Back to a Favorite

 This time with two doggies! It was Penny’s first time at Cañada Bonita, and it’s safe to say she’s a mountain dog. Lots of exploring, sniffs, exercise, and sleepy girls on our car ride home. The mountains always give me just what I need. Cloud cover, 50 degrees, and the scent of pine and crushed leaves… yes, please! 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guaje Canyon Trail and Day 1

Image
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...
Read more

Yapashi Pueblo and Stone Lions

Image
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...
Read more

The Best Way Out is Always Through

Image
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 💚      
Read more