Hiking: New Mexico Edition

You didn't think a blog named "Stitchsmith" would be ALL about sewing, did you?  Heavens, no.

We've had it on our mind to get to Santa Fe for about 9.5 years now.  That is, we've been plotting our return ever since our first trip back in 2006.  Our colleges happened to have the same spring break, we borrowed a CRX and Mike drove 18 hrs. in one day. Note to self: learn to drive a stick already, would you?  A few things have changed in the past 9.5 years, and we've been awfully consumed by weddings, babies, and work, but we finally made it happen.  Little girl needs to see her godfather, after all. This time, we broke up the drive into two days, and we were pleased to notice Texas no longer has different speed limits after dark. Winning!

It probably came as no surprise that all I *really* wanted to do was hike.  We popped into the Plaza of the Governors, but shopping and little kids just isn't my jam.  PX asked for a garden, and we happened to find a Stations of the Cross garden next to the Basilica.  BH and I went into the Basilica, since I couldn't remember if I went in last time (quickly realized I had not--in '06 saw the Loretto Chapel with its miraculous stairs). And then I ate green chile. 

 Our first adventure was to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. (No, sis, I didn't get our passports stamped. Dang! This is managed by the BLM, not NPS) It's about 40 miles outside of Santa Fe--a beautiful, scenic drive. $5 admission got us in.  No visitors center or amenities, but the bathrooms were a step up from port-a-potties, so that was good.  We should have brought more water!

Here are the rocks for which the area is named. See, they look like TENTS. Get it??  At this point I should mention I was carrying our new Olympus T-4, which is waterproof and shockproof and babyproof...but has plastic over its lens, and the plastic is often subjected to fingerprints and smudging.  I never think to wipe it before taking a picture. Blast. We did the Cave Loop Trail. BH started in the woven in a FWCC, PX was on back in the Ergo.  Then PX wanted down and BH wanted dad, so she ended up on his back in the Ergo. PX drew pictures in the sand explaining how the great volcanoes of long ago (the 1980s) created the tent rocks. Ha! The tail was well-marked, with signage explaining the cave (couldn't go near/in, it's on the side of the cliff) and the tent rocks.  Next time I'd like to do the Slot Canyon Trail, which goes high above the trail we were on. The guide book specifically said it wasn't for people carrying babies on their back. Haters. Kidding--there are narrow passages.  And taking babies to the top of a cliff doesn't sound like the safest idea unless they're both securely wrapped, which PX was not. Next time!

On our last day in town, we did the Dorothy Stewart Trail. It's 1.6 mi, and the trailhead is very close to St. John's College. We did get a little lost getting there.  Finding it again might be a trick. The trailhead was on Camino de Cruz Blanca, and the trail connected with the Dale Ball trail system, and maybe even with the Atalaya trail system (which I THINK starts at St. John's).  Typing Dorothy Stewart Trail into the GPS took us to a coffee shop in SF, so that was...not helpful. The internet descriptions of the trail were unclear (often combining it with the other trail systems), so we weren't sure what we were getting into.  We knew the hike was going to be somewhere between 1 and 6 miles. I thought I found a map of the trails, which would have been infinitely useful, but the link on the Santa Fe government's website didn't work.  Thanks for nothin'!  Once again, BH started in the woven in FWCC, and PX was on my back in the Ergo. At some point through the hike we switched.  PX ended up in a ruck carry on Mike's back, and BH was in the Ergo on my back.  She is currently on a back-carry strike, and she made it VERY clear she was unhappy.  The Daniel Tiger soundtrack saved the day, and I felt like a doofus for streaming music while hiking. At this point, I realized I had paused my hiking app, so I don't have very accurate stats about our journey. Dang!  I do know we changed elevation more than 200ft over the course of the hike.  It's probably more like double that because the part that got skipped was pretty steep.

Here we are, gazing over Santa Fe. PX was in the Ergo, on cactus watch. Every time he saw one, he scared me half to death alerting me of its location. I'm afraid it is time to size-up carriers. His legs are barely supported by the back panel. I'm torn. He's at a point where he often wants to be more independent, so would a toddler or pre-k sized carrier be worth the money?  Everyone raves about Tulas, but they also treat them like glass, and I need something that can get dragged through the mud.  Side note: at the SF farmer's market, there were tons of people baby-wearing. One mom had her kid on her back in a carrier I didn't recognize and the child had chewed 3/4 of the way through the strap. Egads! And then I ate green chile.

We're at a funny stage in our hiking life.  The kids are big enough to constantly voice opinions, but not actually big enough to hike for any significant amount of time or distance.