Ghost Ranch

Sarah woke up early this morning and went to her hot yoga class.  For those who don't know, it is like a regular yoga class, but they keep the room at a balmy 105 degrees.  So I had the kid wrangling duty for the morning.  She got back around 1030 and I got ready for my run.  I did just shy of 4 miles and set a personal best on my 5k time.  Woohooo!

Then Russ showed up around 1230.  We farted around for awhile deciding what to do and then packed up and headed out to the Ghost Ranch.  The Ghost Ranch was initially a dude ranch that served the wealthier denizens of the Los Angeles area.  It was successful enough, but was eventually bought by noted artist Georgia O'keefe.  Now it is a resort, artist retreat, museum and all around multi-use property.  It is also gorgeous.

We arrived and started poking around.  Of course we had the vague plan of hiking one of the more well known trails around the property, but weren't sure which one.  We decided on the Chimney Rock trail since it was the most distinct feature we had seen.  On the way we were distracted by a museum with displays of archaeology and anthropology.  Many fossils have been found in the area and Michael was just itching to go look.  After that stop, we hiked.  The Chimney Rock trail hikes around 3 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 650-ish feet.

We knew it was going to be pretty when we started taking pictures on the drive in. 

Still a few miles away from the entrance.  It looks like the rock is melting away.  I guess it is, but very slowly.

Our first stop was the anthropology/paleontology museum.

Michael was right at home.

The view from the front porch of the visitor's center.

Finally out on the trail.  Guess which one is Chimney Rock.

Right away the climbing starts.  The kids were not happy.

Max found some happy though, in the form of Mommy's hiking hat.

Just trying to be artsy again.  Never works quite like I imagine. 

A closer view of the formation.

Max was getting hot. 

Some formations in a canyon we passed.  The kids kept yelling weird things just to hear the echo. I, of course, was silent and reserved and in no way experimented to see if fart noises would echo.

Eventually we gained the top of the mesa.  Chimney Rock looks a lot different from up here.

Michael and Max serenely enjoying the view.

For about a nanosecond. 

Wow, those sides are steep.

Breathe Mom, we didn't let him fall.

Russ took a look too.

Again Mom, notice how I am firmly holding his hand. Besides, the drop wasn't steep there.

Safely away from the edge.

My turn.

Mommy decided this as far enough for her picture.

The view from the top is worth it. 

.

The long hike home.

We amused ourselves on the way down with the idea that this mesa was an erupting volcano. 

It was a fun hike and beautiful day.  If you go, bring plenty of water.  Start early and you could hike all three main trails in a day I bet. 

Survivor: New Mexico

I have been slacking lately with the posting.  Sorry about that. 

Hey, I'm a busy guy, got lots going on.  So what better way to appease the masses than with pictures. 

We took the kids to Rancho de los Golondrinas.  This is a nearby historical ranch preserved as it worked back in the 1800's.  They run frequent educational and edutainment programs.  This weekend was themed around how settlers survived in such harsh environments.  We thought the kids would love it, so we went. 

And saw a wolf.

 The wolf was from another wildlife program nearby.  Her name is Flurry. 

Not sure if survival gear or not.

 

 

 

Not survival, but useful. 

The sign on the ground reads:  "Beware.  Troll's Abode."

Of course you have to take a look.

Finally, survival gear.  They taught Michael how to make a survival bow.  But not how to shoot it

Daddy probably needs lessons too.

There was another wildlife sanctuary represented.  Guess what they dealt with.

Oddly, the boys weren't too impressed with the birds while this awesome tree was just lying around.

What'cha doin' Daddy?  Trying to take an artsy picture, goofball.

Better with the kids in it.

WE moved on to the old ranch dwellings.  The adobe keeps everything nice and cool. 

Michael wondered, "How did sleeping beauty manage to prick a finger on one of these things?" 

One lady making blankets from wool from the sheep on the ranch. 

More survival stuff.  Food storage and dehydration!

Now we are talkin'!

The quest for fire begins...

Although it took a few tries, we got fire. 

Next up was a quick black powder weapons demonstration.  The kids sat through it.

As the lecture went on, the kids asked to go back to fire-making. 

It was a fun and educational day and only about 4 miles from our house.  Pretty cool huh. 

Then, later that day, Rainbows.

Failure

Today didn't work.

As I may have mentioned before, I am planning to run a half marathon next month.  To this date, the longest I had run was 8.8 or so miles.

I worked the last two days.  The day before had been a short 5k run.  Today was the first of two days off.  I figured I needed to get a long run in one of these two days.

I woke up this morning and drug myself out of bed.  And I mean drag.  I don't have those leap out of bed refreshed and ready to take on the world, ever, but I was dragging a little bit more than normal.  I asked Sarah if we had any plans today and we didn't.  I wondered aloud if it would be better to run today or tomorrow and she replied that maybe we could plan something fun tomorrow if I ran today.  Made sense.

I had two cups of coffee and a hand full of berries then a small glass of water. (Edit;  Sarah reminded me I ate a Cliff bar right before I left.) Yep, that's some fine nutrition there.  I changed into my running clothes and checked the clock.  It was after 10:00, it was going to be hot.

So I went out and hit the road.  And the road hit right back.

The route I take come out of the RV park going downhill and meets up with a highway around 1/2 mile after I start.  Then it turns on to the highway and keeps going down for a bit which leads to the big hill.  It is quite a climb up with a short plateau halfway up.  At the top there is a prison and a movie studio.  This hill has dominated every run here thus far.  It is tough going out and tougher coming back.  Today I sailed up pretty easily and ran down the other side.  And I kept going.

I don't mark the mileage I want to run and then do it.  I pick a likely spot when I run and then run to it.  It is all a guesstimate about how far I have gone until I get home.  I could check the GPS, but I don't.

I ran down that hill and up the next and so on.  Before I knew it I was at the sign where I turned around for the 8.8 mile and kept on going.  I was pretty tired, but thought I needed to stretch it a little bit.   My throat and mouth was pretty dry and I was a little sore, but I kept going.  Down the next hill and up.  I picked another sign which I figured was around a mile past where I had gone before and ran to it and turned around.  I wanted at least 10 miles and figured this would surely do it.

When I turned around, a strange thing happened.  I couldn't see the big hill, the prison or the studio.  The realization of how far from home I was and how tired I was hit me.  I tried to rationalize that, at least I was getting closer now instead of farther away.  That worked for a bit.  I told myself that if it got too hard, I could quit.

That was it for me today.

Somehow the excuses for stopping multiplied enough that they overwhelmed whatever will I could muster to go on.  I managed about a mile before my body just stopped.   No real warning, then I was walking.  It wasn't like I made a conscious decision, I was just suddenly walking.  I still couldn't see the hill.  The blerch caught up with me.  My ego was depleted.

I walked for a bit, then ran for a bit, then walked, then ran.  Everything was screaming at me to just have a seat and rest.

I just didn't have it today.  I still plan on running the half marathon.  I failed today and will just have to try again another day.  I probably need to take my nutrition and hydration more seriously.  I have lost about 6 pounds since I have started training.  I just forget to eat.  The exercise level went up, but the calorie intake stayed the same.  I am in the high desert and it is dry.  Coffee is probably not the best pre run hydration.

I should also listen to that little voice that is telling me today might not be your day. I could have made six or eight pretty easily.  There were lessons to be learned from this failure and I hope I learned them.

I will succeed and it will be because I failed and then kept going anyway. 

8/16/13

I haven't been writing much lately.  Other things have come up that keep me distracted.  Talk about a low bar to get over.  I'm still amazed that I get any writing done on a tool that connects directly to the internet. 

What have I been up to?  Well, for starters, we did some hiking.  Russell went with us on a short  (3.3 miles, amazing now that that is considered short) hike up toward Hermit's Peak.  We may try again some day to get to the top.  Not as difficult an endeavor as Wheeler Peak, but still pretty cool.  Especially if you are a fan of the original version of the movie, Red Dawn.  Much of it was filmed around there. 

Last night we finally managed to have a few beers with someone Sarah met in the laundry room. His name is Paul Grabhorn and he was a photographer for The International Committee of the Red Cross and spent 17 years documenting aid and relief efforts in conflict zones.  It is rare when Sarah and I both feel someone else has better stories than us, but he managed.  What an interesting guy.  He is here writing a photo book about his experiences.  We are getting a bit of a sneak preview. 

I have been running; getting ready for the half marathon.  Man, that is showing up a lot faster than I figured for some reason. The longest run to date is today's run of 8.8 miles.  Still have almost five miles to add to that in 3 weeks.  That is a whole other day's run.  Sheesh.  Weird thing happened today on the run.  I was trudging up the largest of the hills on the route for the second time.  I run alongside a road since I am training for a road run.  It is a somewhat busy road so there is roadside debris: tire parts, bungee cords, trash and whatnot.  Well, today, one of the bungee cords raised up and struck at me.  It was actually a small snake sunning on the roadside.  I made an interesting and totally ungraceful twisting leap to avoid getting bitten at the last second and continued on.  I figured I had bothered it enough and should just keep going. 

Today Sarah and I took the kids to REI to look at serious hiking backpacks.  Boy, they are as expensive as you want them to be.  Nice though.  Might have to invest in a good one if this hiking thing keeps up.  It's only been a couple of years now, probably a phase.


:-)

Hermit's Peak rising in the distance.  WOLVERINES!

Russell told us that the lighter side of a Ponderosa Pine smelled like butterscotch.  Everyone could smell it except me.

Weary hikers resting at about the furthest point we made.

Another awesome Santa Fe sunset.