Back To The Mountain

Started at the Farmers Market. Still too early for tomatoes, apparently. But in time for a sausage breakfast burrito:



It clouded up yesterday, and the overcast skies continued into today. Looked even more cloudy up in the mountains, so we headed back up the mountain for a hike on the Borrego - Bear Wallow - Winsor Loop trail.

Up there, it's tough to believe that you're on the edge of the desert. Only the aspens really give away that it's the west, and otherwise it's firs, oak bushes — much more green than you'd expect.

The hike starts just shy of 9000' and drops down to Tesuque Creek, about 750' down, and then back up again. Four miles round trip. It's a fairly popular hike, there were maybe a dozen cars in the parking lot. We encountered few people on the way (and, sometimes, their dogs — "Dogs must be on leash or under control"), but for the most part, we were alone.

The trail crosses the creek at two points:



With waterproof boots, I took the lower path. We sat on a rock and had the sandwiches we brought along, and watched a couple who had been behind us find an easy crossing just a few yards downstream.

From the stream, it was back uphill, through more aspen groves:





Crazy-looking bee:



Clouds starting looking ominous as we were closing in on the end of the trail. Some thunder, a little lightning, and rain picked up just as we made it back to the car, after about two-and-a-half hours on the trail.