I didn’t realize how much New Mexico deserves its nickname, the “Land of Entrapment.”
I got trapped in New Mexico. After
backpacking around the San Pedro Parks Wilderness, a week was spent
around Los Alamos.
Next, I met up with Jan for four days in the Pecos Wilderness. A truly enchanting place full of high alpine lakes and ridgewalking to take your breath away.
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| Lake Katherine, still partly covered in ice. |
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| On the ridge above Lake Katherine. |
Sharing this trip with Jan was bittersweet. My new job in Georgia is (potentially) for a whole year and I doubt I’ll be able to convince Jan to come out to the east. So this trip felt like the last trip we will have together for a while. I sure will miss hiking with my dear friend.
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| Pecos Baldy Lake |
If you ask Jan about our trip, she’d inevitable give you a slightly different story as to the difficulty of the terrain. But the thing about Jan is she always stays in good spirits even when the going gets tough.
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| Jan postholing. |
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| I'm sure this is the last blowdown, Jan. (Photo by Jan) |
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| Not sure why we are going descending so much when we are wanting to get to the summit. But maybe that had something to do with our total elevation change of the day being so high. |
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| Going cross-country when the switchbacks are covered in snow. |
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| More upward. |
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| Finally to the fabulous ridgewalking. |
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| Plenty of time was also taken for dancing along the ridges. (Photo by Jan) |
One of the best things about hiking with Jan is that she helps me make good decisions. Like when to go swimming.
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| Half unfrozen means it's still swimmable! |
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| "Why did I do that?" |
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| More swimming in a different lake. This one was warmer. |
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| One
evening we made camp by early afternoon. Jan said she'd stay
and "watch camp" while I hiked an extra six miles to the lake for a
bonus evening swim. |
When bighorn sheep were spotted on the far slope, we settled in and ended up watching them for over an hour. Sometimes they’d run and frolic, sometimes a few more would appear and then disappear. I love that Jan doesn’t mind simply sitting and watching, to not be in any kind of hurry. To gaze about and watch the clouds drift by.
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| Watching bighorn sheep |
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| More resting, further down near the wilderness boundary. |
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| Iris starting to bloom. |
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| Goodbye, Pecos. Goodbye, Jan. I know I'll see you later. |
It's really nice to find that hiking partner you click with that well. I'm still looking, though there are some contenders. I know I have some quirks that not all can appreciate, ha. That wilderness looks gorgeous. After doing an outfitter plan for it but not getting to go there, now I must see it. And perhaps you can entice Jan with an AT trip?
ReplyDeleteI agree we are all quirky in our own ways. The tricky thing is finding someone who appreciates your quirks.
DeleteThe Campaign for Eastern Enticement has begun. I'm going to talk up the fall colors and allure of the AT. If I get desperate, I think I'll photoshop in pictures of alpine lakes onto places like Silers Bald. Haha.
Covert CEE planning. So serious and yet so devious. I'll hone my detective skills.
DeleteOh Jan, you'll be no match. I'm now firmly entrenched in THE center of tactical strategies. I've been learning all about deception, feints, batteries, artillery, maneuvering, and posturing. Watch out!
DeleteYou're right, armed with battle strategies. Hmmm I'll have to work on leveling the battlefield.
DeleteLove following your adventures. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting!
DeleteWhat a gorgeous hike! I'm really looking forward to your Georgia adventures again. I've missed those Appalachians!
ReplyDeleteThanks Misti! So far I've just been hiking around my new park everyday. But should get up to the other mountains soon. It makes me so happy to see familiar plants and wildflowers, and I just found out the person who knows where the persimmons and best muscidine patches are! It's gonna be a great year.
DeleteWhat a most fab way to end our 2018 southwest adventures. Never goodbye just a little hiatus. I'm so glad you got a little trapped in the Land of Entrapment so we could play yet again another day or two or three. Your year will go by in a flash and before we know it there will be time for another J&J reunion.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous trip for sure. Also forgot to say thanks for the teamwork and taking the lead across that sketchy traverse and where we had to crawl using our fingers like grapling hooks in the dirt. Oh and also thanks for doing 5000 feet of climbing even though I thought it was just 3000 feet because I messed up the math. YOU ROCK!
DeleteYou're the best! So glad it was all adventure and no misadventure! Gotta live to hike another day.
DeleteWhew - that was an invigorating swim. Great story for a neat adventure with Jan. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Joan, Thank you for another endorphin-inducing post. Question: What camera do you use for your lovely photos? I searched your blog and found a 2013 reference to a Canon s120. Thinking you may have upgraded by now...
ReplyDeleteThis place is just so beautiful that a fancy camera isn't needed.
DeleteI've still got that ancient Canon s120 that I got back in 2013. Lens barely opens from all the sand in Utah, and it's pretty much held together with tape. I keep telling myself that I"ll get something better when it finally dies or when I finally get a job that pays better, neither of which seems to happen. So, in the meantime, beautiful scenery ensures good photographs. :)
Hi Joan. And welcome back to the green and humid!
DeleteIronic that your last SW trip was the Pecos. One of my favorite places that area around Pecos Baldy Lake and the hike along Trailriders Wall. Can't believe you jumped in that lake with ice! It is not much warmer in August...
I'll write more via email.
Cheers,
Bill Solomon
Roswell, GA
Hi Bill- Great to hear from you! I really wish I'd had the time to visit Trailriders Wall in the Pecos. Someday...
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