Happy Birthday Honey!!!, El Paso Trip

This week was Sheryl's birthday and it just happened to coincide with a nursing seminar/class she was required to attend in El Paso, TX. Well since El Paso is right down the street (so to speak) I went with her and we made a birthday getaway out of the weekend. Since her work was picking up the hotel tab we picked on of the nicer ones in El Paso, The Radisson at the airport. I must say, the staff there was thr friendlist we have ever seen at a hotel, from the from desk to the maids, it made a nice trip even better!

Sheryl's class was for Advanced Trama Nursing and held at the University of Texas. She spent most of each day in class, so I was left to explore the city on my own.

El Paso is your standard large city (600,000+) and the largest one I have been to on the US/Mexican border. I have grown not to care for larger cities (too much trafic and hussle bussle). I'm sure El Paso has a lot going for it, but as a visitor found it difficult to get around (espcially the downtown area) I also found (mainly downtown) if you removed the Texas license plates from the cars you could very well be in Old Mexico.

Of course had to take a trip along the border. The security is pretty good along the city area, fencing, lighting and Border Patrol out the yazoo, but found as you got farther out of town the fencing and security becomes more lax. Not critisizing just stating my observations.

After exploring the town on day one, day two brought me to the Fanklin Mountains State park. The park is the largest urban state park in the country. The park encompasses 24,000 acres and most of the Franklin Mountains which the city surrounds.

The park has several hiking trails, I selected the Aztec Caves trail, it was a short but pretty strenious hike (either that or I'm just getting older and fatter...lol) You can just see the caves in the center pictured above.

View looking out of one of the caves. The caves are pretty shallow only 20-40 feet deep, but well worth the hike and the view.

Saturday evening brought Sheryl's Birthay dinner. We scoped out a little local Italian place and decied to give it a try. WOW, what a great place!!! Food and service was excellent and of course haveing a beautiful lady to spend the evening with just made it extra special. So if you are ever in El Paso, we highly recommend you head to Cappetto's on Montana Ave for a great meal!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!!! Ok thats all for this posting, we'll see you next time!!!

White Sands Balloon Invitational

The White Sands Balloon Invitational was held here in Alamogordo and at White Sands National Park, Sept 19-20. The evening balloon glow was here in Alamogordo and the actual flights took place at the park. We had made plans to attend both, we made it to the glow, but it was just to early for us to make it out to the park by 7:00 am. There were 8 ballons at the glow and approx 50 at the park, it would have made for quite a sight, but alas there is next year when things are no so hectic.

We have always enjoyed watching the balloons both in flight and during the glows, the night time experiance of the loud roar of the flames and the light of the balloons against the dark sky is always something special.

Take Care until next time!!!

Westside Rd in the Sacramento Mountains

Sheryl was sleeping after a night at work, it was about 11:00 am and a spur of the moment decision found me at Westside Rd at around 12:30. The day was cool and overcast here at 7500 feet. Westside Rd. runs along the western ridge of the Sacramento Mountains, from the small mountain town of High Rolls for 35 or so miles to it's end just north of Timberon. Once off the main highway US 82 you turn south onto Westside Rd, it's round two miles through privite land befor you hit the Linclon NF and FS 90. Once in the NF the road is pretty open with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and the basin below.

The road winds around the mountain sides and back into the canyons.

The upper mountain tops were blanketed in the clouds.

After several miles, you can turn off Westside road and head west on FS 90B (Joplin Ridge Rd.) for approx 2 miles to the Dog Canyon Trailhead.

Joplin Ridge Rd., is considered one of the rougher roads in the forest (per the ranger) and it was quite rocky, nothing to large, but just enough to make for a pretty bumpy ride.

The Dog Canyon Trail is 5.5 miles long and streches from the Lee Oliver State Park up to FS 90B. At the half way point the is an old stone cabin and that was my goal for a side hike during the trip.

The trail begins down some steep switchbacks

As your first view of Dog Canyon comes into view.

Once down the switchbacks the trail takes you through a beautiful mountain meadow for a mile or so.

Of course you have to have the token self portrait shot...lol

Once through the meadow,the trail begins a steep downward decent. I followed it down for around 1/2 mile, and the trail just disappeared into a deep rocky washout between the to mountains. I bushwacked for a bit trying to find the trail, but to no avail. Do to a time constraint I put on myself (ok, actually a dinner date with my honey) I decided to give up and try another day and make the trail a main goal.

While headed back I found this interesting cactus growing out of a crack in the boulder.

After returning to the Jeep, I put out alittle shelter and enjoyed the shade for a bit before heading out.

Once back on Westside road, I ran across this grave site, had it not been for the bright flowers you would miss it all together. It is a small fenced in area with just two crosses and a couple of stones as markers. The are no names, just the crosses and stones. I paid my respects and continued on.

The farther south you travel, the deeper into the mountains the road goes, the sweeping vistas give way to the forest lined road.

Approx. 3/4 the way, you will run across and abandon corral, the area is pretty big and it must have been quite an operation in it's day.

Not much farther south of the corral, the road begins to emerge from the deep forest and back out to the mountain sides with grand vistsas coming into view again. The views are mainly southwest toward El Paso and Las Cruces.

The road is nearing its end and begins a steep ascent along several shelfs before turning into the forest again and it's end just north of Timberon. All toll, the trip lasted 6 1/2 hours including the side hike. It was a great day out and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a southern NM getaway. By the way, the dinner date with Sheryl just made a good day a GREAT one.

Thats all for this adventure and as always Love your Life, it's the only one you have!!!!

Exploring The Dona Ana Mountains

I hooked up with a group of off roaders from El Paso, TX. to explore the Dona Ana Mountains just north of Las Cruces, NM. The group is the Ol'Skool 4x4 organization, they are not a club, but rather a couple of guys who love off roading and have an open invitation to anyone who want to come along on their trips. Turned out to be a great group. We spent the weekend in the mountans, exploring the trails and Camaraderie around the campfire. Above is Hwy 70 headed towards Las Cruces out of Alamogordo.

Air down point at the trailhead, all toll, we had 17 vehicles and around 40 family members.

Headed into the Mountains.

I love the desert mountains, the views are amazing.

The trails wern't difficult, but were pretty steep up and down.

All together we did about 20 miles though the trails.

Camp was great that evening, good food, good friends, and a evening out under the stars. Rain did threaten during the evening, so on went the tent rain fly, would have been much cooler with out it, but sleeping in a down pour.....................hmmmm, maybe not....lol. I'm looking forward to getting together with these folks again and hopefully Sheryl will be healed up enough to join me. Times sure are better when we can do things together.

Ok all, keep lovin your life as we do ours, even in these trying times!!!

Horse Ridge Trail Outing

Got out today and decided on a little back yard adventure, literally. Took the jeep, went around the corner, ok alittle farther, but not much and hit the Horse Ridge Trail. The trail is a couple of miles long and ends up at the top of a high ridge overlooking Alamogordo. You can just see the trail heading up the hill

The trail is prety much strait up, several curves and climbs with lots of loose rock, makes for an interesting drive.

As always, pictures never relate just how steep the roads are.

Once at the overlook, the views are impressive, with White Sands Missle Range, and the San Andres mountains to the west. To the east are the higher Sacramento mountains.

The overlook is also used by local hangliders, although I havent seen any yet, would be interesting to watch them from the house.

You can see Alamogordo just down the hills, it's actually alot closer than it looks in the pic. It was a beautiful day just to get out in the Jeep for a bit, and having the mountains in your back yard sure dosen't hurt!! Here's a little video of the trip.

White Sands National Monument Hike

Decided to head out to White Sands National Monument last weekend. Since mid July is not the best time to visit the southern New Mexico desert and since I live right down the street, I'd give it a quick look and see what it had to offer for future exploring. Well I got and early start to beat the heat, and to my surprise it happened to be a mostly cloudy day with a cool breeze blowing. I always bring my day pack when I head out and since I had plenty of food and water, thought I go ahead and do some hiking. After a quick stop at the welcome center I settled on a trail at the far end of the park in the Heart of the Dunes.

The road heads in 8 miles, bring plenty of water as they tell you more than once, Theres not water past the gate.

Arrived at the trailhead, the Alkali Flats trail is a 4 1/2 mile loop trail into the far reaches of the park. The is no actual trail to follow, you hike from one marker to another as the dunes are always moving.

View from the trailhead

Yours Truly sporting mysytlish hiking gear.

Some Plants and animals have learned to adapt and even thrive in the harsh enviorment.

Take only pictures, leave only foot prints

Trail markers, some are close together, some are up to 500 yards apart, others disappear altogether in the shifting dunes.

Hard to see in this shot, but when the sun is at the right angle the gypsum crystals sparkle like dimonds in the sands.

The white dunes are just beautiful.

At 2 1/2 miles in you can see parts of the White Sands missile range complex in the distance.

Where the cystals form t make up the dunes.

The inter dune area where plants thrive before being engulfed by the ever moving dunes.

A lonely Soaptree Yucca.

Well thats it, a quick glimps into the White Sands National Monument, if you are ever down in south central New Mexico, the dunes are well worth checking out.