Healing Treks

It has been awhile with time and seasons passing by. A lot can happen in nearly two years, so for right now I'm just going to start with today and fill in as I go. I am still enjoying the mountains, and currently it is a time for skiing. I am thankful for the moisture, although we haven't received as much at lower elevations, and am hopeful for a low-risk fire season this spring and summer. While I am not an expert skier by any means, I truly enjoy being outside in the fresh air, taking in the scenery, exercising, and challenging myself a bit. I am fortunate to live where I do with a ski mountain 25 minutes away, with no traffic or lines and often a run to myself. I am not sure where else this can be found. I am trying to live where I reside and not take all this life, and this piece of earth, has to offer for granted. I want to live deeply where I am, and not just be wishful and longing for other parts of the world. I also hope to share with others and inspire them to explore ...

I hadn’t been on the Upper Falls Trail at Bandelier since I was a young adult and thought it was about time to give it a try...this time with my own children! One of them, especially, has some complaints when a hike is over five miles (especially an out-and-back), so the three mile round-trip was just right.  I wasn’t feeling 100%, so being able to have a leisurely hike and enjoy the time with the boys was a welcome reprieve. I do need to stop and smell the flowers (or vanilla-scented ponderosa pines) once in a while, and remind myself that not every hike is a race or physical exertion challenge. It did get pretty windy at the end, causing my hat to fly off...it landed right on the corner Upper Falls sign! The boys commented that it's my lucky hat 😉🍀

I had been looking forward to this hike for some time, and finally the weather and family schedules worked out. I enjoy my solo hikes, but for longer ones I do prefer the company of a friend. Fortunately, I'm blessed with a wonderful friend who also enjoys hiking! We arrived at Bandelier National Monument at about 10:00am and finished our hike at about 4:20pm. The weather was perfect...mid-60s degrees F with a breeze just when I needed it. The first canyon we hiked out of was Frijoles, the trailhead being to the west of the Bandelier Visitor Center and parking lot. While I have visited Bandelier National Park dozens of times over the decades of living in the area, I had never viewed the dwellings from the perspective of climbing up the opposing canyon wall. The gradual incline, combined with my excitement of starting out, made for a fairly easy trek out of the canyon.  The second canyon was Lummis Canyon, a small and pretty interruption in the landscape with junipers and ponderosa...

  Lower Water Canyon Spur/Ruin Mesa (AllTrails link HERE ) is one of my very favorite local hikes. It is almost five miles long (if I don't get side-tracked on one of the many intersecting trails on the mesa), and takes me between one and one and a half hours to complete. It is perfect for a morning or afternoon hike when I want to get away from our neighborhood but don't want to drive too far. Jewel is a fan as well!  The trail starts right off of New Mexico Highway 4 a few miles towards Bandelier National Monument. The spur portion of Lower Water Canyon is near the canyon's walls with beautiful structure and coloring. After a little over half a mile, the spur trail meets up with the main Lower Water Canyon trail and proceeds toward Water Canyon. I always love getting to the end of the trail and viewing all of the layers of mesas, canyons, and mountains. The trail continues along the edge of the mesa and meets up with Ruin Mesa trail with a bit of a scramble to the top. If...

Guaje Canyon Trail is my local favorite for a moderate hike with multiple length options. The trailhead is near the parking lot of Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, and it takes two miles to reach the fencing at the upper portion of Cañada Bonita (beautiful glen). Another .75 miles takes hikers to the Valle de los Posos overlook of the Valles Caldera, which is a sight that never gets old.  It had rained the evening before, so even though I was out on the trail around noon, the air was cool and the mountain was a vibrant green from the moisture. This time I hiked a bit extra down the trail to a large rock cropping I had never been to before. Jewel was a bit unsure, but I went out as far as I dare to feel how big the world is around me.                           Today was also another Day 1, a new beginning in recovery. Every day without an outside substance is a good day, and unfortunately I had forgotten that with the stres...

Starting this blog has been on my mind for a while. I started blogging when my first son was an infant as a way to connect with others and document the new stage in my life. I then moved on to a separate blog related to handwork, which morphed into a website for my brick-and-mortar yarn store. Since closing two years ago, I have been hands-off when it has come to anything online outside of social media.  My life has been busy, sometimes in a good and satisfying way, but sometimes in an overwhelming and exhausting way. While some of my outlets for stress, anxiety, and depression have not always been healthy, hiking and spending time outside has been my escape and a place to find peace.  I hope to document some of my treks in this space, and how they have helped to heal me along the way. As Robert Frost so famously wrote, "the best way out is always through." I hope to not simply endure life but to embrace it...and enjoy the journey. Katie 💚