ErnestLynch
09-05-2014, 07:51 PM
Now on day 10 and I didn't bring my laptop so I'm writing from the hotels computer. I am on the second day of rest at La Posada in Santa Fe after 9 days on the trails of the Pecos Wilderness and the timing could not have been better for me. It started raining right after I left the Pecos but no rain in Santa Fe although I can see it is raining hard in in the Pecos. One small wild fire in the Jemez west of SF but it made a lot of smoke that was seen and could be smelled in the Pecos which is east of Santa Fe. Anyway. At the trailhead to go to Santa Fe Baldy...every truck at the trailhead parking lot was a Texas truck. Every single one of them. But this you might find funny. I was talking to the bartender at La Posada, which is a very tony hotel in Santa Fe, $375 night was my price....and we were talking about Texas and that I lived in SA but was in Austin before ..it was ruined...and told him it's now like Dallas....snooty. Well low and behold they were holding a wedding this evening and where were they from....Austin...but they used to live in Dallas.They poured into the bar. I guess you had to be there but the bartender and I both laughed and I said, 'Told ya'. He goes 'Yeah, I've heard Austin is nothing near what it used to be.'
Anyway, I'm off tomorrow morning for Pecos Baldy...the trailhead is about 35 miles from Santa Fe...gonna do 2 maybe three nights....depending on my misery tolerance. Alread did Lake Katherine and Santa Fe Baldy. It's raining now and I'm going to 12k+ so it's cold as well. 4 nights ago, I woke up 6 miles into the wilderness, 35 miles from cell service with loud snorting and breaking branches and I've never been so scared IN MY LIFE. I finally got the courage to come out of my tent and a herd of cattle was passing by at 2am. All around nothing but cattle. Scared the living shit out of me. Amazing trip. No photo would do it justice but I'm taking them anyway. I'll upload a few when I get back.
For reference I'm on the trails around Terrero, New Mexico, Peco Wilderness. Been here 10 days and heading out for 9 more then onto the South San Juan of Colorado. Maybe a stop in Taos. I had planned on never doing any hotel time but after nearly 2 weeks I found that I just could not go on without sleeping in a bed and getting a real shower. I brought camping and hiking gear. I rented a small storage unit in Santa Fe to stage out of depending on what I'm doing at the time. I worried about having my truck broken into at remote trail heads. Some have campsite at them and there are people around, some don't. Took me 4 days to acclimate to the altitude. I base camped at 9400' the first week. Not too bad, you acclimate. No prob for camping but for backpacking you need to spend at least 2 days. Pecos river runs all through here, been doing some trout fishing but I suck at it. Mixed success. Hoping Lake Katherine is better.
Honestly, it's all a blur but I did keep a diary so I'll be able to document/remember it later. I'll be out here till Nov 15 so, a long way to go. I'm on a mission. To transform my life. And so far, well, I went in to buy some new pants and thought I'd be good buying 2 inch smaller waist, and they were too big. I'm tanned and fit. All in two weeks. And I'm no where NEAR done. Living a lifelong dream.
Anyway, I'm off tomorrow morning for Pecos Baldy...the trailhead is about 35 miles from Santa Fe...gonna do 2 maybe three nights....depending on my misery tolerance. Alread did Lake Katherine and Santa Fe Baldy. It's raining now and I'm going to 12k+ so it's cold as well. 4 nights ago, I woke up 6 miles into the wilderness, 35 miles from cell service with loud snorting and breaking branches and I've never been so scared IN MY LIFE. I finally got the courage to come out of my tent and a herd of cattle was passing by at 2am. All around nothing but cattle. Scared the living shit out of me. Amazing trip. No photo would do it justice but I'm taking them anyway. I'll upload a few when I get back.
For reference I'm on the trails around Terrero, New Mexico, Peco Wilderness. Been here 10 days and heading out for 9 more then onto the South San Juan of Colorado. Maybe a stop in Taos. I had planned on never doing any hotel time but after nearly 2 weeks I found that I just could not go on without sleeping in a bed and getting a real shower. I brought camping and hiking gear. I rented a small storage unit in Santa Fe to stage out of depending on what I'm doing at the time. I worried about having my truck broken into at remote trail heads. Some have campsite at them and there are people around, some don't. Took me 4 days to acclimate to the altitude. I base camped at 9400' the first week. Not too bad, you acclimate. No prob for camping but for backpacking you need to spend at least 2 days. Pecos river runs all through here, been doing some trout fishing but I suck at it. Mixed success. Hoping Lake Katherine is better.
Honestly, it's all a blur but I did keep a diary so I'll be able to document/remember it later. I'll be out here till Nov 15 so, a long way to go. I'm on a mission. To transform my life. And so far, well, I went in to buy some new pants and thought I'd be good buying 2 inch smaller waist, and they were too big. I'm tanned and fit. All in two weeks. And I'm no where NEAR done. Living a lifelong dream.