2009 May

Near Bandelier National Monument, NM

We’re shifting our focus from climbing to backpacking in preparation for our Wyoming CDT Hike this July. It’s a great time to do this – desert flowers are coming out, water is generally available, and temperatures are not too hot yet. We take advantage of all these things in Bandelier, starting at the visitor center in Frijoles Canyon, crossing Lummis and Alamo canyons, and spending a night in Capulin Canyon. The cactus are blooming along with other flowers, and many interesting insects are out enjoying them with us, including Cicadas that I’ve never seen before (the 17-year variety, perhaps)? We have another very brief bear encounter just before camping in Capulin canyon, which rattles our nerves a little bit, but fortunately this bear is still very spooked by humans. On the more western leg hiking back, we skirt clifftops and weather small rain showers. It’s the first time I’ve experienced rain in light such that when I look up, each raindrop is point of light that I can track for a long time before it hits the ground. I watch one until it hits my nose. Backpacking is good.

Somehow the super-hip cinematography and soundtrack detracted from the essential gruesomeness of this story for me. I don’t know exactly why it missed where City of God succeeded in a similar vein. I wouldn’t say it failed, the glimmer just somehow took some of the impact out the gut punch, whereas it was enhanced in City of God.

Near Santa Fe North, NM

This short hike is packed with way more good stuff than I anticipated. It follows the Rio en Medio up to a secluded waterfall. The forest here feels old, maybe because of the giant Ponderosas, some of which are fallen and decaying. The river makes everything lush – in the lower areas some mystery plant fills the air with the scent of licorice. Right from the start we give up on dry feet, which turns out to be a good decision for the several crossings and final approach to the falls. Here the canyon becomes a rocky box. A strange tree with four distinct trunks stands guard before the falls. On a hot day it would be hard to leave this little water-cooled haven.

On our way down Ann stops and I see a bear cub on the trail ahead turn tail and run. His shaggy, light brown behind quickly disappears around a bend. We’re extra noisy for a while in case Mama is still around.

Near Santa Fe, NM

This evening we hike via a different route to Big Tesuque creek on the Chamisa Trail. The climbs are a little steeper on this hike, and again we have light rain. I stop to get some pictures of the Shootingstar and Alpine Clematis this time.

Near Santa Fe, NM

Ann and I take an evening walk in light rain. Flowers are starting to bloom in the wet soil, with shooting stars and alpine clematis dominating. Big Tesuque creek is high enough that we get our feet wet on the lower crossing.

We nearly call off our camping plans due to the rainy weather forecast, but decide to give it a chance. The forecast is right. We all spend a rainy night at Tres Piedras, then wander around on Saturday getting excited to climb every time the rain stops for an hour, but it always starts again. In the end we decide to caravan to Santa Fe and have a big slumber party in the loft. This turns out to be fun – beer is consumed, games are played, and a little climbing is squeezed in at Diablo canyon, where we encounter a rogue solar ice cream cart. What good friends we have – thanks everyone!

I’ve created a Flickr group for us, so it may be possible to see all our photo picks. At least mine will be here to start with:

Routes climbed:

Post Moderate 5.9 (lower)

Clare leads until the rain gets a little heavy, so she traverses to some neighboring anchors and sets up topropes.

Highly Caffeinated 5.10-

The neighboring route Clare descends – I didn’t get to it so I’m not sure how it climbs.

Hell Boy 5.8+ (lower)

Once again I make it only to the first anchors, coming down in light rain.

Naked Lunch 5.10a

I lead this, and it makes me work hard, downclimbing from one sequence a few times before nailing it. Fantastic arete climbing. Although I lost the route at the very top, Clare got that sequence when brought her up. Same height as Post Moderate at 165ft, but seems like it goes on and on forever.

Drunk Rednecks with Golf Clubs 5.9

I return with Clare and Dennis the next morning to squeeze another route or two in before they leave. This one is devious as always, but we all stay on.

Class Act 5.10a

This route keeps me feeling like I’m at my limit with every move. Oh thank your for the big feet that provide some rest, otherwise I’d have crumbled. Great rock, interesting moves, continuous.

Ann and I take an obligatory walk to Java Joe’s to get some air when we happen upon this incredible Agave stalk preparing to bloom:

Ann’s photostream has a couple more picture’s at full resolution if you’re a Flickr friend.

This takes the title for my favorite super hero movie. From? Uh, hmm, I’m sure there is one that I’m not thinking of. Anyway, this is fantastic, somehow capturing the psychotic aspect of both comic book heroism and regular human heroism perfectly.

Near Santa Fe, NM

It seems like every summer it gets warm in the valley, the snow disappears from the peaks, and I go running gleefully up into the mountains in shorts, memories of last September fresh in my head. And there I find … LOTS OF LINGERING SNOW. So it is again this year – it takes us something like four hours to posthole our way up Lake Peak. I don’t wear shorts, but Ann wears a skirt and it doesn’t trip any alarms for me. Sigh, perhaps we’ll never learn. Luckily we get supremely good spring weather. It’s so still there is not much sound beyond our feet crunching through the snow. Bird songs and fresh breezes seem to come one at a time, each entirely individual and distinct.

The traverse between Deception Peak and Lake Peak is one of those things you never get exactly right. We question one another and end up scrambling as it seems I always do. The best rule: either stay on top for the exposed 4th class traverse, or stay low on the best tread you can find.

We’re very thankful to be able to descend the ski area runs, which are somewhat free of snow since they have been freed of trees and shade. In all our outing takes over six hours for just over six miles, and I’m as tired as I’ve been on a hike covering twice that distance or more.

Yesterday a bug in the Google maps API caused Geo Mashup global maps to be spattered with unwanted category lines (Issue 208). This release fixes that, and a couple of minor problems with the tabbed category index and list posts by area controls.

I have a solution now for protecting your custom files from automatic upgrades. See the upgrade considerations before upgrading Geo Mashup automatically. Of course the usual methods are fine too.