Uncategorized – Page 46 – Living Wonderously

Two weeks ago today a friend and I did a hike on the Tramway Trail. The parking for the hike is the same area you park when you want to ride up the tram. You have to go past an entrance booth to pay the parking fee. The attendant at the booth informed us that the tram closes on Tuesdays for maintenance. But since we were just hiking out and back on the trail, not planning to ride the tram, we thanked him for letting us know, paid our fee, and parked the car.

Today being Tuesday, and a beautiful fall day, perfect for hiking, I felt I just had to get out in the Sandias somewhere. Lee had plans for the afternoon and needed the car so he couldn’t go with me. But he could drop me off at a trailhead in the morning and pick me up after his appointment. I thought it would be fun to have him drop me off at the La Luz trailhead, hike the 7 miles up to the crest and then ride the tram back down. Then Lee would be able to pick me up at the tram parking lot at the bottom.

Can you see where I’m going with this? I completely forgot what I learned two weeks ago about the tram closing on Tuesday. So off I went up the La Luz Trail, making great time and enjoying the gorgeous scenery. I was a mile from the crest when I stopped for lunch. It was a nice leisurely lunch because I knew I was almost there and I would have plenty of time to kill because Lee wouldn’t be able to pick me up right away.

Shortly after lunch, as I walked further along the trail, I encountered a nice young couple coming back down the trail. “You do know that the tram is closed on Tuesday’s, don’t you”?, they said. Well, I certainly should have known, but since I had forgotten what I learned 2 weeks ago, my heart sank to the bottom of my already sore feet as I contemplated the task before me. I was going to have to hike all the way back down! What I had planned as a 7 mile hike turned into a 13.5 mile hike.

It’s been many years since I’ve hiked that many miles in one day. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but it’s surprising what your body can accomplish if you push through. My daughter would be proud of me. She’s always encouraging people to make an effort to go beyond what they think are their limitations. And the La Luz Trail is such a beautiful hike that I enjoyed the scenery all over again on the way down.

IMG_20140828_115748796_HDR — Pile of rocks marking Cerro Grande summit.

Yesterday when we discussed a hike to the Cerro Grande summit, the highest point in Bandelier National Monument, we realized that it had been almost exactly one year ago that we first did this hike.
This is certainly not a challenging hike, and because of the huge 2011 Las Conchas forest fire in the surrounding area, one could also say that the scenery leaves a lot to be desired. While it is true that the burn scars detract from many of the views at the top, there is still enough awesome beauty to make the 2-mile hike to the top more than worth it.

Patches of bright yellow wildflowers contrasted with blackened tree trunks.

Harebells, some of my favorite wildflowers, were everywhere.

View towards the Valles Caldera, showing some of the burned areas in the background.

View south towards Frijoles Canyon and Bandelier National Monument Visitor Center.

Another reason for wanting to revisit Cerro Grande was to share it with our two friends who have recently moved to New Mexico and are anxious to enjoy all the natural beauty this part of the state has to offer. The four of us had camped overnight last night at the Jemez Falls campground. The trail to Cerro Grande is near Jemez Falls, actually on the road that they would be taking back to their home in Espanola.

Yesterday we had enjoyed hiking with them on 2 different sections of the East Fork of the Jemez River trail. We first went the 2 miles down to the McCauley Warm Springs and back up. Then a short drive took us to the Las Conchas trailhead where we walked for a mile or so along the river, before backtracking to get back to the camp for dinnertime. Both days of hiking were enjoyed by all and we look forward to many other enjoyable hikes together.