I was invited today to tag along with 3 leaders from the Albuquerque Senior Centers’ Hiking Groups on a hike in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness Area. One of the ladies was scheduled to lead the hike there next week. She was not familiar with the trail, but she knew that Sue was familiar with the area and could also give her some pointers on how to use her GPS device. Driving to the trailhead, about 10 miles from our destination parking spot, we encountered the above sign. We knew right away that it had been a wise decision to preview the hike the week before the senior’s group with a van full of unsuspecting hikers would run into this roadblock.
The leaders put their heads together and consulted their Santa Fe National Forest map and came up with an alternate plan. We did some backtracking and found another trailhead that is used by the group on other hikes. Not only did we get a beautiful 7.5-mile hike out of the deal, but the leader collected the GPS data, the driving data, and a hike description that can be used to create a new hike for the seniors to do in this area.
I was amazed at how green everything was in the surrounding forests and meadows. The wildflowers were out in abundance. A couple of times we could hear the sounds of a nearby elk herd, and at one point, we even spotted a couple of mothers and their calves at the edge of a meadow making their way up a wooded slope. I’m thankful that I was invited to tag along and learn about this part of the Santa Fe National Forest. Lee and I will definitely be adding this to our list of wonderful hiking opportunities in the Albuquerque area.
Living Wonderously 