Hike to the top of Mitchel Trail

Last Sunday we took an awesome hike that began at our own front door. The Mitchel Trail starts a block from our house, and ends at the top of a mountain overlooking Los Alamos, where you can see all the way to Taos, Albuquerque and you could, if you wanted, hike all the way to the ski hill.

When we opened our front door at 9 in the morning, seven deer were staring at us from the vacant lot across the street. Some had the peach fuzz beginnings of horns, and they all watched us closely as we went down the sidewalk to the trail head.

We're just happy to have a hike like this that starts at our front door. It goes through the area burned in the Cerro Grande fire. We started out walking through what looked like a field of fallen telephone poles. The burned pines cleared a space for aspens, brush oak and lots of flowers to grow.

We shared the trail with other families, dogs, and (as we gained altitude) runners. I couldn't believe those people running up the hill. (of course they had less to carry) But later we realized that the trail is the route for an annual race.

Now that Calvin can walk we like to give him a chance to walk on the trail as much as we can. When we reached the first ridge we took Calvin out of his pack and had some snacks. He enjoyed digging in the dirt and drinking out of the water bottle. We were sitting on a log, and he was learning the difference between a log and a stick.

Along the way we saw a multitude of blue beetles with black spots copulating on logs and sticks. There were so many of them, and soon there will be many more.

I wanted to collect some interesting logs to use for a messy art project that I am planning. I put a few twisted branches into my backpack, and later realized that they were slightly infested with spiders. I saw a couple of spiders crawl out of my backpack. I swatted them off. They weren't black widows, so I wasn't too hysterical.

By the time we got back we were starving, and had a big lunch at the Haagen Daaz (they serve sandwiches too).

Three cavemen

Here's a picture from our hike in Ruidoso, NM last summer.

Cougar safety in Last Chance Canyon

Before beginning our trek into Last Chance Canyon, the park sign had a sign about what to do if you see a cougar on the trail:

1)Pick up your children and calm them down.
2)Do not run (cougars will catch you)
3)Use your jacket and your arms to make yourself look bigger.
4)If the cougar comes closer, throw rocks.
5)If it attacks - fight back!

Yikes! Margaret was in the back of the group, but she planned to give the cougars a whap with her walking stick if they try to pick her off.

Sitting Bulls Falls

Sitting Bulls Falls is just a five minute walk from the parking lot, through fragrant trees that grow between the crevice of two cliffs. Though the walk doesn't seems life threatening, vultures are circling us. Calvin is delighted to be in the "pack pack". He's also learning to saw "cliff" "bath" and "down" (as in, let me down so I can practice my new walking skills on these slippery rocks that the ranger warned us about).

Bob explains that water that is cascading down the side of the mountain comes from springs at the top that form pools, like personal Jacuzzi's, at the top. You can actually sit in a pool that has water pouring over the edge.

The waterfall is covered with Tufa, a coating of calcium carbonate that is formed by dead plant materials. The informational placard on the fence says that in a million years the whole waterfall will be covered in the stuff. I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Anywat, it is rare for everyone in Quinn's family to get together, and so it was good that we got to all go on a hike together.

It was just like Josph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

We were driving through the desert to get to Lincoln National Forest on Sunday, when we saw three huge cows walking along the road. Their bellies swished back and forth like overfilled water balloons.

It was pastureland, and cows were all along the road. The first three were the only ones that seemed to be eating well. The rest were all ribs and hipbones. We couldn't help but wonder (out loud in the parking lot) why there were so many cows on the side of the road. A man in a fluorescent orange windbreaker, who was hiking with his daughter (?) had the answer. There are oil pipelines all along the road and water flows by the pipe lines. The cows go to the water, and there are plants there too, so that's where the cows like to graze. Then the cows poop and fertilize the soil, and so even more plants grow until the cows just spend all their time on the side of the highway.

At least they don't jump out in front of the car like deer.

Calvin's walking!

Over the weekend Calvin started walking all over the place. He's a late walker, and has been cruising and holding on to things for months. We went down to Carlsbad to see family, and as soon as he was surrounded by his grandma, Papa Bob (or Bob Bob as he calls him) and his uncles he started walking between us.

He's pretty pleased with himself.

I am a total moron

I can't believe how bad I am with small electronic devices. I put my cell phone through the wash and now I can't get a hold of my babysitter, and every time I go to Minnesota I lose a digital camera.

The first time was over fourth of July when we went pontooning on Leech Lake with Dad. I left my camera in the car at the Albuquerque Sunport where it got fried in our car in the parking lot. I bought a new one, which I lost when I was visiting Dad when he had cancer. We had just taken a great picture with him holding Calvin, and all of his brothers were there and we were eating pizza at a restaurant and having a good time. Then I lost it. Dumb. Dumb dumb dumb.

I wish I would have gotten a new one right away. There are so many things to take pictures of. I should have taken a million pictures of Dad while I was in MN last month. But I just didn't. I don't even think I can express my true feelings of anxiety over this. Luckily other people took good pictures. But time goes by fast.