Challenge Trail, Sandia Mountains, NM 8/30/20

Covid-19 pandemic hike #18

Joined by a NM Mountain Club hiker and a former colleague, we set off on the Challenge trail from the 10K trailhead.  The path descended south and paralleled the road. Not exceedingly steep but enough so to be named "challenge."  Interestingly, enough the trail is not listed in the Sandia Mountain Hiking Guide, and does not show up on the All Trails app.   After just over we mile of downhill we turned back and took the 10K trail to the ski area for a pleasant lunch.

Distance: 3.75 miles; elevation 728 ft.

View to the east overlooking a ski slope. 

Sharing the road .....

Bill Spring-Faulty Loop, Sandia Mountains, NM, 7/23/20

Covid-19 pandemic hike #17

Set off at noon with our NM Mountain Club co-hiker and friend on the Bill Spring Trail from the Doc Long picnic area as we did on July 16. Monsoon season has started and weather was overcast with a few sprinkles.

Returned on Faulty trail that we mistakenly took last week, and found our way back via Sulphur Canyon trail  with the help of the All Trails app.

Distance: 3.25 miles; elevation 632 ft.

Bill Spring Trail, Sandia Mountains, NM, 7/16/20

Covid-19 pandemic hike #16

Set out for our weekly hike without giving it much thought.  My mind is on our upcoming move and the sale of our house yesterday. Nevertheless, we set off from Doc Long picnic ground on the Bill Spring trail. It joins the Faulty trail after just 0.7 miles which connects with Oso Corredor that ends at the Tree Spring parking.  

All went well until on the return, I again took a trail in the wrong direction.  The unintentional detour added 3/4 of a mile to the hike. 

Total distance: 5.8 miles; elevation: ~1000 ft.

Difficult to miss cairn!  The bottle reads "Angry Orchard." Hard cider brewed in Walden, NY. Anyone's guess how it got to New Mexico!

Just one glimpse of an expansive view along the trail.

We will miss the west's expansive open spaces. 

Tesuque Creek, Santa Fe National Forest, NM, 7/2/20

Covid-19 pandemic hike #15

After a romantic overnite stay at Ten Thousand Waves (thanks to the generosity of Kenli and Shaw) we set off for a loop hike off the road to the Santa Fe ski area, just past Hyde State Park.

The first 1/2 mile on Borrego trail #150 descends into a dry creek, then climbs and descends again into another creek, reaching Tesuque Creek at mile marker 1.5, and joining Windsor trail (#254.) 

 Highlights of this hike: a forest of fir, spruce and aspen trees, and of course the creek. 

Lunch alongside Tesuque Creek.

Followed Windsor trail along Tesuque Creek for about a mile before turning onto Trail 182. After another mile, we reached the Borrego trail again for our hike up to the trailhead. 

Total distance: 4.3 miles; elevation: ~810 ft.