to the road. Some of the rose bushes are so loaded with flowers that I just stopped in my tracks and drank in their beauty. I see that there will be plenty of raspberries along the road this summer. I hope I can devour some. I stopped to look at a party spot - lots of trash strewn around and, oddly, a box full of unopened, formerly frozen, Sysco Fruits of the Forest pies. Must have been some party! Was passed by an open jeep with 3 men/boys and a toddler, fast asleep in his car seat. Saw them having fun splashing through puddles. Luckily, I wasn't near enough to get a mud bath! Picked a plant that might be the Veronica which my friend says grows near American Springs. It got so wilted, it may be impossible to revive and identify it. Also picked a small myrtle spurge plant to throw away - it's an invasive.
Was wonderful to be able to walk without pain. I resolved to walk that road into my 100's! ; D
Sunday night, I couldn't walk more than a mile pain-free but could walk 2 miles pain-free on Monday night - just on the flat, back and forth to the airport. Today, because I badly want to go on the Valle Canyon hike tomorrow, I went to FR181/American Springs Road. Amazingly, I was able to walk four miles without pain, even downhill. I used two poles to strategically off load my weight onto the poles on the downhill, I didn't walk fast and, on the advice of my friend, carried a big ACE bandage, just in case. I didn't need it.
Tomorrow, it's supposed to rain. I want to carry my big golf umbrella as well as use both ski poles. On FR181, I found a bungee cord which I've now used to strap my umbrella to the walking stick. I will be prepared!
FR181 tidbits: The NM locust and wild rose lend such a spicy aroma to the road. Some of the rose bushes are so loaded with flowers that I just stopped in my tracks and drank in their beauty. I see that there will be plenty of raspberries along the road this summer. I hope I can devour some. I stopped to look at a party spot - lots of trash strewn around and, oddly, a box full of unopened, formerly frozen, Sysco Fruits of the Forest pies. Must have been some party! Was passed by an open jeep with 3 men/boys and a toddler, fast asleep in his car seat. Saw them having fun splashing through puddles. Luckily, I wasn't near enough to get a mud bath! Picked a plant that might be the Veronica which my friend says grows near American Springs. It got so wilted, it may be impossible to revive and identify it. Also picked a small myrtle spurge plant to throw away - it's an invasive.
Was wonderful to be able to walk without pain. I resolved to walk that road into my 100's! ; D
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