Jun 18, 2025
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New Years 2022 Hike - La Luz
I took a quick 3-mile hike to ring in the new year. La Luz was full of snow and ice, and I didn’t have spikes (being unused to hiking that trail at this time of the year). Still, 10 degrees isn’t so bad when you’re moving quick and hauling 30 lbs of bricks.
Up the trail, coyote scat and mountain lion footprints reminded me just how wild the Sandia Mountains are despite their proximity to Albuquerque. Only a few years ago a hiker was killed by a bear on La Luz but you wouldn’t know it. I was cautious on the icy path not just to avoid slipping, but to avoid running into any mountain lions that notice me before I noticed them. And yes - I have seen numerous mountain lions in the Sandias.
The best part of being up this early is being back home by 9. Time to stretch, unwind, and get ready for the week.
An overnight camping trip turned into a nice chance to revisit Goblin Colony, just outside of Jemez Springs, NM. Seeing an old friend and her best friend - showing them both some of the things I love about both New Mexico and the outdoors. A major joy was some of the most talented campfire singing I’ve ever heard...
Goblin Colony. Paliza Family Campground. Jemez Springs, NM
San Ysidro Slot Canyon
Found some time to get out hiking last Sunday, despite a bit of a stubborn hangover from the New Years revelry. Out with John, Jitka, Ryan (her husband) and Sharka. Shared lunch and a bottle of wine with each other half-way through. APRS was spotty down in the canyon, so I filled-in some of the blanks using Illustrator. Great hike, and a beautiful canyon.
This rare New Mexico slot canyon lies just 45 minutes northwest of Albuquerque in the Bureau of Land Management's San Ysidro Trials Area (also known as Red Mesa to local mountain bikers). One of two canyons in this public area, this is the easternmost and more spectacular of the two. Nicknamed 'Grand Canyon' by motorcyclists and mountain bikers, this canyon doesn't span more than 50 feet across, but boasts a 30-40 foot deep sandstone slot that lasts for almost 1/2 mile. Most of the year, there are pools deep enough to wade, and some, to swim. Located among junipers and sandstone, it is a hidden wonder in a seemingly flat high desert landscape.