7/20/13

Santa Fe has just jumped up on my favorite cities list a few notches.   Today was pretty cool. 

We woke up early this morning, early for us anyway, so that we could go to the healthy kids Run For Fun.  This is a city sponsored free event.  We thought it was just a 5k run and a mile walk.  It turned out to be a lot more. 

The 5k started just as we arrived, the attendance wasn't huge. 

The kids were not happy.   I believe that Michael thought we were going to make him run a 5k or half marathon. 

But we force marched them the one mile course through scenic downtown Santa Fe.  As soon as it was over we found out there was much more to the day including face painting, a rock wall, bounce houses and more.  All for free.  It was really cool.  Also, people were very friendly.  One guy just randomly went and found us a chair when we went to a table that had only three.  People were courteous and aware of their surroundings for the most part.  It turned into a wonderful day. 

They gave the boys a bunny to hold while they got their arms painted. 

It was a fun day.

Oh yeah, I finished the first draft of the Adventure Nickel book yesterday.  144 pages and a shade over 52k words.  Now a short rest before the real work of editing and rewriting begins. 

More treasure hunting.

After three days of ER twelves, my misanthropy was peaking.  So today we went treasure hunting again.  To the same place.  This time we completed the hike.  We finished the rockslide trail.  It used to be a portion of Highway 570, but a rockslide destroyed it.  Fun day.  We took Satchel with us this time instead of Russ. 

Right at the beginning of the hike, Max got a large splinter.  That made the trek a little less pleasant than we expected as we didn't have any way of extracting it.  But we managed.  Along the way we startled what appeared to my uneducated eye to be a juvenile bighorn sheep.  Pretty cool 

Neat tree.  I climbed down in search of treasure and found photo op treasure.

Another photo op treasure from the Rio de Pueblo de Taos.

Looking back the way we came. 

A neat drainage culvert.  Michael looks like  he is straightening his hat prior to walking the plank 

Of course you wear a pirate hat to look for treasure.  Michael stopped to examine our reference materials.

I'm reading what Michael told me to.  Max is enjoying the shade.

Our mountain quadraped friend.

What are you guys doing out here?

Hey, I never had a chance to photograph one of these guys.  I went nuts snapping pictures.

Back on the trail.  If you zoom you can see the sheep still up on the rocks, waiting for us to leave.

Time to gambol about the rocks. 

Satchel just wanted shade, it was hot out. 

Arrrrr, there be treasure nearby, I can smell it. 

Then at the end of the trail, there is all this trash in the canyon.  Who does this?  "Hey it's a gorgeous waterway, lets drop trash into it."  A**holes.

The way back down.

So, we took it. 

After the hike we spent some time wading in the Rio Grande.   Of course the kids were soaked, but Sarah had brought a change of clothes.  She only forgot underwear.  The kids were going commando.  After we got home and had dinner and coffee, we went for a walk.  Michael and Max were playing tag.  Max slipped and fell on a cactus, with no underwear.  WE spent half an hour pulling spines out of his hands and butt.  Poor kid. 

No work tomorrow.  YAY!  Thanks again Mr. Forrest Fenn.  I got to take my kids hiking with a minimum of fussing.  You rock.

7-13-13

Another day of treasure hunting.  Thanks again, Mr Fenn.  We set out to where I thought the treasure might be.  Coincidentally, it was a beautiful gorge with trails and the sound of running water accompanying us the whole way.  No tragedy that we didn't find it.  I guess we will just have to go out hunting again. 

This time we had Sarah's cousin Russell with us.  He seemed to enjoy the hiking.  We stopped for dinner on the way back in Espaniola.  It was a good time and a day well spent.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring. 

 

This wasn't a blaze ,but I think that is a boy.

Michael searching for treasure in a secret cave.

Sarah and Russel on the Picuris Trail. 

On the way home I stopped to capture a picture because the light was good.

Aptly named Camel Rock.

I loved the crepuscular rays and the lines of the rain I took a dozen pictures and only a few came out.

Yaaarrrr, there be treasure.

Today we drove....and drove...and drove. 

I didn't think it would take that long to get to Taos or Angel Fire from here, but it took around three hours due to mountain passes, traffic and speed limits.  Oh well. 

It was pretty.  It wasn't jaw dropping pretty like some places, but it was very nice.  Also, much cooler.  The fun part of this trip was man made. 


You see, there is this man named Forrest Fenn.  He is a multi-millionaire antiquities dealer who, years ago, thought he was dying of cancer.  Faced with the eternal sleep he decided to do something really cool.  He took a bunch of gold and ancient artifacts, loaded them up into a box and hid them somewhere.  Then he wrote an autobiography with a poem that gives clues to the whereabouts of the treasure.

We were going to go out and explore the area anyway, so this just added a little spice.  I think I now have carte blanche to drag the kids anywhere we want to go.  We just tell them we are searching for hidden treasure and they are game for it.  Awesome.  You know, I think that was kind of the idea.  Then a wonderful thing happened and Mr. Fenn got better.  Now he gets to watch the action. 

So, my hat is off to you Mr. Fenn.  Thank you.  Even if I don't find the treasure.  But if anyone out there puts together the clues and thinks they really know where it is, let me know so I can go look.  I'll give you your choice of gold coins. 

;-)

As I have gone alone in thereAnd with my treasures bold,I can keep my secret where,And hint of riches new and old.

 Begin it where warm waters haltAnd take it in the canyon down,Not far, but too far to walk,Put in below the home of Brown.

 From there it’s no place for the meek,The end is ever drawing nigh;There’ll be no paddle up your creek,Just heavy loads and water high.

 If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,Look quickly down, your quest to cease,But tarry scant with marvel gaze,Just take the chest and go in peace.

 So why is it that I must goAnd leave my trove for all to seek?The answers I already know,I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak.

 So hear me all and listen good,Your effort will be worth the cold.If you are brave and in the woodI give you title to the gold.

Back to work

I will admit that I was nervous about going back to work.  I hadn't worked a 12 in an ER in six months and wasn't sure how I would respond.  Turns out that I can still work in an ER.  I can still deal with psych patients and angry drunks and do all the other things that are required.  Yaayyy!

I went out and ran today too.  First time in a while and at an elevation (approximately) of 7500 feet.  That will grey out the eyes on the long uphill stretches if you aren't used to it.  And the humidity is really low.  Not used to that at all.  I only made 2 miles, but I feel good about them.  Slow as they were.

We found the coolest pet store I think I have ever been in.  It is called Jurrasic Pets.  They have branches hanging from the ceiling with chameleons, boas and birds on them.  Holding the animals is encouraged unless they are dangerous, like some of their scorpions and spiders.  Heck, they had a frilled lizard, a Mississippi alligator and pirhana for sale. Pretty awesome for a neighborhood pet store. 

Tonight, around sunset-ish, we went out and I took some pictures. A storm was clearing so the light was really nice.  I managed to snap one or two I was happy with.  Including a rainbow with a treasure at the end.

 

 

Tent Rocks National Monument.

Yesterday there were a lot of people at the RV park.  We were sitting on the front porch of the office chatting with the owner.  HE asked if we had been to Tent Rocks National Monument.  WE hadn't even heard of the place.  He said it was very pretty and had some great hiking.  Check, check, we like those things.Sarah and I thought we should go see that.  I mean, he didn't say waterfall or anything, but it sounded cool. 

Later that evening, as we were watching the sunset and taking a 4th of July photo that I really like...

when a lady came up to take a picture and we started talking.  We mentioned we might try to go to Tent Rocks the next day and she said it was probably her favorite place on Earth.  Well, that settled it.

This morning we set off and drove.  The park is only around 30 miles south of Santa Fe and a little off I-25.  It took up around 40 minutes to get there.  There is a $5 fee for each car entry into the park.  Since it was a holiday weekend the place was packed.  I think we may have to return on a weekday after school starts early in the morning because the place is stunning.  Even working with relatively flat light I was still able to get some really good pictures. 

This is the park entrance, I love the golfball on a tee look at the top there.  Of course, the rock is probably bigger than our truck.

We walked through some relatively open and flat area on the way to the Canyon trail which is a 1.3 mile out and back trail leading to the top of a nearby mesa. 

Then the walk started getting more interesting.  The trail enters a narrow canyon strewn with boulders and the occasional ponderosa pine. 

It was neat, but the kids were still complaining and it was starting to get hot.

Believe it or not, they were complaining.

But as we got further into the canyon, it started to get narrow and required the use of all four limbs to get some places, even the kids thought it was cool. 

But the best was yet to come.  We continued winding through the shaded canyon until it really became a slot canyon.

Then the canyon opens back up for a bit. The hoodoo formations are awesome.

Then we start climbing our way out of the canyon.  The formations are immense. 

You can see some people in this next picture to give you a sense of the scale of the formations.

It is a pretty long climb up the canyon wall.  I think the total elevation gain on the hike is a little over 600 feet.  Some places require a little scrambling, but the path is very well maintained. 

At the crest, the view opens up and the wind dries the sweat of the climb. 

Up at the top I took the time to take some pictures of the Manzanita plants that just looked so cool. 

Then it was back down through the canyon.  Some things you only notice when you come through the other way.

Back out of the canyon we decided, much to the chagrin of the boys, that we would hike the Cave Loop trail instead of just going back to the truck.  It was a bit of a letdown.  This is the cave.

Even tired and footsore after a long hike, the boys managed to have some fun.

Michael being a frog under a toadstool 

 Now they are just being goofy.

Overall it was a spectacular hike and a wonderful day.  I hope we get to go back.