bjregan

It was almost exactly four years ago when we made plans to hike up Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. We accomplished our goal and made it to the top of the peak, but because a rainstorm the night before had left a blanket of fog and clouds on the day of our hike, we missed out on most of the views.

Today we had another opportunity to do the hike and this time the weather was clear. Smoky haze from the California wildfires made for less than ideal views but we certainly saw more of the surrounding Texas rangeland in the distance, as well as the cliffs and canyons alongside the trail.

The parking lot at the trailhead had a limited number of parking spaces when we arrived, forcing us to drive back down to the overflow parking. That meant adding an extra half mile hike just to get to the trailhead. By the time we got back to our car we had hiked a total of 9 miles with 3000 feet of elevation. That was a great big Texas-sized feeling of accomplishment to end our day.

After several days last week dealing with crowded airplanes, airports and metropolitan Detroit traffic, a hike today in one of New Mexico’s desolate badlands reminded me once again of why our state is The Land of Enchantment. The stresses and cares of every day living in these hectic times melt away when you slip on your hiking boots and set out to trudge through this land that time seems to have forgotten.

On a sunny August Saturday it’s a safe bet that hiking trails in the mountains around Albuquerque and Santa Fe will be popular destinations. But by driving a little over an hour to Cuba and then heading down one of the many dirt roads outside of town it’s possible to spend a pleasurable day hiking on BLM land without seeing another human being. Maybe one or two cows occasionally appear along the road, but, otherwise it’s just us and the vast sky stretching over miles of eroded rock formations interspersed amongst sagebrush, pinon, juniper and even some ponderosa pine.