Got a late start - after 11 am - because just as I was getting ready to drive away, the roofers showed up. They applied some silicone caulk to the furnace vent. I asked how long the silicone lasts - 2-4 years. OK. Good to know since that's what's keeping rain from running down our woodstove chimney because the roofers banged it up so much that that the collar no longer fits tight around the base. They also dropped off the promised package of spare shingles just in case I need them in the future.
Afterward, I drove up to American Springs Road/FR181 to meet my hiking buddy of the Big Trees fame. She and a PEEC volunteer were murdering invasive bull thistles. Turns out that invasive musk thistles are easily dispatched by beheading them because their flowers are only on the top half of the stalk. But bull thistles have flowers all along the stalk which requires chopping down the whole thing. Invasive Canada thistles are even worse, sending out nasty runners everywhere that sprout baby thistles.
Thankfully, due to the roofers coming late, I missed all the fun of wrestling thistles to the ground! As I walked in on FR181, they were driving out with 4 trash bags of thistles in the trunk. I got to meet the PEEC volunteer and she seems very nice.
On my walk, I saw a bicyclist coming up out of Water Canyon and continuing east on FR181 to loop back to West Jemez. When I asked, he said it looks like the Youth Conservation Corps crew has worked on the upper quarter of the trail but the rest of it is getting a little thick with overgrowth.
I hadn't been up to FR181 for a long time. When I started walking, I was sure that I'd get caught in a lightning storm but it never happened. I enjoyed seeing old haunts. I stopped often to gaze upon the beauty of the wildflowers, the billowing clouds and the green mountains.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Small Roof Leak
Friday was spouse's day off. We hiked with the "Back By 11" hiking group - a big two miles in Rendija Canyon. I showed them the well or sinkhole or whatever it is. Saw a LL hiker go by in her bra - not sports bra but underwear bra! She's trying to make Vitamin D. Only in Los Alamos can a woman hike alone on a trail in her bra and not get accosted!
Spouse and I are on the hook to lead this group on Friday the 13th. I'm planning nearby hikes to do in case I get the old line about "Will we be back by 11?" Come on guys - be more dedicated than that!!
We went to Santa Fe afterward. The Sunflower Market stop included buying lots of melons, on sale for 88 cents a pound. We're having a melon marathon all this weekend!
After last night's big monsoonal rain, I noticed some moisture near the furnace vent pipe. Will have to call the roofer next week to ask him to check it out.
Today I hiked on the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail, over to the mesa east of the Industrial Park (the one leading to the Hamilton Mesa Trail). It's so neat that I finally have decent trails to hike without driving anywhere! Spouse and I will hike somewhere tomorrow.
Mountain mahogany's twisty, feathery seed heads are resplendent this time of year. Found a huge, dead bug to show grandson. He'll be at camp next week but I'm saving it in a jar of vinegar to show him next week.
After walking, I did time in the kitchen, making a huge eggplant stew and hummous. Spouse even had some and liked it.
Spouse and I are on the hook to lead this group on Friday the 13th. I'm planning nearby hikes to do in case I get the old line about "Will we be back by 11?" Come on guys - be more dedicated than that!!
We went to Santa Fe afterward. The Sunflower Market stop included buying lots of melons, on sale for 88 cents a pound. We're having a melon marathon all this weekend!
After last night's big monsoonal rain, I noticed some moisture near the furnace vent pipe. Will have to call the roofer next week to ask him to check it out.
Today I hiked on the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail, over to the mesa east of the Industrial Park (the one leading to the Hamilton Mesa Trail). It's so neat that I finally have decent trails to hike without driving anywhere! Spouse and I will hike somewhere tomorrow.
Mountain mahogany's twisty, feathery seed heads are resplendent this time of year. Found a huge, dead bug to show grandson. He'll be at camp next week but I'm saving it in a jar of vinegar to show him next week.
After walking, I did time in the kitchen, making a huge eggplant stew and hummous. Spouse even had some and liked it.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Addicted to Pajarito Mountain
Another day, another explore...such a hard life! I got a late start - 11:40 am from the parking lot. There was a mix of dark clouds, white clouds and blue sky. Someone in the parking lot told me I was going to get wet. It did rain but not very hard and there was no lightning and then it stopped. I started up the Zero Road East from the Lodge and took a right at the side road near Boomer.
I went up the side road to where it intersected the Zero Road East higher up and then walked that for a short distance to another side road, turning right and then followed that to an intersection where yesterday I turned right but today I went left instead.
Truthfully, I don't know how much of this road system I'm learning because I wander here and there, back and forth. If I keep at it, I should eventually gain some familiarity.
I saw two deer bucks that bounded off diagonally down a ski slope when they heard me. I've seen a number of bucks on Pajarito, including a human one who didn't see me and was almost ready to unzip his fly until I made noises to warn him off!!
I was enchanted by a tall thistle with fading yellow flowers, laden with orange and black fritillary butterflies. There was even a bumblebee on it.
I saw two felsenmeers, one near Aspen Lift that I walked across - they actually lop off the young trees and use it as a ski run. Wouldn't the warning signs about obstacles, natural and man-made, be more truthful if they told skiers that huge rocks lay under the snow?
This reminds me that I saw the other day a tree with a plaque on it saying the tree belongs to Joel Prichard, who died in December 2000, and it thanks all who tried to save him. Sad.
I got up to Bruce's Blvd. West and saw all the connections it makes to the back of the mountain. The snow-making puddle is as ugly as ever and still unfilled.
I started to follow the Logging Road down the west side of the mountain but since the weather was still holding, I got waylaid by yet another side road that eventually went back to the Logging Road.
I got back to the car at 2:23 pm. and did a little over 4 miles. The sky was dark and cloudy and occasional thunder-rumbles could be heard - the second shift was coming! Back home, though, it never rained.
Pajarito is a very rocky mountain. That can be seen on all the road surfaces and the felsenmeers. Really, rather than being like an isolated, towering peak, it's more like a long, east-west ridge with a couple of over 10,000' bumps on it.
I'm beginning to recognize which ski lift is which - Lone Spruce and Mother are both blue and two seaters. Aspen is black and a 4 seater. I need to check out Townsight but haven't made it over there lately.
I went up the side road to where it intersected the Zero Road East higher up and then walked that for a short distance to another side road, turning right and then followed that to an intersection where yesterday I turned right but today I went left instead.
Truthfully, I don't know how much of this road system I'm learning because I wander here and there, back and forth. If I keep at it, I should eventually gain some familiarity.
I saw two deer bucks that bounded off diagonally down a ski slope when they heard me. I've seen a number of bucks on Pajarito, including a human one who didn't see me and was almost ready to unzip his fly until I made noises to warn him off!!
I was enchanted by a tall thistle with fading yellow flowers, laden with orange and black fritillary butterflies. There was even a bumblebee on it.
I saw two felsenmeers, one near Aspen Lift that I walked across - they actually lop off the young trees and use it as a ski run. Wouldn't the warning signs about obstacles, natural and man-made, be more truthful if they told skiers that huge rocks lay under the snow?
This reminds me that I saw the other day a tree with a plaque on it saying the tree belongs to Joel Prichard, who died in December 2000, and it thanks all who tried to save him. Sad.
I got up to Bruce's Blvd. West and saw all the connections it makes to the back of the mountain. The snow-making puddle is as ugly as ever and still unfilled.
I started to follow the Logging Road down the west side of the mountain but since the weather was still holding, I got waylaid by yet another side road that eventually went back to the Logging Road.
I got back to the car at 2:23 pm. and did a little over 4 miles. The sky was dark and cloudy and occasional thunder-rumbles could be heard - the second shift was coming! Back home, though, it never rained.
Pajarito is a very rocky mountain. That can be seen on all the road surfaces and the felsenmeers. Really, rather than being like an isolated, towering peak, it's more like a long, east-west ridge with a couple of over 10,000' bumps on it.
I'm beginning to recognize which ski lift is which - Lone Spruce and Mother are both blue and two seaters. Aspen is black and a 4 seater. I need to check out Townsight but haven't made it over there lately.
Death Camas Revisited
It turns out that wild onion also has long, flat, narrow basal leaves that are similar to the death camas. The wild onion's flower stem is round and stiff just like those of the death camas and not hollow like a green onion. This helps me understand how someone could confuse the two if they pick the plant in the early spring before the flowers appear.
On Pajarito Mountain today, I picked the basal leaves and flower stem of a death camas and sniffed but could detect no onion odor. I "washed" my fingers off on wet vegetation of golden banner since I didn't know which part of the death camas is poisonous.
Now I read in Wikipedia that all parts of the plant are poisonous.
On Pajarito Mountain today, I picked the basal leaves and flower stem of a death camas and sniffed but could detect no onion odor. I "washed" my fingers off on wet vegetation of golden banner since I didn't know which part of the death camas is poisonous.
Now I read in Wikipedia that all parts of the plant are poisonous.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Philosophical Musings
What does life mean? Is it just finding ways to entertain myself?
How will spouse's retirement work out with the constant sound of the TV on?
Wish I had a magic wand to change everything.
Feel like I'm marking time sometimes.
Appreciate sleep and dreams so much now.
When tired, feel hopeless.
Husband wants to know everything I write.
Blogging is a way to get published. Whether or not anyone reads it is beside the point!! ; D
How will spouse's retirement work out with the constant sound of the TV on?
Wish I had a magic wand to change everything.
Feel like I'm marking time sometimes.
Appreciate sleep and dreams so much now.
When tired, feel hopeless.
Husband wants to know everything I write.
Blogging is a way to get published. Whether or not anyone reads it is beside the point!! ; D
Yada, Yada, Ya - So Goes My Blog's Credo
Here is the now defunct credo for my now defunct Wild Child Woman blog:
For the feeling of longing and yearning and the revving of juices that I get while driving and a song comes on the radio that makes me turn up the volume and sing along. That is the undertone of my life but sometimes (a lot of times!), my Whine Child nature takes over.
It's defunct because I decided that I couldn't live up to being a Wild Child, even though it's true part of the time. The Whine Child part, I could easily live up to!
Some of the time, though, I'm just a tired and mildly depressed senior citizen. I know that I feel that way right now because I didn't sleep well last night. I know I'll feel better in the morning. Even though I had a beautiful hike today with a local group and enjoyed it, I now feel let-down and sad.
For the feeling of longing and yearning and the revving of juices that I get while driving and a song comes on the radio that makes me turn up the volume and sing along. That is the undertone of my life but sometimes (a lot of times!), my Whine Child nature takes over.
It's defunct because I decided that I couldn't live up to being a Wild Child, even though it's true part of the time. The Whine Child part, I could easily live up to!
Some of the time, though, I'm just a tired and mildly depressed senior citizen. I know that I feel that way right now because I didn't sleep well last night. I know I'll feel better in the morning. Even though I had a beautiful hike today with a local group and enjoyed it, I now feel let-down and sad.
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Still Exploring Pajarito Mountain
I worked on learning some of the side jeep roads today. The side roads often turn into trails when they cross the ski runs. I still have lots more side roads to walk. I found a particularly good one that starts off Zero Road East (the third side road to the right from the Lodge, counting as the first the one that traverses across the Beginner Ski Run) and then meets it again further up, well below the antennas. It wasn't as rocky as some of the side roads.
Lots of death camas blooming on the ski runs. I'm not sure how death camas and wild onion are confused. Of course, I'm viewing a mature plant - what do the leaves look like when the plant is just coming up in the Spring? I like how the bottom third of the six white petals are kissed by green - pretty!
I saw toadstools popping but didn't yet notice any mushrooms that looked edible.
The bike trails that are all over the mountain are scarily steep. I like my knees too much to ruin them by walking down the bike trails but part of my explorations may one day include going up them. The side roads are lots more knee-friendly!
Lots of death camas blooming on the ski runs. I'm not sure how death camas and wild onion are confused. Of course, I'm viewing a mature plant - what do the leaves look like when the plant is just coming up in the Spring? I like how the bottom third of the six white petals are kissed by green - pretty!
I saw toadstools popping but didn't yet notice any mushrooms that looked edible.
The bike trails that are all over the mountain are scarily steep. I like my knees too much to ruin them by walking down the bike trails but part of my explorations may one day include going up them. The side roads are lots more knee-friendly!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monsoon Here - At Last!
Woke at 7 am to go up to Pajarito Mountain Ski Area with spouse, where we would meet with my friend. Spouse took the lift up with her. She's old enough that they knew to stop the Aspen Lift at the top so she could safely disembark. They walked over to look at the snow-making retention pond - butt ugly with a chain link fence around it.
Meantime, I hoofed up to the back of the mountain via the Zero Road East and then back down to the Aspen Lift picnic deck where they were waiting for me (but not for long).
It rained some - my golf umbrella was wonderful as usual. Friend and I walked and talked together on the way down. Husband walked well ahead of us most of the time as he felt he couldn't walk downhill as slowly as we were.
Friend and I had hoped to scope out from "on high" the mysterious triangle of land between Cañada Bonita and Quemazon canyons that we hope to hike to some day. It's below and north of Pajarito Mountain and on a clear day, we'd have enjoyed studying the lay of the land with our binoculars but the overcast skies didn't permit that. As my friend said back at the parking lot, it was a walk filled with "atmosphere" (probably meaning in the literal sense, walking through clouds, as well as figuratively!) Afterward, my friend went over to FR181/American Springs Road to check on some invasive musk thistle growing alongside the road.
Meantime, I hoofed up to the back of the mountain via the Zero Road East and then back down to the Aspen Lift picnic deck where they were waiting for me (but not for long).
It rained some - my golf umbrella was wonderful as usual. Friend and I walked and talked together on the way down. Husband walked well ahead of us most of the time as he felt he couldn't walk downhill as slowly as we were.
Friend and I had hoped to scope out from "on high" the mysterious triangle of land between Cañada Bonita and Quemazon canyons that we hope to hike to some day. It's below and north of Pajarito Mountain and on a clear day, we'd have enjoyed studying the lay of the land with our binoculars but the overcast skies didn't permit that. As my friend said back at the parking lot, it was a walk filled with "atmosphere" (probably meaning in the literal sense, walking through clouds, as well as figuratively!) Afterward, my friend went over to FR181/American Springs Road to check on some invasive musk thistle growing alongside the road.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Big Tree Hug
Hiked Cañada Bonita Trail to find biggest spruce tree in Los Alamos county. Hiking buddy says her friend that volunteers at PEEC calls them "potato chip" trees because of the appearance of the peeling, gray scales on the tree bark. That's what we called them the whole day.
First we measured an aspen but she forgot to take its portrait which will mean another trip back but it's possible she'll go alone or the PEEC friend may accompany her.
Truthfully, I was ready to give the whole thing up because measuring the trunk circumference, the tree height and the branch spread (she has newly added that data point) seems so inexact and that upsets me. I didn't outright say "I quit!" but when I gently groused about the inexactness, she reassured me that we didn't have to be exact but the idea was just to get a grip on which tree species was the biggest we found. If the state big tree program wants to, she said, they will then come out and do precise measurements. I still don't want to do the big tree measurements but I was more laissez faire after that. Also, I let her do the business to "measure" the tree height - felt loads better not having to do that!
Then we wandered into the woods along the fence line that marks the boundary between the Santa Fe National Forest and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Lots of huge stumps in that area! We went uphill and I would have liked to continue uphill along the fence line area as it was fairly easy to walk, having been cleared for a fireline. Instead, we headed downhill to find the spruces that another volunteer had given her the UTM's for.
The spruces were impressive and we did our "measurements". Part of our determining if we need to measure a tree is that we both "hug" it tightly from opposite sides to see how much our hands overlap - imagine seeing two old ladies in the woods, hugging a tree for all they are worth!
We started hearing thunder rumbling so we headed back but made a major boo boo in following the XC ski trail that tortuously wanders back to the main trail. Then it started to rain but not too hard and not too bad on the thunder. We eventually took a short cut trail to the main trail. Back at my car, we donned plastic grocery bags on our feet to keep mud off the rugs and headed back to town. We ate our lunch in the car on the drive down - Ginger Snap Lara Bars.
Notable: The purple Mariposa lilies were still putting on an amazing display. There were so many of them. Fritillary butterflies were also in abundance on their beloved sneezeweed flowers.
First we measured an aspen but she forgot to take its portrait which will mean another trip back but it's possible she'll go alone or the PEEC friend may accompany her.
Truthfully, I was ready to give the whole thing up because measuring the trunk circumference, the tree height and the branch spread (she has newly added that data point) seems so inexact and that upsets me. I didn't outright say "I quit!" but when I gently groused about the inexactness, she reassured me that we didn't have to be exact but the idea was just to get a grip on which tree species was the biggest we found. If the state big tree program wants to, she said, they will then come out and do precise measurements. I still don't want to do the big tree measurements but I was more laissez faire after that. Also, I let her do the business to "measure" the tree height - felt loads better not having to do that!
Then we wandered into the woods along the fence line that marks the boundary between the Santa Fe National Forest and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Lots of huge stumps in that area! We went uphill and I would have liked to continue uphill along the fence line area as it was fairly easy to walk, having been cleared for a fireline. Instead, we headed downhill to find the spruces that another volunteer had given her the UTM's for.
The spruces were impressive and we did our "measurements". Part of our determining if we need to measure a tree is that we both "hug" it tightly from opposite sides to see how much our hands overlap - imagine seeing two old ladies in the woods, hugging a tree for all they are worth!
We started hearing thunder rumbling so we headed back but made a major boo boo in following the XC ski trail that tortuously wanders back to the main trail. Then it started to rain but not too hard and not too bad on the thunder. We eventually took a short cut trail to the main trail. Back at my car, we donned plastic grocery bags on our feet to keep mud off the rugs and headed back to town. We ate our lunch in the car on the drive down - Ginger Snap Lara Bars.
Notable: The purple Mariposa lilies were still putting on an amazing display. There were so many of them. Fritillary butterflies were also in abundance on their beloved sneezeweed flowers.
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