hiking New Mexico – Page 21 – Living Wonderously

Last Monday we had our introduction to the rock wonderland at Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona. This Monday we hiked another rock wonderland, this time an old favorite of ours, Kasha-Katuwe National Monument (aka Tent Rocks) that is only an hour’s drive from Albuquerque. It was interesting to note that Chiricahua is one of the oldest National Monuments, created in 1924, while Kasha-Katuwe is one of the newest, created in 2001.

We had an opportunity to share Kasha-Katuwe today with friends who are new residents of New Mexico. In the months they’ve been here they have seen many of the sights but hadn’t yet been to Tent Rocks. The day after we had talked to them to arrange today’s hike, an article on the front page of the Albuquerque Journal titled “New Mexico Bucket List Fills Up Fast” featured a quote by Lee praising the attractions of Tent Rocks. What a great opportunity to prove that Lee knows what he’s talking about!

New Mexico bucket list fills up fast
D’Val Westphal
Albuquerque Journal
17 Oct 2014

It didn’t take much prodding after my column on some bucket list items to find out New Mexicans have their own bucket full of ideas about what to do in the Land of Enchantment before you die. As well as a few who just want to get out of the state…read more…

Second cousins to the rock spires at Chiricahua.

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.