Went with BESC hiking group to East Fork. Only 6 of us. Art went back looking for a stick to cross first rocks (only non-bridge crossing on trail) and then decided to do his own hike going up the hill west of the East Fork, going through some private property and finding an old cross country ski trail that Mary said was the first Roland Pettitt Trail, put in by Jim Burns and some middle school students. It had to be abandoned because the forest service said it was illegally put in. Times have changed apparently as there are plenty of unauthorized trails in the Jemez Mountains nowadays.
Natalie and I turned it into a flower walk. We saw lots more of the White Prairie Mallow. I wonder why Dorothy said she's mainly found it in the Sangres. We saw Parry's Harebell. I plucked some dogbane to show Natalie. There's still a profusion of flowers in bloom. The new bridge is in which replaces the last of the rickety bridges. They cut the old one off its moorings to put it out of commision.
The hike was only 3.3 miles. Natalie asked if I could drive her back to the senior center so Mary's car would be less crowded. On the way back, we encountered another maniacal semi-truck. I was following a car around one of the blind curves and I heard horn honking. I saw the car ahead of me had stopped so I stopped too and pulled my front end over toward the guardrail and would have moved over more if I had time but around the curve came blasting this god-awful, huge semi-truck that looked like it was going to clip me for sure. Amazingly, I didn't scream - maybe because Natalie was in the car. I've called the state highway transportation department to complain. This is going to go on until August 1 according to flashing warning signs that say watch out for heavy truck traffic. Someone's going to get hurt. The pumice trucks were never this reckless.
I finished my 4 miles on the Quemazon Nature Trail. Not a whole lot of shade since Cerro Grande but pretty nevertheless.
Next Friday's hike, spouse's Friday off, will be a hike around Cerro la Jara. Art wants to go to Cerros del Abrigo but Mary chose la Jara because that was the majority opinion. Most of the hikers don't want to do the 7 mile Cerros del Abrigo hike. I wouldn't mind but spouse and I will stick with the main group. We'd never see Art anyway!
I had time this afternoon to do upper body weight work, a smidgeon of yoga, and leg work which made me very happy!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Camp May Road
No rain but could hear distant rumble from dark clouds but was mostly sunny. A bejeweled hummingbird buzzed around my red jacket at one point. I stopped and enjoyed the show but eventually told it "Sweetie, I'm not a flower!"
The wood gatherers are helping to clear the woods near FR2998.
I made an appointment for September 23 with Dr. Richard Miller, an orthopedist in Albuquerque, to talk about my foot problems and possible orthotics.
Slept poorly last night - probably because it was so hot.
The wood gatherers are helping to clear the woods near FR2998.
I made an appointment for September 23 with Dr. Richard Miller, an orthopedist in Albuquerque, to talk about my foot problems and possible orthotics.
Slept poorly last night - probably because it was so hot.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
LL Hike: Corral Canyon Area
I thought I heard our leader say there were 16 of us. We saw the WI gathering at the Back Gate for their hike of Obsidian Ridge-Sawyer Mesa. I only know that because I asked Ginny to put me on the email list for them and she did. Adam, our leaders's grandson, was on the hike again. He's such fun to watch at lunch - very entertaining.
It looked cloudy and we heard thunder and felt one or two raindrops but we got off scot-free from any monsoon shenanigans.
On the way back, the workers at the VCNP entrance road upgrade were stopping all the vehicles and telling us to watch out for heavy semi-trucks coming up into the Jemez. They are stepping up the efforts to finish the upgrading of the Valles Caldera National Preserve entrance road and beginning paving. On the way down from our hike, we met a huge, speeding semi-truck that was partially on our side going up the curves above Frijoles Canyon. It was a real seat gripping moment! I saw an assortment of heavy equipment parked near the Back Gate this afternoon where the WI had left some cars.
I want to know more about all the roads and trails and the Corral Canyon-Peralta Road area. With the maniacal construction traffic in the Jemez, though, it may be a good time to avoid the Jemez.
Our leader's knees are feeling better than they have since the operation. On top of the knee problem, she also developed a piriformis syndrome affliction that gives sciatica-like pain but isn't sciatica. She does stretches that are helping that to improve. I stayed behind a lot and talked with her so I felt like I connected with people on this hike and didn't feel lonely like after last week's hike.
We went back on the Calzada Trail. I'm really impressed with how well our leaders's son, Eric, is able to maneuver around deadfall while carrying his son, Adam on his back. We did 4.9 miles.
I spent about an hour this afternoon trying unsuccessfully to straighten out a $100 bill from Los Alamos Medical Center stemming form spouse's speech therapy (as a result of his second bout of Bell's Palsy) in October 2007. LAMC did a random audit on July 2, 2008 of spouse's account and they say we owe them $100 for co-pays. Now it's up to us to prove whether or not we actually paid them. If spouse never got the receipts, there's not much we can do to argue that we don't owe it. He'll check it out more thoroughly when he gets back tomorrow.
This very hungry woman is going to eat supper now!
It looked cloudy and we heard thunder and felt one or two raindrops but we got off scot-free from any monsoon shenanigans.
On the way back, the workers at the VCNP entrance road upgrade were stopping all the vehicles and telling us to watch out for heavy semi-trucks coming up into the Jemez. They are stepping up the efforts to finish the upgrading of the Valles Caldera National Preserve entrance road and beginning paving. On the way down from our hike, we met a huge, speeding semi-truck that was partially on our side going up the curves above Frijoles Canyon. It was a real seat gripping moment! I saw an assortment of heavy equipment parked near the Back Gate this afternoon where the WI had left some cars.
I want to know more about all the roads and trails and the Corral Canyon-Peralta Road area. With the maniacal construction traffic in the Jemez, though, it may be a good time to avoid the Jemez.
Our leader's knees are feeling better than they have since the operation. On top of the knee problem, she also developed a piriformis syndrome affliction that gives sciatica-like pain but isn't sciatica. She does stretches that are helping that to improve. I stayed behind a lot and talked with her so I felt like I connected with people on this hike and didn't feel lonely like after last week's hike.
We went back on the Calzada Trail. I'm really impressed with how well our leaders's son, Eric, is able to maneuver around deadfall while carrying his son, Adam on his back. We did 4.9 miles.
I spent about an hour this afternoon trying unsuccessfully to straighten out a $100 bill from Los Alamos Medical Center stemming form spouse's speech therapy (as a result of his second bout of Bell's Palsy) in October 2007. LAMC did a random audit on July 2, 2008 of spouse's account and they say we owe them $100 for co-pays. Now it's up to us to prove whether or not we actually paid them. If spouse never got the receipts, there's not much we can do to argue that we don't owe it. He'll check it out more thoroughly when he gets back tomorrow.
This very hungry woman is going to eat supper now!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Perimeter Trail South
This trail spooks me. There are so many bushes that it's like walking in a narrow corridor in places. I'm afraid of mountain lions and prefer when I walk alone to do it where I can see for long distances. Although I hasten to add that my one mountain lion sighting since moving here in 1985 was on Burnt Mesa and you can't get any more wide-open spaces than that!
I'm especially spooked because I read Listening to Cougar recently which is a collection of essays reflecting on cougars. At the end of the book, there is a list of known human fatalities from mountain lion attacks since 1890. It's true that there aren't many but the ones there are are grisly and frightening. The book doesn't list non-fatal attacks. A child in Albuquerque was attacked recently by a mountain lion when he went ahead of his parents on a hike but he survived. In addition to the usual set of precautions - don't run away or you'll look like prey, make yourself look big, don't stoop or bend down, and fight back if attacked, there was also the very good point made that mountain lion will be where there is prey, namely deer and elk. They also like to hunt at dawn and dusk. In summary, do whatever you can to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and in fact represent a danger to it.
Going up out of Valle Canyon I saw some bear poop which isn't surprising since the hillside has some gloriously ripe raspberries growing on it.
On the way back, I got confused when I got to the Fireline Trail just like Jim did on the LL hike. I have to fix that area one day with some rock cairns. What happens is that on the way back from American Springs Road (FR181), you first intersect the Fireline Trail on your right, marked by a cairn. The thing to do is continue on the Perimeter Trail to the left and soon you come to another cairn marking the right turn downhill for the Perimeter Trail and then the Fireline Trail crosses the Perimeter Trail and goes off to your left - confusing! It was made more so by the darkening skies and rumble of thunder but I made it back before any sky pyrotechnics developed. Maybe I should call this area the Perimeter Trail Triangle (as in Bermuda Triangle)!
A bicyclist inadvertently scared me when he came from behind and I gasped. I called out to his retreating back that at least he wasn't a mountain lion and laughed but I don't think he got my humor!
I'm especially spooked because I read Listening to Cougar recently which is a collection of essays reflecting on cougars. At the end of the book, there is a list of known human fatalities from mountain lion attacks since 1890. It's true that there aren't many but the ones there are are grisly and frightening. The book doesn't list non-fatal attacks. A child in Albuquerque was attacked recently by a mountain lion when he went ahead of his parents on a hike but he survived. In addition to the usual set of precautions - don't run away or you'll look like prey, make yourself look big, don't stoop or bend down, and fight back if attacked, there was also the very good point made that mountain lion will be where there is prey, namely deer and elk. They also like to hunt at dawn and dusk. In summary, do whatever you can to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and in fact represent a danger to it.
Going up out of Valle Canyon I saw some bear poop which isn't surprising since the hillside has some gloriously ripe raspberries growing on it.
On the way back, I got confused when I got to the Fireline Trail just like Jim did on the LL hike. I have to fix that area one day with some rock cairns. What happens is that on the way back from American Springs Road (FR181), you first intersect the Fireline Trail on your right, marked by a cairn. The thing to do is continue on the Perimeter Trail to the left and soon you come to another cairn marking the right turn downhill for the Perimeter Trail and then the Fireline Trail crosses the Perimeter Trail and goes off to your left - confusing! It was made more so by the darkening skies and rumble of thunder but I made it back before any sky pyrotechnics developed. Maybe I should call this area the Perimeter Trail Triangle (as in Bermuda Triangle)!
A bicyclist inadvertently scared me when he came from behind and I gasped. I called out to his retreating back that at least he wasn't a mountain lion and laughed but I don't think he got my humor!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Short Trip to Colorado Today
That's what it's feels like on the drive up to the north rim of the Valles Caldera on FR100, FR 99, and FR144. Everything is so green. It's unbelievably, scrumptiously lovely and it will only get lovelier as summer turns into fall and aspens turn from green to gold.
Ed came to the parking lot to give Dorothy some maps of the Garita area that he copied off a map he had Travel Bug make for him. He wasn't going because he needed to get his 96 year old Mom a new walker. We didn't leave Mesa Public Library (MPL) until 8:34am because we talked with Ed for a while.
We turned right onto a dirt road off FR144 right after the cattle guard at the sign in the west direction that says end of latilla cutting. Dorothy parked and we went searching for a road that went out to a view. Our 5th road was the winner. The rest all deadended at confrontational landscaping, i.e., enormous berms and deadfall filled forests. The view of the entire northern Valles Caldera was to die for but we didn't stay long because it was looking ugly and thunder was booming. The rain began on the way back but no big lightning strikes. We only walked 1.47 miles in part because of the weather and in part because Dorothy developed a sore toe on the Valles de los Amigos Cerro Seco hike on Sunday.
BTW, Dorothy says that she does these projects to get out and could easily have others do it faster. She anticipates 2 more trips on the southern part of the West Rim and a trip from FR144 to FR376, crossing NM126. She's hoping that our scouts will take a look at the feasibility of a car shuttle trip starting down from Virgin Mesa to Battleship Rock. Then she says that Harry (?) McGavron contacted her about an old road from Scooter Pass to Pines that she wants to check out. Plus there are still a few more items to check out on the north rim, including finding a road that goes from Cerro de la Garita to the Hilton Gate.
When we got back into town, I drove up to the Ocean and finished my 4 miles through the woods alongside Camp May Road. I saw evidence that paint-ballers have been cavorting on the Route. The distance is about 1 mile from the Ocean to the top of Guardrail Hill and then about .25 mile from there to FR2998. A gray SUV was stuck in the big puddle on FR2998. No one was around. It was in water up to its gunwales.
Today I asked Dorothy to tell me again how to tell the native thistles from the invasive musk and bull thistles: Look at the back of a leaf at the midrib. There should be no barbs on that or down the entire stem of the thistle.
Ed came to the parking lot to give Dorothy some maps of the Garita area that he copied off a map he had Travel Bug make for him. He wasn't going because he needed to get his 96 year old Mom a new walker. We didn't leave Mesa Public Library (MPL) until 8:34am because we talked with Ed for a while.
We turned right onto a dirt road off FR144 right after the cattle guard at the sign in the west direction that says end of latilla cutting. Dorothy parked and we went searching for a road that went out to a view. Our 5th road was the winner. The rest all deadended at confrontational landscaping, i.e., enormous berms and deadfall filled forests. The view of the entire northern Valles Caldera was to die for but we didn't stay long because it was looking ugly and thunder was booming. The rain began on the way back but no big lightning strikes. We only walked 1.47 miles in part because of the weather and in part because Dorothy developed a sore toe on the Valles de los Amigos Cerro Seco hike on Sunday.
BTW, Dorothy says that she does these projects to get out and could easily have others do it faster. She anticipates 2 more trips on the southern part of the West Rim and a trip from FR144 to FR376, crossing NM126. She's hoping that our scouts will take a look at the feasibility of a car shuttle trip starting down from Virgin Mesa to Battleship Rock. Then she says that Harry (?) McGavron contacted her about an old road from Scooter Pass to Pines that she wants to check out. Plus there are still a few more items to check out on the north rim, including finding a road that goes from Cerro de la Garita to the Hilton Gate.
When we got back into town, I drove up to the Ocean and finished my 4 miles through the woods alongside Camp May Road. I saw evidence that paint-ballers have been cavorting on the Route. The distance is about 1 mile from the Ocean to the top of Guardrail Hill and then about .25 mile from there to FR2998. A gray SUV was stuck in the big puddle on FR2998. No one was around. It was in water up to its gunwales.
Today I asked Dorothy to tell me again how to tell the native thistles from the invasive musk and bull thistles: Look at the back of a leaf at the midrib. There should be no barbs on that or down the entire stem of the thistle.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Yahoo! Dead
I give up. I tried earlier and just now but it's dead. I wanted to email Dorothy that the Brown's won't be coming tomorrow and see if there . I have to get up at 6am tomorrow so I won't try again. Maybe it will revive itself overnight.
Finally gave spouse the web address to this online journal. Seeing all the blah, blah, blah will probably abate his curiosity about it.
Daughter and I may go together to see Mamma Mia because the "boys" don't want to see it as it has a reputation as a chick flick. Men should be happy to go to chick flicks!
Spouse goes to Albuquerque for a 3 day "bomb" refresher course at Sandia this week.
Finally gave spouse the web address to this online journal. Seeing all the blah, blah, blah will probably abate his curiosity about it.
Daughter and I may go together to see Mamma Mia because the "boys" don't want to see it as it has a reputation as a chick flick. Men should be happy to go to chick flicks!
Spouse goes to Albuquerque for a 3 day "bomb" refresher course at Sandia this week.
Weekend Update
Friday afternoon, after the BESC hike, I entertained the plumber from Waller's while he fixed our leaky kitchen strainer which also entailed replacing the trap because the threads were stripped and he couldn't get it to hold water so the sink would drain properly. It's now bone dry under the kitchen sink and the pipes for the twin sinks are straight and look lovely rather than crooked like they were. He's a very good plumber and I'd recommend him highly. They send the bill rather than give you the bill when they leave so I still have that to look forward to!
Saturday was the Next Big Idea downtown where inventors and entrepeneurs showcase their companies and inventions. Perry's Dad was there with a machine that stuffs bagels and donuts. Grandson pretended he was going to gobble up the bagels and donuts because he was hungry. Spouse took him to McD's for chicken nuggies and then we all went to Santa Fe. I dropped grandson and spouse off at the Regal Theatre to see Journey to the Center of the Earth while I went for religious services at Vitamin Cottage, the health food temple! I exercised in the evening and that made for a late night.
Today, we went to Pajarito Ski Area with daughter and son in law. They went up on the Aspen Lift while I hustled up to meet them and miraculously, we ran into each other and walked down together. They ate at the ski area cafe while I sat with them and ate my homemade guacamole, hummous, and scary muffins. Hummingbirds were buzzing us as we ate. We met Dave and Faye on their way up. They're not coming on the Dorothy hike tomorrow but may come next Monday. On the way down, spouse slid - think he needs new hiking boots as the tread on his is rounded. We got done eating at 12:30pm and the weather was still quite nice.
Saturday was the Next Big Idea downtown where inventors and entrepeneurs showcase their companies and inventions. Perry's Dad was there with a machine that stuffs bagels and donuts. Grandson pretended he was going to gobble up the bagels and donuts because he was hungry. Spouse took him to McD's for chicken nuggies and then we all went to Santa Fe. I dropped grandson and spouse off at the Regal Theatre to see Journey to the Center of the Earth while I went for religious services at Vitamin Cottage, the health food temple! I exercised in the evening and that made for a late night.
Today, we went to Pajarito Ski Area with daughter and son in law. They went up on the Aspen Lift while I hustled up to meet them and miraculously, we ran into each other and walked down together. They ate at the ski area cafe while I sat with them and ate my homemade guacamole, hummous, and scary muffins. Hummingbirds were buzzing us as we ate. We met Dave and Faye on their way up. They're not coming on the Dorothy hike tomorrow but may come next Monday. On the way down, spouse slid - think he needs new hiking boots as the tread on his is rounded. We got done eating at 12:30pm and the weather was still quite nice.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Beautiful Sunset
Turned out the Gordon's Concert was on Pajarito Mountain. I went out on the Mesa Trail last night a little past 8pm and was treated to a slow to develop but beautiful sunset. I wish I could adequately describe it. It was a peaceful sunset not a sky-filling, blaring, trumpeting one but one with strips of elongated cloud-rolls that turned a tender pink above the silhouette of the Jemez Mountains west of Los Alamos. I wanted someone there with me to admire it. Isn't it weird about humans - we like our privacy and solitude and yet at moments like last night's mellow sunset, we want to share it with someone?
I did my monkey bar business at the East Park playground plus walked around the raised, wood perimeter of the playground for my balance
The weather up on Pajarito looked perfect and it made me wish that spouse and I had driven up there not so much for the concert but to enjoy the sunset.
Spouse really enjoyed the BESC hiking group. We'll try to go on his Friday's off. I may go next Friday as Mary says it will be to the East Fork Trail. She was trying to tell me about an upcoming August hike but then said she'd call me about it. I'll ask her next Friday.
I had no idea that Dorothy would fire off that email to Doris and quote my email in it. I really only wanted to know for my own information because I so often forget names of plants that Dorothy tells me and just figured this was another one I had messed up. I believe Doris that it's called Cosmos but I wanted to find online its other common names but couldn't verify the Mountain White Ragweed one so I asked Dorothy.
I did my monkey bar business at the East Park playground plus walked around the raised, wood perimeter of the playground for my balance
The weather up on Pajarito looked perfect and it made me wish that spouse and I had driven up there not so much for the concert but to enjoy the sunset.
Spouse really enjoyed the BESC hiking group. We'll try to go on his Friday's off. I may go next Friday as Mary says it will be to the East Fork Trail. She was trying to tell me about an upcoming August hike but then said she'd call me about it. I'll ask her next Friday.
I had no idea that Dorothy would fire off that email to Doris and quote my email in it. I really only wanted to know for my own information because I so often forget names of plants that Dorothy tells me and just figured this was another one I had messed up. I believe Doris that it's called Cosmos but I wanted to find online its other common names but couldn't verify the Mountain White Ragweed one so I asked Dorothy.
Dumb Donkey
I take it back. Spouse is not so intelligent. Yesterday he consumed 800 calories of beverages including 2 beers, approximately 5 ounces wine, and 2 Starbucks Frappuccinos (the ones you buy in the grocery store that are 200 calories a pop). That's criminal for someone who's fasting blood sugar on his most recent tests was 133.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Lab Fitness Trail Still Open to Public
Spouse and I joined the Betty Ehart Senior Center hiking group this morning for their 8:05am start. Norma came up from Pojoaque to hike so Mary tailored the hike for her because Norma's a bit slow. We went to the LANL Fitness Trail near the Wellness Center, parking in the big lot that replaced the running track that I used to love to go to. I thought the Fitness Trail was closed after 9-11-2001 but I'm glad I was wrong. This gives me a new option of a close-in, quick trail to do my 4 miles. It goes all the way to S-Site. I'll go back to explore this area and work out some 4 mile walks.
There were 9 of us on the hike. Art always does his own hike but today Jane, who's lived in LA since January 2008, joined him for a cross country trek back. It was fun being with people. Spouse was excited to meet Bob Cowan who's a well-known nuclear physicist. I always like spouse better when we're in a group because I appreciate his true, gregarious, intelligent nature better. At home, I'm so likely to classify him as brain dead when he asks where something is before he even looks for it.
Even though it's his Friday off, spouse had to go into work for an hour to check on some computer runs. I have to stay home to wait for the plumber to fix our kitchen sink leak. I actually vaccumed the kitchen floor for him so he doesn't have to lie in filth when he gets under the sink.
The group only did 3 miles so I'll get in 1 more this evening. I walk to the Gordon's Concert and back.
Channel 13 says we're having a good monsoon and it should last until Labor Day. It looks dark over the mountains and I hear thunder.
Guess all thoughts of brevity have gone with the wind!
There were 9 of us on the hike. Art always does his own hike but today Jane, who's lived in LA since January 2008, joined him for a cross country trek back. It was fun being with people. Spouse was excited to meet Bob Cowan who's a well-known nuclear physicist. I always like spouse better when we're in a group because I appreciate his true, gregarious, intelligent nature better. At home, I'm so likely to classify him as brain dead when he asks where something is before he even looks for it.
Even though it's his Friday off, spouse had to go into work for an hour to check on some computer runs. I have to stay home to wait for the plumber to fix our kitchen sink leak. I actually vaccumed the kitchen floor for him so he doesn't have to lie in filth when he gets under the sink.
The group only did 3 miles so I'll get in 1 more this evening. I walk to the Gordon's Concert and back.
Channel 13 says we're having a good monsoon and it should last until Labor Day. It looks dark over the mountains and I hear thunder.
Guess all thoughts of brevity have gone with the wind!
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