Around the Organ Mountains

A week of dayhiking in the Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces, New Mexico while visiting family. 

Snow blanketed Las Cruces the day after Christmas.  That didn't stop us from exploring a variety of trails.

Sierra Vista Trail
This 29 mile National Recreation Trail stays low along the foothills of the Organ Mountains.  Several hikes took us along the northernmost part of the trail, from the Vado trailhead north to the Sierra Norte trailhead (off Dripping Springs Road).  While mainly for mountain bikers and horses, this trail offered the most solitude and easy terrain.

Right after the snow, the Sierra Vista Trail was the first we could access.

Fun hiking with my uncle and cousin.

A few days later, Pena Blanca at the southern end of the Organ Mountains, viewed from the Sierra Vista Trail.

Pine Tree Trail
We drove out to the Pine Tree Trail at Aguirre Springs campground the day after the gate opened back up after the snow.  This loop hike climbed around a bowl formed by Anvil and Sotol Creeks.  It was my favorite because of the ponderosa pines.

Starting out on the 4 mile loop of the Pine Tree Trail.

Dad broke trail on the 1000 foot climb into deeper snow.

Only animal tracks up here.

Ponderosa pine trees only grow on the north facing slopes at high elevation.

I can't believe how fast Dad still scrambles up the rocks (he's in his 70's!).

Views across the Tularosa Basin

Baylor Pass Trail
This 6 mile trail is the only developed trail that crosses the crest of the Organ Mountains from east to west.  The views might have been better on a clear day.

Baylor Pass

Bar Canyon
This 3 mile loop in the Soledad Canyon Day Use Area was Mom's favorite-- it was not as steep and went to a waterfall.

Dad climbing up the waterfall.

Overall, the Organ Mountains provided days of interesting hiking.  Over a week and we didn't even get to all defined trails, and there was plenty of off-trail areas for exploring that beckoned.

More information:

Stop by the visitor center at Dripping Springs.

Read Day Hikes and Nature Walks in the Las Cruces - El Paso Area by Greg Magee -this book has directions to all the trailhead, good descriptions, geology and natural history highlights, and topomaps

After hiking near Aguirre Springs, eat at the Moongate Cafe on the drive back to Las Cruces (north side of Hwy 70 west of the Brahman Rd exit).  Don't be fooled by the ugly exterior and old sign.  This is a perfect hiker place - inexpensive, unpretentious, delicious Mexican food with breakfast served all day.  (But only open til 3 PM.)

Three Days until the Arizona Trail

Three days until Jan and I plan to start the Arizona Trail.  Just arrived in Sierra Vista, AZ with my parents.  We are spending some time visiting my Grandpa and Grandma here, before Jan flies in and we start hiking.

On the road with my parents, driving to Arizona.

New information about trail conditions pours in.  Jan and I are frantically emailing back and forth.  She’s heard some news from our friend Sirena— she’s from the Arizona Trail Association and a fellow Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador.  She's got lots of news about the weather for us.

Lots of snow is forecast at high elevations in the Huachuca Mountains in the next two days.  The first 20 miles traverse some of the highest elevations on the whole trail, and are sketchy and steep.  On the other hand, right now the lower elevation section between Oracle and Superior is in bloom.  Jan and I had planned to start at the Mexico border and pass through the Huachuca Mountains our first two days, but that would put us in the worst snow, and we’d likely miss the wildflowers and likely hit that area when it heated up—our original plan looks less than ideal.

With the wildflowers calling us north, and the southern mountains sounding treacherous right now, alternative plans are being considered.  Southbound?  Starting in Superior?  Flipping?

This is a moment when I’m so glad I’m not constrained by a traditional northbound thru hike.  As a section hiker, I have no moral qualms about picking and choosing amongst the various parts of this trail.  In fact, I think it would be wrong for me NOT to make a beeline to see the desert in bloom!  I am relieved that Jan feels the same way too!

But that's not the only uncertainty in our plans.  About my foot—A week and a half ago, I felt a twinge where the stress fracture had been last year.  It made me so nervous, that I stayed off it, resting on our road trip.  Finally, today I went on a short hike with my pack at the base of the Huachacua Mountains with my friend Farwalker, who I met on the PCT.  I was relieved that I had no pain when I was hiking.  My foot felt completely normal on the trail, under the weight of my pack. 

Dayhike today in the Huachuca Mountains, AZ.

But on the car ride back to the hotel, I could feel slight sensations, sort of nervy.  DANG IT!!!  It’s driving me crazy! If it actually hurt, I could call off the hike.  But what does this twinging mean?  Is there something wrong— did I re-injure it when I was doing all those training hikes in the snow with my microspikes—or is this what happens with old injuries?

I am SO SICK of thinking and talking about my darn foot!  I want to leave this injury behind.  But then I remember that having the stress fracture last year gave me the philosophy I have now, and the freedom I have from the constraints of a thru hike.  I am free to go chase flowers.  Because I don’t know how many miles I’ve got in my foot but I’m not going to waste whatever ones I get.

Beauty of the Huachuca Mountains, AZ.

I know I can’t take my ability to hike for granted.  I can’t control what’s going to happen.  I hope my foot will be OK, but I accept that it may not.  I work on contingency plans.  I mentally prepare for having to get off the trail if my foot gives me any indication that this is a serious injury.  I hope with all my heart that my foot will give me some miles on the Arizona Trail.  I want so much to be out on this trail, to experience the joy of hiking and to see the beauty that is so close. 

I don't know where we are starting.  I don't know how my foot will be.  But we are heading out there soon.  And I do know I'm not going to take any of the time I have out there for granted.

Be sure to check out Jan's account of our hike on her blog.

After the PCT: Road trip through Utah

After picking me up from the PCT and driving through Nevada, my parents and I continued our road trip eastward through Utah and into western Colorado.

Me and my dad at Bryce Canyon National Park.

The scenery we traveled through was unbelievable.  We visited Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Grand Staircase/ Escalante National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument.  We didn't spend more than a few hours at each park, but we stopped at the viewpoints and did short walks.  At first I found it difficult to see things this way, but I adapted to the pace.  This trip was about sharing places with my parents, and getting a taste for what's out there.

Stopping to check out the cliffrose.

Adjusting to off-trail life has been slow going.  My body still aches from lack of activity.  Car travel is still too fast for my brain to take in the scenery.  I find indoor air too stuffy and hot.  Showering everyday seems excessive.  I continue to wear the same things everyday, even though I have more than one outfit now.  We stopped by a thrift store to get a suitcase because everything doesn’t fit into my backpack anymore, but now I can’t find anything.  I miss the simplicity of the trail.
But I do like traveling with my parents.  Our camaraderie makes up for how much I miss hiking for 12-14 hours a day.  I love how we oh and ah at the scenery together.  I love seeing our similarities.  Like how my mom and I laugh at all the same things.  Like how my dad and I both wake up insanely early, all bright-eyed.

Dad nimbly climbs up the slope at Capitol Reef National Park.

As we drive, we generate lists of historical and natural history questions to research.  Such as: who was Mather, and why are so many places in parks named after him?  Is the cottonwood tree native here?  What is the difference between a butte, mesa, and a plateau?  So many questions, everything out here is so new and exciting.

Stopping to ask questions at the visitor's center at Capitol Reef National Park.

Remember the last week on the trail, how I was struggling trying to come up with things to look forward to after the PCT?  Well, I'm definitely adding "Utah Parks" to that list, as well as, "unlimited access to google" "informative interpretive signs on nature trails" and "having time to browse through the plant reference books at visitor centers."  Yes, these are a few of my favorite things (that I didn't have on the PCT).  After being so intensely focused on the PCT for the past year, it's helpful to see that there are more wonderful places to explore besides the PCT and so many ways to enjoy the outdoors besides being on a long hike. 

Mom, me and Still Waters reading an interpretive sign at Hovenweep National Monument.

Next we traveled to Cortez, Colorado to see Still Waters, who just moved here from Georgia and has invited me to stay with her in Colorado for a while.  My parents spent several days sightseeing around the area with us before they continued back to their house in Wisconsin.  I'll definitely miss them.

Anasazi ruins at Hovenweep National Monument.

One thing that was really wonderful was that my parents seemed to really support me and understand my experiences on the PCT.  They got how having the stress fracture and returning to the trail in the off-season allowed me to have a different type of hike.  They really respected how I changed my attitude towards my hike and learned the lesson that "the journey is the reward" and we had some really good conversations around that.  I haven't spent so much time with my parents for many years, and I feel very fortunate to have made this time to spend with them.