Mt. Taylor, about 1-1/2 hours west of Albuquerque, is a prominent landmark visible from many of the viewpoints on our local hikes. We hiked the trail to the top shortly after we moved here. I’ve wanted to do it again every time we see it on the horizon or drive by it on Interstate 40. The problem has been the rough 14-mile dirt road that leads to the trailhead. We still had our Subaru Forester when we drove there the first time, but trading that in for a sedan a few years back has meant giving up the ability to navigate really rough roads.
When I recently saw the Mt. Taylor hike listed on the schedule for one of the Albuquerque senior centers, my desire to do the hike won out over my dislike of traveling and hiking with large groups. There were 13 of us who did the hike but it was a good group and a good experience for me to be a bit more sociable. Lee really appreciated the group experience and the slower pace. He said that when it was just the two of us I kept rushing ahead and he got tired trying to keep up with me. I think that he’s a stronger hiker now than when we first did it and that’s why he found it less tiring. But, whatever the reason, it was an enjoyable day for all, well worth the 2000-foot elevation gain to get to the top.
Living Wonderously 