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
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Way Too Short a Group Hike
Husband wanted to hike with BESC hiking group which entailed my getting up at 6 am to be at the meeting place by 8 am. That early time is not ideal but it certainly gets us on and off the trail before a thunderstorm. (Although...it's looked like rain all afternoon but no moisture has yet been pulled out of the clouds.)
The hiking leader wanted to take us on a special trail in the Santa Fe National Forest that was made in honor of her deceased husband; but the trail now has a more prosaic name - Trail 121 because the forest service decided it was a no no to name the trail after her husband.
Husband and I drove by ourselves into the Jemez Mountains to the trailhead, about 13 miles from the Back Gate in Los Alamos. We didn't offer anyone a ride because they may have wanted to get back earlier and probably wouldn't have wanted to walk 4 miles like I do.
We got to the trailhead first and then watched as the hiking leader's Subaru whizzed past. The trailhead parking lot is small and comes up suddenly.
There were 5 people in her car. I knew 3 of them already and the other two were new to me. Women outnumbered men.
At first the trail is really distinct and we easily followed it but quickly ended up in a meadow with no obvious trail so we moseyed through the meadow, over to walk along the grazing fence, going as far as the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) boundary fence.
People commented on the fence signs which say that access is only with a valid permit. After the hike, the hiking leader planned to drive a 2 mile, bumpy road into the Preserve's Valle Grande Visitor Center to ask what in the world the signs mean when they are posted at the free VCNP trails - Valle Grande and Coyote Call. Last week, the group had turned away from walking the Valle Grande free trail because of these blasted signs!
I've started out on Trail 121 with another hiking group but they take off over a ridge and follow a path down into the popular Las Conchas-East Fork Trail area. That is a longer hike then the stroll we did today which was only a little over a mile.
Back at the cars, one of the hikers worried that she wouldn't get back to LA by 11 am. In addition to going to the visitor center, the hiking leader than wanted to hike some on the Coyote Call Trail to make up for the short hike. I'm not sure what transpired because husband and I went to the Corral Canyon Trail so I could finish my daily 4 miles.
Husband breathes really hard while hiking uphill at high altitude (around 8,300' but we live at 7,200') and other than his heavy breathing, not much talking goes on unless I do it. He stopped after about a mile in but I continued on to the intersection of FR282, Armijo Road (goes down into Peralta Canyon) and Peralta Road which is also called FR280.
I practiced what I would say if I ran into Elmer Armijo out tooling around on his ATV - "Hola, Elmer Armijo, mi amigo!!" I wonder if Elmer bought a house in Sierra de los Pinos and moved from Peña Blanca? His family has some beautiful acreage in Peralta Canyon.
Husband had agreed to walk back on the Calzada Trail but he wasn't impressed by my incompetent attempts to FIND the trail. The connector trail to it from Corral Canyon is overgrown. My first attempt shortly took me right back to Corral Canyon.
I was going to forget about it but being right there, on the ground so to speak, I really wanted to backtrack to try to figure out how to get on the Calzada Trail. As I poked around in the woods - a mess of downed trees - husband made the mistake of saying irritatedly to save it for another day. That only made me want to find it more, while I was there and the weather was holding beautifully.
After briefly checking the area, I did find the Calzada Trail sign and bid adieu to husband who continued back on the trail that brung him! (Seeing the overgrowth, I was having my suspicions that he wouldn't like the Calzada Trail - especially since he hadn't worn his hiking boots.)
Only problem was that it turned out that I was following the UPPER Calzada Trail which goes the opposite direction of where I WANTED to go. Because of all the vegetation growth, I somehow missed the LOWER Calzada Trail coming in.
For a while, though, I thought the trail was just following an uphill switchback and would eventually, sensibly, turn around and go in the RIGHT direction! When I finally admitted that I was only kidding myself, I didn't really care and just wanted so badly to continue following the Calzada Trail the WRONG WAY but I turned around. After some false starts, I eventually stumbled upon the lower trail by heading downhill toward Corral Canyon. I don't walk the trail often enough to remember its tricks!
I continued back uneventfully to where husband was gesticulating to me from the fenceline - he probably thought I was lost! - after waiting in the car for 20 minutes.
I know a woman, very busy, who may want to walk the Calzada Trail with me one day because now I HAVE to go back. Wonder if I could talk her into Las Conchas Canyon and Las Conchas Peak too?? ; D
Notable:
A small, gray bird, with white stripes on its tail feathers, that feigned a broken wing for my benefit in the middle of the trail to protect her progeny.
Butterflies, fritallaries, with lots of black speckles on their orange wings - feeding on sneezeweed flowers - chasing each other off as though the bumper crop of sneezeweed in Corral Canyon wasn't enough for all of them! Or, were they doing a mating dance?? ; D
The hiking leader wanted to take us on a special trail in the Santa Fe National Forest that was made in honor of her deceased husband; but the trail now has a more prosaic name - Trail 121 because the forest service decided it was a no no to name the trail after her husband.
Husband and I drove by ourselves into the Jemez Mountains to the trailhead, about 13 miles from the Back Gate in Los Alamos. We didn't offer anyone a ride because they may have wanted to get back earlier and probably wouldn't have wanted to walk 4 miles like I do.
We got to the trailhead first and then watched as the hiking leader's Subaru whizzed past. The trailhead parking lot is small and comes up suddenly.
There were 5 people in her car. I knew 3 of them already and the other two were new to me. Women outnumbered men.
At first the trail is really distinct and we easily followed it but quickly ended up in a meadow with no obvious trail so we moseyed through the meadow, over to walk along the grazing fence, going as far as the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) boundary fence.
People commented on the fence signs which say that access is only with a valid permit. After the hike, the hiking leader planned to drive a 2 mile, bumpy road into the Preserve's Valle Grande Visitor Center to ask what in the world the signs mean when they are posted at the free VCNP trails - Valle Grande and Coyote Call. Last week, the group had turned away from walking the Valle Grande free trail because of these blasted signs!
I've started out on Trail 121 with another hiking group but they take off over a ridge and follow a path down into the popular Las Conchas-East Fork Trail area. That is a longer hike then the stroll we did today which was only a little over a mile.
Back at the cars, one of the hikers worried that she wouldn't get back to LA by 11 am. In addition to going to the visitor center, the hiking leader than wanted to hike some on the Coyote Call Trail to make up for the short hike. I'm not sure what transpired because husband and I went to the Corral Canyon Trail so I could finish my daily 4 miles.
Husband breathes really hard while hiking uphill at high altitude (around 8,300' but we live at 7,200') and other than his heavy breathing, not much talking goes on unless I do it. He stopped after about a mile in but I continued on to the intersection of FR282, Armijo Road (goes down into Peralta Canyon) and Peralta Road which is also called FR280.
I practiced what I would say if I ran into Elmer Armijo out tooling around on his ATV - "Hola, Elmer Armijo, mi amigo!!" I wonder if Elmer bought a house in Sierra de los Pinos and moved from Peña Blanca? His family has some beautiful acreage in Peralta Canyon.
Husband had agreed to walk back on the Calzada Trail but he wasn't impressed by my incompetent attempts to FIND the trail. The connector trail to it from Corral Canyon is overgrown. My first attempt shortly took me right back to Corral Canyon.
I was going to forget about it but being right there, on the ground so to speak, I really wanted to backtrack to try to figure out how to get on the Calzada Trail. As I poked around in the woods - a mess of downed trees - husband made the mistake of saying irritatedly to save it for another day. That only made me want to find it more, while I was there and the weather was holding beautifully.
After briefly checking the area, I did find the Calzada Trail sign and bid adieu to husband who continued back on the trail that brung him! (Seeing the overgrowth, I was having my suspicions that he wouldn't like the Calzada Trail - especially since he hadn't worn his hiking boots.)
Only problem was that it turned out that I was following the UPPER Calzada Trail which goes the opposite direction of where I WANTED to go. Because of all the vegetation growth, I somehow missed the LOWER Calzada Trail coming in.
For a while, though, I thought the trail was just following an uphill switchback and would eventually, sensibly, turn around and go in the RIGHT direction! When I finally admitted that I was only kidding myself, I didn't really care and just wanted so badly to continue following the Calzada Trail the WRONG WAY but I turned around. After some false starts, I eventually stumbled upon the lower trail by heading downhill toward Corral Canyon. I don't walk the trail often enough to remember its tricks!
I continued back uneventfully to where husband was gesticulating to me from the fenceline - he probably thought I was lost! - after waiting in the car for 20 minutes.
I know a woman, very busy, who may want to walk the Calzada Trail with me one day because now I HAVE to go back. Wonder if I could talk her into Las Conchas Canyon and Las Conchas Peak too?? ; D
Notable:
A small, gray bird, with white stripes on its tail feathers, that feigned a broken wing for my benefit in the middle of the trail to protect her progeny.
Butterflies, fritallaries, with lots of black speckles on their orange wings - feeding on sneezeweed flowers - chasing each other off as though the bumper crop of sneezeweed in Corral Canyon wasn't enough for all of them! Or, were they doing a mating dance?? ; D
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Random Brain Noise
I don't live in a dollhouse. I don't drive an amusement park bumper car. My teacups and saucers are full size. I have all the trappings of a grown up but still feel like a child inside.
Even though my sister terms it God, I admire her belief in letting life play itself out as it will. I would call it Universe or Fate's Hands but will try to emulate her by putting more faith in letting life transpire as it will (with crucial interventions here and there, as appropriate!)
There is absolutely NO GUARANTEE that healthy eating will make me live longer or more disease-free but I do enjoy my pesco-vegan-way of nutrition!
I need to practice skipping and hopping. I tried to show my Grandson how to play Hopscotch (true, I tried indoors on carpet!) but find my skipper and hopper need fine-tuning!
Looking at dust on the top of the refrigerator, I wonder what good dusting will do as it will only get dusty again?
Sometimes the repetitiveness of daily life is so boring! (Please, Universe, I didn't mean that - don't take me yet!!)
I admired in the grocery store the other day a man who was carefully picking out mangos and avocados. Most men use the "blindman's bluff" method of produce selection and will pick any old, semi-rotten fruit just to get out of the grocery store! (Hopefully they don't pick woman with the same nonchalance!) Me - I gaze into the "eyes" of the produce and let it commune to me the perfection of its inner essence before gently nestling it in my cart! ; D (Then I cringe when the super-speedy checkout cashier blithely tosses it to the bagger!)
Don't mistake every thought as something worthy to write about!!
Don't make blogs too self indulgent!!
I need a cause bigger than myself. Then again, maybe I just need a hike!! Wait a minute - I had one today - up the logging road from the west on Pajarito Mountain, over to Aspen Lift and back down Rim Run - nice!
Even though my sister terms it God, I admire her belief in letting life play itself out as it will. I would call it Universe or Fate's Hands but will try to emulate her by putting more faith in letting life transpire as it will (with crucial interventions here and there, as appropriate!)
There is absolutely NO GUARANTEE that healthy eating will make me live longer or more disease-free but I do enjoy my pesco-vegan-way of nutrition!
I need to practice skipping and hopping. I tried to show my Grandson how to play Hopscotch (true, I tried indoors on carpet!) but find my skipper and hopper need fine-tuning!
Looking at dust on the top of the refrigerator, I wonder what good dusting will do as it will only get dusty again?
Sometimes the repetitiveness of daily life is so boring! (Please, Universe, I didn't mean that - don't take me yet!!)
I admired in the grocery store the other day a man who was carefully picking out mangos and avocados. Most men use the "blindman's bluff" method of produce selection and will pick any old, semi-rotten fruit just to get out of the grocery store! (Hopefully they don't pick woman with the same nonchalance!) Me - I gaze into the "eyes" of the produce and let it commune to me the perfection of its inner essence before gently nestling it in my cart! ; D (Then I cringe when the super-speedy checkout cashier blithely tosses it to the bagger!)
Don't mistake every thought as something worthy to write about!!
Don't make blogs too self indulgent!!
I need a cause bigger than myself. Then again, maybe I just need a hike!! Wait a minute - I had one today - up the logging road from the west on Pajarito Mountain, over to Aspen Lift and back down Rim Run - nice!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Group Hikes Getting to Me
I'm beginning to think that large group hikes are not my cup of tea. I didn't count how many hikers there were this morning but there were so many parked vehicles at the meeting place that I had to park across the street.
I was very grateful for the ride to the trailhead given me by the WRSC hiking couple. FR376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is a bladder-busting ride but the driver skillfully navigated the many rocks and uneven surface.
San Antonio Canyon was beautiful, of course, but the group stopped for lunch far short of the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) locked gate. In years past, they walked to the gate, walked under it and had lunch on a hillock in the Preserve (trespassing all the while - I was looking so forward to my annual civil disobedience!) Our much beloved, long-time hiking leader, though, has a serious, chronic disease which has sapped all her former energy.
On the way home, our driver told me the hike was almost 4 miles but I, not being the least bit hungry at 11:30 am, went further in search of the locked Preserve gate to take its portrait. I haven't lost my Wrong-Way Whine Child touch, though, because instead of turning left and paralleling San Antonio Creek, I continued straight and crossed the creek, ending up at the Preserve fence but not even near my desired destination, the locked gate! Oh, well - at least fording the stream was very refreshing and the cattle were friendly! I was right where FR106 comes into San Antonio Canyon from Mushroom Basin/Thompson Ridge.
I took a portrait of the sign on the fence which says "Access Only with a Valid VCNP Permit". That's incredibly misleading because the sign is even posted on areas that require NO special access permit, like the free Valle Grande Trail.
After the hike, I spoke to the receptionist at the BESC. She said her hiking group was dissuaded last Friday from going on the free Valle Grande Trail due to the sign implying there was no access to the FREE Valle Grande Trail without a VCNP permit!! I told her to not believe that sign - the trail is open and we hiked on it last week with my sister. It's a beautiful trail that takes you right to the edge of the Valle Grande.
Back to my dissatisfaction with group hikes: It's safest for me to go on the ones to which I can drive myself and then if I want to go further, I'll go further. These long drives for a short hike are not satisfactory to me!!
I was very grateful for the ride to the trailhead given me by the WRSC hiking couple. FR376 to San Antonio Hot Springs is a bladder-busting ride but the driver skillfully navigated the many rocks and uneven surface.
San Antonio Canyon was beautiful, of course, but the group stopped for lunch far short of the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) locked gate. In years past, they walked to the gate, walked under it and had lunch on a hillock in the Preserve (trespassing all the while - I was looking so forward to my annual civil disobedience!) Our much beloved, long-time hiking leader, though, has a serious, chronic disease which has sapped all her former energy.
On the way home, our driver told me the hike was almost 4 miles but I, not being the least bit hungry at 11:30 am, went further in search of the locked Preserve gate to take its portrait. I haven't lost my Wrong-Way Whine Child touch, though, because instead of turning left and paralleling San Antonio Creek, I continued straight and crossed the creek, ending up at the Preserve fence but not even near my desired destination, the locked gate! Oh, well - at least fording the stream was very refreshing and the cattle were friendly! I was right where FR106 comes into San Antonio Canyon from Mushroom Basin/Thompson Ridge.
I took a portrait of the sign on the fence which says "Access Only with a Valid VCNP Permit". That's incredibly misleading because the sign is even posted on areas that require NO special access permit, like the free Valle Grande Trail.
After the hike, I spoke to the receptionist at the BESC. She said her hiking group was dissuaded last Friday from going on the free Valle Grande Trail due to the sign implying there was no access to the FREE Valle Grande Trail without a VCNP permit!! I told her to not believe that sign - the trail is open and we hiked on it last week with my sister. It's a beautiful trail that takes you right to the edge of the Valle Grande.
Back to my dissatisfaction with group hikes: It's safest for me to go on the ones to which I can drive myself and then if I want to go further, I'll go further. These long drives for a short hike are not satisfactory to me!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
In Love with Pajarito Mountain
Today I wanted to walk the grand tour on Pajarito Mountain but didn't start up the mountain until around noon and dark clouds were already hanging over the top of the peak.
I started up anyway - taking the jeep road from the Lodge, under the Town Sight lift. I made it past the snow-making retention pond (it sounds so scary when rain is falling onto its plastic liner - still not filled up) and was starting uphill to go over to the Mother Lift but one big crack of thunder convinced me to turn tail and go back down the way I came up.
On the way down, there was a little rain but it didn't rain really hard until right as I got back to the car. Imagine me at the car, the rain coming down hard, balancing my golf umbrella while trying to open the backpack's zipper (first I opened the wrong one!) and get the car keys out - all the while sure that Thor would strike me down before I could get inside the car's metal shell!
I honestly think I could have made the full route today as the lightning didn't develop as severely as I thought it would. I'll try again Thursday but start earlier.
I tried to sing The Sound of Music on the walk down - I really did but I can't carry a tune. I sang what I know of When You're Sixteen but I don't know much. Best I could manage was the Do, Re, Mi song but for some reason, the "Mi, a name I call myself..." part made me want to cry...sometimes I'm not entirely sure who "Me" is...
I had so many thoughts on my hike and while driving back home that I'd like to write about - philosophical type of stuff - but by the time I sit down to the computer, I forget most everything.
I'll make one comment though - rain makes me want to be holed up somewhere with a loved one - don't know why that is...
It was so beautiful on Pajarito Mountain today - as green as I imagine the Isle of Eire!
Oh, yes - I have found where the hermit thrush lives and sings its song on Pajarito Mountain - at the four-way intersection, in sight of the red tower. Such a beautiful, haunting melody to grace my ears on a rainy day!
Memorable songs I heard while driving today: Uncle Kracker's Follow Me, Diana Ross and the Supremes's Where Did Our Love Go and Adam Lambert's Whataya Want From Me.
Running out of time - need to start supper - salmon, cauliflower, corn on the cob and lots of summer fruit!!
I started up anyway - taking the jeep road from the Lodge, under the Town Sight lift. I made it past the snow-making retention pond (it sounds so scary when rain is falling onto its plastic liner - still not filled up) and was starting uphill to go over to the Mother Lift but one big crack of thunder convinced me to turn tail and go back down the way I came up.
On the way down, there was a little rain but it didn't rain really hard until right as I got back to the car. Imagine me at the car, the rain coming down hard, balancing my golf umbrella while trying to open the backpack's zipper (first I opened the wrong one!) and get the car keys out - all the while sure that Thor would strike me down before I could get inside the car's metal shell!
I honestly think I could have made the full route today as the lightning didn't develop as severely as I thought it would. I'll try again Thursday but start earlier.
I tried to sing The Sound of Music on the walk down - I really did but I can't carry a tune. I sang what I know of When You're Sixteen but I don't know much. Best I could manage was the Do, Re, Mi song but for some reason, the "Mi, a name I call myself..." part made me want to cry...sometimes I'm not entirely sure who "Me" is...
I had so many thoughts on my hike and while driving back home that I'd like to write about - philosophical type of stuff - but by the time I sit down to the computer, I forget most everything.
I'll make one comment though - rain makes me want to be holed up somewhere with a loved one - don't know why that is...
It was so beautiful on Pajarito Mountain today - as green as I imagine the Isle of Eire!
Oh, yes - I have found where the hermit thrush lives and sings its song on Pajarito Mountain - at the four-way intersection, in sight of the red tower. Such a beautiful, haunting melody to grace my ears on a rainy day!
Memorable songs I heard while driving today: Uncle Kracker's Follow Me, Diana Ross and the Supremes's Where Did Our Love Go and Adam Lambert's Whataya Want From Me.
Running out of time - need to start supper - salmon, cauliflower, corn on the cob and lots of summer fruit!!
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