Northern Wisconsin, November 17-26, 2016

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My trip to northern Wisconsin starts in the 70’s (temperature, not the year).  20 degree temperatures are forecast for my destination but even this forecast is better than last year’s dodging of snow, ice and rain.

Family lives north of the frozen tundra, Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Many years ago I gave up on visiting family for Christmas, especially when one weather forecast was for overnight snow flurries; I woke the next morning to 6” of snow flurries on my car.  I don’t look forward to the joys of snow shoveling.  After living in NM for the last 30+ years my once a year shoveling duties are sufficient.

October 2016, Mykonos, Greece

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Mykonos has been Sue’s ‘home’ since she first set foot there in the early 70’s.  The first time she went was with a group of girls, including her sister Sally.  They were backpacking through Europe; Greece ended up being their final country, the island of Mykonos in particular.

Virgin Mesa, August 6, 2016

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I have to dig through my files from the book ‘Hiking Adventures in Northern New Mexico’ for a new place to hike.  I feel I’m under pressure to find something new and different for my experienced hiking partners Becca and Laurie.  The book has descriptions of many trails and a CD which has routes and waypoints for each of the trails.  It is a bit dated; last published in 2006, but I have found a number of trails that I was not aware of.  Today’s hike is one of those.

West fork of the Santa Barbara, July 15, 2016

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I’m on my own today.  My hiking, fishing and photo buddies are busy so I have the choice of deciding where I want to go today.  I have a few places on my list so I feel the need to check one of them off.  Santa Barbara River in the northern portion of the Pecos Wilderness is my choice for the day.

San Antonio Creek/hot springs, July 3, 2016

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The evening I got back from our fishing expedition on the Rio Puerco Laurie texted me looking for a hiking partner sometime this weekend.  Although I felt good when I got home Friday evening I knew I would not be ready for a hike again on Saturday.  “How about Sunday or Monday?” She replied “We’re on”.

Today’s weather has nothing in common with the cool temperatures, rain and clouds we experienced on Friday.  High 90’s are forecast for Albuquerque, I’m hoping for low 80’s in the Jemez Mountains.

Fishing the Rio Puerco, July 1, 2016

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We have been looking forward to this trip for many weeks.  The fishing the first two times Byron and I went was phenomenal.  Two years ago I even caught a couple trout without ever having practiced casting.  Last year Mark came along, at the end of the day he wanted us to leave him behind so he could fish through the night until someone dragged him home the next day.  We weren’t certain his wife would have appreciated us leaving him there so we took an unhappy fly fisherman home with us.  I am excited at this trip because I want to see how I do on this river.  I have been able to catch a consistent one to two trout each time out so my expectations are higher.

Rio de las Vacas May 30, June 3, 2016

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Looking back over the past several weeks I have to admit that I’ve have been too busy working so I decided I have to take advantage of the holiday and get out for a hike.  My usually enthusiastic hiking, fishing, photo buddies are all busy so I am on my own.  My destination is the Rio de las Vacas in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness.  The las Vacas has been on my to-do list for the past year.  I enjoyed my exploratory hike’s scenery and wonderful small, but deep river so much that the following Friday I talked Mark into going there for a fishing trip.

My $200 fish, April 16, 2016

And I didn’t even keep it!

That’s my guess at what I have invested in a fly rod kit, ancillary fishing equipment, and licenses.  If I really think about it, it is probably more but $200 is close enough.  Besides this is an investment in my well being.  I have been hiking, photographing and just getting out for the past several years.  Most of the time I am with fly fishers, this year I joined them.

Sandia Mountains, Tunnel Spring Trail, March 13, 2016

This my first hike on the north end of the Sandias.  I don’t usually hike the Sandias because it seems that I am either going straight up or straight down.  I must admit that each time I hike a different trail there is something unexpected to see; small waterfalls, numerous springs, deep dark forested areas with ferns.

Ojito Wilderness, Feb 13 and Mar 6

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Ojito is one of my favorite places to hike in the winter.  I have been here at least a half-a-dozen times, even if I hike the same ‘trails’, which are more a suggestion than an actual trail, I always see something different.

On the first trip this year I went with my new hiking companion, Laurie.  She has been here several times hiking in an entirely different area than Byron and I have visited.

Dilemma, January 29, 2016

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My predicament has been a long time coming…  I looked through my earlier postings and see that it started around 2012 with a hike in the Jemez Mountains, the Rio Cebolla in particular.

I have been day-hiking on and off for the last 25 or so years.  I have been enjoying my hikes through New Mexico with different friends and coworkers; occasionally on my own much to my wife’s apprehension.  During the first years it was enough to get out just hiking.

Bosque del Apache, Dec 20, 2015

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‘Not many birds at the Bosque del Apache’ was the word from my friend Byron when he and his wife went down for their annual Thanksgiving trip.

It has been warm around the rest of the country so maybe the geese, ducks, cranes and other birds are taking their chances staying further up north.  I know I don’t care much for flying any more but that’s another subject.

White Sands National Monument, Dec 31, 2015 - Jan 1, 2016

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Total Silence.

After putting on my camera pack then hiking for five minutes I was greeted by total silence.

If you have been following my blog over the past few years you know I have been day-hiking monthly through northern New Mexico.  In all my hikes I have never experienced quiet like this.  Because it’s a holiday Holloman Air Force Base is quiet, there’s no birds, there’s no breeze, no wildlife that I can see, and because I was the second car of three in line to get into the park there’s no traffic or people.  Each people-packed vehicle seems to know where they want to go and go there.  With the monument made up of 275 square miles of gypsum it is easy to get away from others if you want.