Yesterday wasn't a hunting day so I walked my 4 miles on FR181/American Springs Road. Such a beautiful, lonely road! I didn't see a soul other than the two vehicles that drove in just as I neared the end of my walk but then almost immediately turned around and drove back out.
The wind consorted with the tree tops, creating a song of lonely longing. The day was sunny and cool but by layering 3 long-sleeved shirts, I was comfortable. I only needed my windbreaker when I was almost back at the car. Where the road dips down into Water Canyon, I saw thin traces of snow in the shade.
Deer and elk tracks speckled the dirt. The tracks look like Valentine hearts, albeit broken by a cloven line that rifts through the center. Tiny birds hopped two by two in dry grass stalks alongside the road. Wild rose bushes, with russet leaves, were festooned with red rose hips that looked like tiny Christmas ornaments.
Someone had, here and there, cut down young, skinny aspens from alongside the road. They had let them fall so the upper branches stuck out like trip-wires along the edge of the road. I didn't notice this hazard until one caught onto my wool sock and wouldn't let me go until I went pitching forward, landing on my left hip and knee. My sock was torn and my knee was scraped but I picked myself up and kept walking. After that happened, though, I tossed the trees back from the road wherever I could.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Falls Trail With WRSC Group
Haven't been on the Falls Trail for a long time - very pretty. The group only went as far as the lower waterfall. I would have liked going further but it was a beautiful day to hike anyway.
The grapevine tells me that sandhill cranes are on the move south now but we didn't see/hear any on the hike today.
One of the hikers had more info on the newly flagged snowshoe trail between the Quemazon Road and Cañada Bonita Canyon. Turns out the route had been cleared previously by a surveyor. The trail crew only had to clear out the fallen brush and debris. That explains why I didn't see any freshly cut trees along the snowshoe trail.
Wednesday, hiked with husband on Canyon Rim Trail. Thursday was a dentist appointment in Albuquerque.
Glad daughter is back safely from business trip in Las Vegas!
The grapevine tells me that sandhill cranes are on the move south now but we didn't see/hear any on the hike today.
One of the hikers had more info on the newly flagged snowshoe trail between the Quemazon Road and Cañada Bonita Canyon. Turns out the route had been cleared previously by a surveyor. The trail crew only had to clear out the fallen brush and debris. That explains why I didn't see any freshly cut trees along the snowshoe trail.
Wednesday, hiked with husband on Canyon Rim Trail. Thursday was a dentist appointment in Albuquerque.
Glad daughter is back safely from business trip in Las Vegas!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday Group Goes to Rim of Alamo Canyon
Although the weather was supposed to be cold and windy today, it was beautiful and perfect hiking weather. At the Alamo Canyon Rim, we went a short distance to the east and were awed by a passel of spiral petroglyphs on the perfect canvas of orange volcanic tuff. We walked over to the top of the "staircase" down into Alamo Canyon and were glad we didn't have to go down it. We saw a solitary tarantula on the way back.
Some things I forgot to write about yesterday:
I could smell smoke - a sweet smell like someone nearby smoking a pipe filled with vanilla flavored tobacco. There was haze hanging on the upper reaches of Pajarito Mountain so it's possible the ski club was doing some burning.
Someone has newly marked with orange flagging an extension of the snowshoe trail, off the lower road, alongside the rim of Cañada Bonita Canyon.
The biggest problem with my understanding the Nordic ski trails is that they don't seem to entirely jive with the posted forest service map of the trail system.
Some things I forgot to write about yesterday:
I could smell smoke - a sweet smell like someone nearby smoking a pipe filled with vanilla flavored tobacco. There was haze hanging on the upper reaches of Pajarito Mountain so it's possible the ski club was doing some burning.
Someone has newly marked with orange flagging an extension of the snowshoe trail, off the lower road, alongside the rim of Cañada Bonita Canyon.
The biggest problem with my understanding the Nordic ski trails is that they don't seem to entirely jive with the posted forest service map of the trail system.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Trying to Understand the Nordic Ski Trails
Today, having nothing better to do, I tried to understand the setup of the Southwest Nordic Ski Club trails off the Cañada Bonita Trail. I'm pretty sure that I walked every one of them. My GPS said the final tally was 5.5 miles.
The ski trails are confusing because from the most direct route to Cañada Bonita meadow, the upper trail, the letter assigned to the trail segment changes, even though it's the same trail, when it's accessed from the old Quemazon Road, e.g., E from the upper route becomes P when accessed from the lower road. The letters are on blue diamonds tacked onto trees.
Basically, all the ski trails going downhill from the most direct route to the meadow intersect the Quemazon Road (aka Guaje Canyon Trail 282, aka Cañada Bonita Trail). The ski trails going uphill from the most direct route to the meadow are loops that seem designed to give the skier as much downhill as possible in limited space. For example, ski trail L, which starts from Cañada Bonita meadow has 6 switchbacks. Each switchback has its own number on a blue diamond tacked to a tree.
Some of the ski trails have names in addition to letters of the alphabet - TJ's Dogleg, Dave's Dogleg, and one named after a Tom but I can't remember the name - maybe something like Tom's Mad Downhill or Mad Tom's Downhill...
Well, now that I've done this, I don't have to ever do it again. The trails are exasperating for hikers in their meanderings but things of wonder for Nordic skiers as they whip through the forest!
Saw outside the senior center the woman who volunteered on rebuilding the Knapp Trail. She says they went 1 1/3 mile and other volunteers went ahead with chainsaws. The original Knapp Trail from Quemazon Canyon up to the Quemazon Trail was only .8 mile (no wonder it was so steep) so I'm not sure what to make of the 1 1/3 miles. Maybe they will make it longer but gentler? Maybe I didn't understand exactly where the 1 1/3 miles began. The forest service drove them to the Los Alamos Reservoir - the 1 1/3 miles could have started from there? There was probably plenty of deadfall in Los Alamos Canyon to deal with before they even approached the bottom of the Knapp Trail. She seemed in a hurry so I didn't press her for details.
Almost forgot - most peculiar - near the start of the Cañada Bonita trailhead, right after the locked gate, on the left side, there is an portable automatic traffic counter attached to a tree. I never saw that before. At first I thought it was a camera but it says portable automatic traffic counter on the back (or something like that).
The ski trails are confusing because from the most direct route to Cañada Bonita meadow, the upper trail, the letter assigned to the trail segment changes, even though it's the same trail, when it's accessed from the old Quemazon Road, e.g., E from the upper route becomes P when accessed from the lower road. The letters are on blue diamonds tacked onto trees.
Basically, all the ski trails going downhill from the most direct route to the meadow intersect the Quemazon Road (aka Guaje Canyon Trail 282, aka Cañada Bonita Trail). The ski trails going uphill from the most direct route to the meadow are loops that seem designed to give the skier as much downhill as possible in limited space. For example, ski trail L, which starts from Cañada Bonita meadow has 6 switchbacks. Each switchback has its own number on a blue diamond tacked to a tree.
Some of the ski trails have names in addition to letters of the alphabet - TJ's Dogleg, Dave's Dogleg, and one named after a Tom but I can't remember the name - maybe something like Tom's Mad Downhill or Mad Tom's Downhill...
Well, now that I've done this, I don't have to ever do it again. The trails are exasperating for hikers in their meanderings but things of wonder for Nordic skiers as they whip through the forest!
Saw outside the senior center the woman who volunteered on rebuilding the Knapp Trail. She says they went 1 1/3 mile and other volunteers went ahead with chainsaws. The original Knapp Trail from Quemazon Canyon up to the Quemazon Trail was only .8 mile (no wonder it was so steep) so I'm not sure what to make of the 1 1/3 miles. Maybe they will make it longer but gentler? Maybe I didn't understand exactly where the 1 1/3 miles began. The forest service drove them to the Los Alamos Reservoir - the 1 1/3 miles could have started from there? There was probably plenty of deadfall in Los Alamos Canyon to deal with before they even approached the bottom of the Knapp Trail. She seemed in a hurry so I didn't press her for details.
Almost forgot - most peculiar - near the start of the Cañada Bonita trailhead, right after the locked gate, on the left side, there is an portable automatic traffic counter attached to a tree. I never saw that before. At first I thought it was a camera but it says portable automatic traffic counter on the back (or something like that).
Saturday, November 6, 2010
WRSC Hikers Went to Plaza Blanca Friday
Husband seems to think the group was overextending themselves by climbing on all the slippery rocks. Maybe now they should be called the WRSC Friskies? The hike wasn't very long - probably less than 2 miles. It was a long drive for a short hike but since I did 7 miles on Thursday, I didn't complain. Plaza Blanca still had some trees in full yellow color since it's lower in altitude. Yellow leaves against white rock turrets makes for pretty photos! We all ate lunch at the Abiquiu Inn. I had blue corn tortilla trout tacos - delish!
Walked Zero Road East to the back of Pajarito Mountain this afternoon. I looked across Los Alamos Canyon for any trace of the Knapp Trail. One of the WRSC Hikers knows someone who volunteered for the trail workshop and says the forest service drove the volunteers in on the Reservoir Road so they must have roughed in the trail starting from the bottom of LA Canyon.
Next time, it would be nice to go to the top of the Aspen Lift for 1,240' elevation gain and 2.6 miles one way. As Nike says, just do it!!
Walked Zero Road East to the back of Pajarito Mountain this afternoon. I looked across Los Alamos Canyon for any trace of the Knapp Trail. One of the WRSC Hikers knows someone who volunteered for the trail workshop and says the forest service drove the volunteers in on the Reservoir Road so they must have roughed in the trail starting from the bottom of LA Canyon.
Next time, it would be nice to go to the top of the Aspen Lift for 1,240' elevation gain and 2.6 miles one way. As Nike says, just do it!!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Three Trails for the Price of One
Today, the "big tree project" crew was supposed to go to the VCNP to hug trees, including "peel" trees which I'm told are trees that American Indians peeled and ate the bark of in times of hardship.
Four of us showed up and rode up into the Jemez Mountains to the Preserve entrance but the gate was locked. We headed back toward Los Alamos until we could get a cell phone signal and then called the telephone number listed on the gate. The Preserve receptionist told us that they have now started their autumn schedule and will only be open Friday through Sunday. We were disappointed.
Back in town, I went with the crew leader to document some trees in the Western Area, off Ridgeway, and to get the UTM on another in Quemazon Community.
It was 1 pm when we got done. Since it was so close to, I decided to walk up Pipeline Road. At first, I planned to only walk my daily 4 but, instead, I walked up to the intersection of Pipeline with the Quemazon Trail and then toddled over on the Quemazon Trail to the viewpoint of Pajarito Mountain and Los Alamos Canyon. I had my lunch there and studied Loco Triangle with binoculars and took its portrait. I concluded it would be a poor idea to try to approach it from Paul's Portal Overlook. The ridge going down from there is too steep.
Exciting hiking news!! Close to where I ate lunch, I saw plastic flagging that marked a rough-in of the Knapp Trail which was destroyed in the 2000 fire. Several weeks ago, I had seen advertised a trail workshop, sponsored by the forest service, to build a bench cut trail on the Knapp Trail. I couldn't tell how far down into Los Alamos Canyon it went because I walked less than .1 mile on it from the intersection with the Quemazon Trail, marked by an impressive rock cairn, as it was very rough. I'm so glad that the Knapp Trail may be rebuilt one day! Maybe it will be better than the original which was scarily steep with a scrabbly, ball-bearing tread. I also would love it if the Pajarito Canyon Trail, burnt up in the 2000 fire, to the top of Pajarito Mountain was rebuilt some day.
Anyway, I continued downhill on the Quemazon Trail and over to the North Perimeter Trail. Unfortunately, there is no real trail connection between the two. I had to very inelegantly (read "sliding on butt") cross the South Fork of Pueblo Canyon to get on the Perimeter Trail.
I made very good time on the Perimeter Trail because the sun was setting and I didn't want to meet any wild animals that wanted to make me their supper. Got back to my car at 5:15 pm. Probably did just over 7 miles in a little over 4 hours. I was thrilled to have done this hike on such a beautiful autumn day - the young aspens in the burned area still have golden leaves and the weather was wonderful.
Four of us showed up and rode up into the Jemez Mountains to the Preserve entrance but the gate was locked. We headed back toward Los Alamos until we could get a cell phone signal and then called the telephone number listed on the gate. The Preserve receptionist told us that they have now started their autumn schedule and will only be open Friday through Sunday. We were disappointed.
Back in town, I went with the crew leader to document some trees in the Western Area, off Ridgeway, and to get the UTM on another in Quemazon Community.
It was 1 pm when we got done. Since it was so close to, I decided to walk up Pipeline Road. At first, I planned to only walk my daily 4 but, instead, I walked up to the intersection of Pipeline with the Quemazon Trail and then toddled over on the Quemazon Trail to the viewpoint of Pajarito Mountain and Los Alamos Canyon. I had my lunch there and studied Loco Triangle with binoculars and took its portrait. I concluded it would be a poor idea to try to approach it from Paul's Portal Overlook. The ridge going down from there is too steep.
Exciting hiking news!! Close to where I ate lunch, I saw plastic flagging that marked a rough-in of the Knapp Trail which was destroyed in the 2000 fire. Several weeks ago, I had seen advertised a trail workshop, sponsored by the forest service, to build a bench cut trail on the Knapp Trail. I couldn't tell how far down into Los Alamos Canyon it went because I walked less than .1 mile on it from the intersection with the Quemazon Trail, marked by an impressive rock cairn, as it was very rough. I'm so glad that the Knapp Trail may be rebuilt one day! Maybe it will be better than the original which was scarily steep with a scrabbly, ball-bearing tread. I also would love it if the Pajarito Canyon Trail, burnt up in the 2000 fire, to the top of Pajarito Mountain was rebuilt some day.
Anyway, I continued downhill on the Quemazon Trail and over to the North Perimeter Trail. Unfortunately, there is no real trail connection between the two. I had to very inelegantly (read "sliding on butt") cross the South Fork of Pueblo Canyon to get on the Perimeter Trail.
I made very good time on the Perimeter Trail because the sun was setting and I didn't want to meet any wild animals that wanted to make me their supper. Got back to my car at 5:15 pm. Probably did just over 7 miles in a little over 4 hours. I was thrilled to have done this hike on such a beautiful autumn day - the young aspens in the burned area still have golden leaves and the weather was wonderful.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Met Rogue Trail Builder Today
Today, the WI group hiked the Canyon Rim Trail, crossed NM502 to hike the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail north of the airport to the Mesa Trail. From the Mesa Trail, they went down into Graduation Canyon for lunch and then continued on the Rogue Trail, also along the north-facing shelf of Pueblo Canyon. Their destination was North Mesa to celebrate yet another hiker's birthday while mine was only the public library.
Along the way, we met the man who built what I call the Rogue Trail. He works by himself, doing 10-15' of trail a day, carrying his hand tools, which included a large bow saw, a McLeod and others I didn't recognize, on a strap across his shoulder. His trail work keeps pushing the double-track portion of the trail closer to Graduation Canyon. I'm happy that he's gradually doing away with the single-track portion because I feel safer walking a wide trail beside steep drop-offs like those into Pueblo Canyon! If rocks are in the way of the trail widening, he uses them to shore up the canyon-side of the trail, moving them himself!
He says that he also built the East Fork Trail, now part of the Los Alamos County Trail Network (not the East Fork Trail in the Jemez Mountains). He hopes that eventually the Rogue Trail will be incorporated into the county trail system and connect with the Mesa Trail via Graduation Canyon. He does the trail work to get exercise. Amazing man!!
Along the way, we met the man who built what I call the Rogue Trail. He works by himself, doing 10-15' of trail a day, carrying his hand tools, which included a large bow saw, a McLeod and others I didn't recognize, on a strap across his shoulder. His trail work keeps pushing the double-track portion of the trail closer to Graduation Canyon. I'm happy that he's gradually doing away with the single-track portion because I feel safer walking a wide trail beside steep drop-offs like those into Pueblo Canyon! If rocks are in the way of the trail widening, he uses them to shore up the canyon-side of the trail, moving them himself!
He says that he also built the East Fork Trail, now part of the Los Alamos County Trail Network (not the East Fork Trail in the Jemez Mountains). He hopes that eventually the Rogue Trail will be incorporated into the county trail system and connect with the Mesa Trail via Graduation Canyon. He does the trail work to get exercise. Amazing man!!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
No Downed Trees on Route from Windstorm
I'm amazed - yesterday when I checked the Route, absolutely no trees had toppled over from last week's ferocious winds, clocking in the 40's at the Los Alamos Airport! Also, the young aspen trees that I've been watching over the years were finally in full color. The magnificence of their color far surpasses their size! I got close to one tree, pointed my camera upwards and now have on my Desktop a cheerful photo brimming with golden aspen leaves against the blue sky!
The closer-in view from Camp May Road of Loco Triangle gave me no more information than the view I can see from Pajarito Mountain. I'll just have to one day find someone crazy enough to go there with me.
The closer-in view from Camp May Road of Loco Triangle gave me no more information than the view I can see from Pajarito Mountain. I'll just have to one day find someone crazy enough to go there with me.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Pajarito Mountain Enchanting in Late Afternoon Light
By the skin of my teeth, I got a hike in today up Pajarito Mountain. I didn't start until sometime past 3:30 pm and got back to my car at 5 pm. There's real enchantment walking that time of day - not a whole lot of people and the side-lighting of the setting sun gives pretty effects. I took Zero Road East to the back of the mountain. Saw several trees had been felled by last week's windstorm, including a giant that toppled near (but missed!) the two towers at the 4 way intersection. Here and there are the teeniest patches of snow.
On my way up, ran into a WI hiker on his way down. Said he had 3 strokes in the past year and lost eyesight in his right eye. He looked good but said because of the strokes, he was hesitant about going to the top of Pajarito but the trip up, his first since his health problems, felt easy to him so he was pleased.
The golden aspen leaves have all flown away up high. It was sunny at the back (south) of the mountain but mostly shady on the way down the front (north). I didn't bring my backpack or a jacket so I tucked in my shirtsleeves, pants legs and shirt to preserve body warmth.
On the drive down Camp May Road, I saw a place where I can get close-up views from the side of the road of Bonita Point, aka Loco Triangle. Maybe this will quench my desire to learn more about that place or further inflame it?
Lower down, there are still some golden aspens along the Route.
On my way up, ran into a WI hiker on his way down. Said he had 3 strokes in the past year and lost eyesight in his right eye. He looked good but said because of the strokes, he was hesitant about going to the top of Pajarito but the trip up, his first since his health problems, felt easy to him so he was pleased.
The golden aspen leaves have all flown away up high. It was sunny at the back (south) of the mountain but mostly shady on the way down the front (north). I didn't bring my backpack or a jacket so I tucked in my shirtsleeves, pants legs and shirt to preserve body warmth.
On the drive down Camp May Road, I saw a place where I can get close-up views from the side of the road of Bonita Point, aka Loco Triangle. Maybe this will quench my desire to learn more about that place or further inflame it?
Lower down, there are still some golden aspens along the Route.
Now Let's See - What Was I Saying...
Went to Salida, Colorado last week but only for 3 days. Spouse suggested cutting trip short by a day because of cold weather. On Wednesday, our only full day there, we parked at the Frantz Lake State Wildlife Area and walked to Sand Lake and back, passing the Mount Shavano State Fish Hatchery along the way.
When we started, I insisted on first walking to the left, away from the direction we wanted to go, to see where the path led. Took a lot of "convincing" to get spouse to go along as he was sure we were only going to walk far out into a meadow (but what a meadow with glorious views of snow-capped 14ers in the Sawatch Range, one probably being Mt. Shavano!) Shortly, the trail turned back around on itself and traveled along the other side of the lake in the "right" direction; only then did he finally feel reassured that we were on track. My philosophy is to explore but that makes him nervous!
We had lunch on a (cold) bench at Sand Lake with beautiful views of the southern Sawatch Mountains. Geese were wheeling overhead - an umbrella would have come in handy but fortunately they ejected no slime-bombs. The lake was full of geese and ducks - quite picturesque. Spouse regrets that I didn't take a photo and he's right about that one. Sand Lake serves as a settling pond for waste from the fish hatchery but the state maintains it as high quality habitat for wildlife. It's a pretty lake. It pours into the Arkansas River after all the waste has settled out.
Afterward, I talked spouse into trying again to find Spiral Drive. He was reluctant because he remembers last time we tried to find it, we came to a closed, private property road. After some more "convincing" on my part, we finally found it and started driving up it. It's a well-graded road, no worse than the Dome Road, the portion from NM4 to Graduation Flats, in the Jemez Mountains. It was the teeniest bit washboard-y but not excessively so. Spouse wasn't comfortable continuing up so he parked while I walked up some more. His last words were "Don't take too long!"
As I walked up, the views opened up of the Sawatch Mountains and the Arkansas Hills. I could see Tenderfoot, or "S" Mountain, in the distance and figured there was no way I'd be able to walk to the top of it. As I continued up Spiral Drive, though, Tenderfoot looked more within my reach so I didn't stop walking until I got to the gazebo on top of the mountain.
There are fantastic views from the top of the city of Salida, the northern Sangres and the southern Sawatch mountains. Tenderfoot is a dormant cindercone. The townsfolk of Salida decided in 1922 to build Spiral Drive which truly does spiral up to just below Tenderfoot. The last few yards to the top are navigated via stairs.
I estimate that the distance I walked to the top was less than two miles and only a few hundred feet in elevation gain. Tenderfoot is 550 feet above Salida which is right around 7,000' in elevation. I didn't walk all that elevation difference because I started from higher up. The whole round trip took me about an hour. I've wanted to walk up Tenderfoot ever since I first saw it!
I have to comment about the views of the snow-capped northern Sangre de Cristos on the way to Salida, starting from the Great Sand Dunes. When covered with snow, those mountains look like the Himalayas to me! They are impressive! The Rainbow Trail, I read in the travel literature, travels in the Sangres from Poncha Springs to the Great Sand Dunes. Now, that would be a hike!!
Had we stayed another day, like we had planned, I would have hiked portions of the Arkansas Hills Trail System. The Arkansas Hills, it seems, are southern foothills to the Mosquito Range. Volunteers are busily building a whole system of trails into the foothills.
When we started, I insisted on first walking to the left, away from the direction we wanted to go, to see where the path led. Took a lot of "convincing" to get spouse to go along as he was sure we were only going to walk far out into a meadow (but what a meadow with glorious views of snow-capped 14ers in the Sawatch Range, one probably being Mt. Shavano!) Shortly, the trail turned back around on itself and traveled along the other side of the lake in the "right" direction; only then did he finally feel reassured that we were on track. My philosophy is to explore but that makes him nervous!
We had lunch on a (cold) bench at Sand Lake with beautiful views of the southern Sawatch Mountains. Geese were wheeling overhead - an umbrella would have come in handy but fortunately they ejected no slime-bombs. The lake was full of geese and ducks - quite picturesque. Spouse regrets that I didn't take a photo and he's right about that one. Sand Lake serves as a settling pond for waste from the fish hatchery but the state maintains it as high quality habitat for wildlife. It's a pretty lake. It pours into the Arkansas River after all the waste has settled out.
Afterward, I talked spouse into trying again to find Spiral Drive. He was reluctant because he remembers last time we tried to find it, we came to a closed, private property road. After some more "convincing" on my part, we finally found it and started driving up it. It's a well-graded road, no worse than the Dome Road, the portion from NM4 to Graduation Flats, in the Jemez Mountains. It was the teeniest bit washboard-y but not excessively so. Spouse wasn't comfortable continuing up so he parked while I walked up some more. His last words were "Don't take too long!"
As I walked up, the views opened up of the Sawatch Mountains and the Arkansas Hills. I could see Tenderfoot, or "S" Mountain, in the distance and figured there was no way I'd be able to walk to the top of it. As I continued up Spiral Drive, though, Tenderfoot looked more within my reach so I didn't stop walking until I got to the gazebo on top of the mountain.
There are fantastic views from the top of the city of Salida, the northern Sangres and the southern Sawatch mountains. Tenderfoot is a dormant cindercone. The townsfolk of Salida decided in 1922 to build Spiral Drive which truly does spiral up to just below Tenderfoot. The last few yards to the top are navigated via stairs.
I estimate that the distance I walked to the top was less than two miles and only a few hundred feet in elevation gain. Tenderfoot is 550 feet above Salida which is right around 7,000' in elevation. I didn't walk all that elevation difference because I started from higher up. The whole round trip took me about an hour. I've wanted to walk up Tenderfoot ever since I first saw it!
I have to comment about the views of the snow-capped northern Sangre de Cristos on the way to Salida, starting from the Great Sand Dunes. When covered with snow, those mountains look like the Himalayas to me! They are impressive! The Rainbow Trail, I read in the travel literature, travels in the Sangres from Poncha Springs to the Great Sand Dunes. Now, that would be a hike!!
Had we stayed another day, like we had planned, I would have hiked portions of the Arkansas Hills Trail System. The Arkansas Hills, it seems, are southern foothills to the Mosquito Range. Volunteers are busily building a whole system of trails into the foothills.
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