Palomas Cliffs Revised, Sandia Mountains, NM, 8/5/18

 Sunday stroll in the Sandia Mountains to Palomas Cliffs, a favorite of rock climbers.

This tree literally grows out of the rock and is alive!

 Sad state of affairs; large swatches of forest dead or dying.

 First thought this rock fell and split the branch, but no, after closer inspection I noticed human hand was responsible :)

Manzanita Trail, Carson National Forest, Taos, NM, 6/10/18

 Sunday afternoon stroll with our friends Katy and Marlin. Manzanita trail leads to Lobo Peak. Didn't attempt to make it to the peak, which is a strenous 11-mile hike. Instead we "strolled" up about 1400 ft for a little over a mile and then meandered down.  

 It was surprisingly green and cool, given the heat and dryness around we witnessed Taos.

Otero Canyon, Cibola Nat. Forest, NM, 5/28/18 - Revisited

Memorial Day outing. This time we explored the western side of Otero Canyon: started on Otero Canyon Trail, took West Ridge Trail for about 1.5 miles which took up to the upper end of Otero Canyon Trail, and back up to the trail head.  In total just over 5 miles with an elevation of 1,290 ft (mostly up and down.)

Views to be had only at the beginning of the West Ridge Trail.  I am usually very happy, almost in a euphoric state when out starting a hike. Not today!  I think what dampened my mood was the extreme dryness around us. At this time of the year, late spring, nature should be bursting with new life. But no, instead of being in our face, I had to search for signs of new life.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Denver, CO, 4/27/18

Spent a leisurely afternoon exploring this very large wildlife refuge in northeastern Denver.

Walked around Mary and Ladora lakes, total distance about 2.8 miles. Observed a number of wildlife, including bison grazing in a forested area some distance away. A ranger told us 19 calves had been born last week to a herd of about 165 adults. No pictures; binoculars needed to see the bison :)

Gutierrez-Milne Open Space Loop, Tijeras NM, 4/23/18

The All Trails app describes this hike as "4.7-mile lightly trafficked loop that features beautiful wildflowers."  We saw none with the exception of this blooming cactus. Instead of being in its spring-like exuberance, nature looked subdued to say the least. 

We crossed many completely dry stream beds. Winter was dry and I suppose there was not enough snow pack to provide enough moisture for normal spring growth. Sad.

Hawk Watch Trail, Sandia Mountains, NM, Revisted, 4/8/18

This was not the best of weekends for us.  It started out great:  Drove to Espanola on Friday to meet friends for a guided tour of the Sikh Ashram and then strolled around a couple of slot canyons in Plaza Blanca. As we returned to our cars to drive to Ghost Ranch for a hiking weekend, my car would not start. It was almost 6 pm. No luck! The car could not be jump started and had to be towed all the way back the Albuquerque, close to an 120-mile trip.

So today, Sunday, we are on the trail. Instead of hiking one of the beautiful Ghost Ranch trails and spending time with friends, we revisited an old favorite. Hawk Watch International used to count hawks on their spring migratory trek from this location.  Now, only the occasional hiker makes the trek to the saddle.

Distance: ~ 4 miles, elevation: ~1600 ft.

Otero Canyon, Cibola National Forest, NM, 2/28/18

Instead of hiking with the Mountain Club, we decided to take off on our own. The trail head is reached by driving about 8 miles south of Tijeras on NM 337. Jim had hiked there with the Mountain Club and liked the area, with its large area of well-marked trails. 

In preparation for doing a loop, I had downloaded the map of the trail and surrounding trails from the All Trails app.  Although it took some searching we eventually were able to do a loop,

finishing in Otero Canyon and its unusual rock outcroppings.  Total distance: ~5.5 miles, elevation: 1,227 ft.