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Rim Vista Hike
After a very quiet, pleasant night by the Rio Chama we hike up the mesa across from Ghost Ranch. The top is close to the “official” Continental Divide Trail route. I’ve always thought that a through hiker would have to be crazy to stay on the official trail and skip Ghost Ranch. That opinion still…
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Kitchen Mesa Hike
It feels like it may actually be a little chilly today, but by the time we drive up to Ghost Ranch the weather is once again sunny and the perfect temperature for hiking. We hiked through Ghost Ranch on our CDT hike, and it’s interesting to come back and be disoriented, seeing things differently from…
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New Shoes
We attend a pre-sale party at Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works. One of the recommendations I’ve read for iliotibial band syndrome is stiffer, more supportive shoes. My tendency has been to go with shoes that minimize interference, usually Chaco sandals or soft trail runners. I try on a pair of Salomons (XA Pro 3D Ultra)…
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Dale Ball Trails Investigation
The Dale Ball trail system is an intricate network of trails that cover the lower foothills east of Santa Fe. They’re nice little trails, well signed, wending through the backyards of the posh hillside neighborhoods of Santa Fe. There are nearly endless variations possible. My hike today hits 24 separate trail junctions, out of 41…
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Taos Ski Valley
The balmy weather continues as we make our way up to Taos Ski Valley. This is much more of a resort area, and the general steepness of the terrain gives it an adventurous feel. We figure that the sense of adventure might extend to an embrace of backcountry skiers, but on our way up we…
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Sipapu
Stuffed with delectable victuals from my friend Capn Bill in Dixon, we continue our freeloading tour of New Mexico ski areas with Sipapu. This is a very small, low-key hill. You can get an RV site with your lift ticket here. We’re tempted, but we stick with our hiking MO. These slopes are definitely the…
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Knee Evaluation
The stiffness in my left knee has been getting gradually worse on my longer hikes. My internet self-diagnosis so far is that it’s one of the outer knee varieties of runner’s knee, but I felt the need for some kind of consultation on this. I was reluctant to go to an orthopedic doctor, mostly because…
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Sunny Pajarito
Today the sun is luxurious. It’s almost too hard to get going in the drowsy warmth, but we make it up to Pajarito for an afternoon run. We climb lazily, and I forget to take pictures of the bright day. The snow up here won’t survive many more days like this. My camera experiments aren’t…
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A Little Sun at Aspen Basin
Ann and I drive up the hill under partly cloudy skies, hoping she’ll finally get a run a run with a view. The clouds grow as we make our way up, but visibility is still good when we top out. At last, Ann gets to see where she’s going! I get a few decent clips…
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T-Rex’s Open House
We thought we’d have some friends and associates over to see the new office and home, but T-Rex made it clear these visitors were in his domain: