family

March Hikes with Mike - 7 and 8

In March, I hiked twice. I graced Cibola National Forest and Dinosaur Valley State Park with my presence and had nice little hikes in each. Check it out.

Hike 7 - Dinosaur Valley State Park - Texas

Trail: Cedar Brake Outer Loop, Rocky Ridge, Black Capped Vireo

Date: Sunday, March 7th

Distance: 6.2 miles

Distance From Home: 75 miles

Weather: Partly Sunny, Windy

Trail Notes: Was a nice day, water was a little high

I needed a good hike and figured it was time to hit the old standby. Dinosaur Valley is always a go-to for a good hike close to the DFW metro area. With me on the journey was Chew the dog, my other half, and my best friend. We did several trails and weaved our way through, avoiding any major crowds which were mostly near the river.

Hike 8 - Tunnel Canyon - New Mexico

Trail: Birdhouse Ridge

Date: Saturday, March 14

Distance: 2.31 miles

Distance From Home: 614 miles

Weather: Sunny, cool

Trail Notes: This was at sundown

A nice little trail system in the Cibola National Forest outside of Albuquerque, NM. I didn’t have a lot of time before dark, and I was on a conference call, so I only did about two miles. I followed the ridge, and if time had permitted, I could have looped back in the canyon. I can’t wait to get back out there to finish this loop and explore other trails in the area.

February Hikes with Mike - 5 and 6

In February, I hiked twice. I graced Lincoln National Forest and Caprock Canyons State Park with my presence and had nice little hikes in each. Check it out.

Hike 5 - Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico

Trail: Switchback (just outside of Cloudcroft, NM)

Date: Sunday, Feb 16

Distance: 5.01 miles

Distance From Home: 548 miles

Weather: Mild and Sunny

Trail Notes: Snow in shady areas of trail, mud in the sun

I was in New Mexico for work again, so I decided to take advantage of my surroundings and get a good hike in on a familiar trail. My aunt and I visited this trail last September, but it was completely different this time around. Same great trees and mild incline, but with sparkly bright snow. The snow was not deep enough to require anything more than my hiking boots, but it was prominent enough to fill my heart with joy. I miss regular snow, but apparently only when it’s nice to look at and not deep enough to require snow boots. The trail has a mile slope as it switchbacks along the hillside. It’s at about 8,000 feet, give or take, and follows the highway out of Cloudcroft. There are sweeping views of trees and mountains, but it also feels like a hallway through some big trees. It’s a nice little trail to do if you don’t have all day and want to enjoy some fresh pine scent. It’s not secluded feeling; there is road noise on occasion.

Hike 6 - Caprock Canyons State Park

Trail: North Prong Spur, Upper North Prong

Date: Saturday, February 29

Distance: 7 miles

Distance From Home: 290 miles

Weather: Partly sunny, warm, windy

Trail Notes: The climb to Fern Cave was not exactly what I remembered, but still manageable

We planned a family weekend of camping, hiking, and most importantly campfires. My aunt and uncle hauled their camper out and set up a few days before the weekend, and Eric, Chewy, and I made our way out Friday afternoon. It was windy and sunny, mild, and seemingly perfect for the end of February. We planned to hike Saturday, I wanted to show my aunt Fern Cave and just enjoy the day we all had together. We started out, a little late because a wee bit too much was consumed the night before. The sun stayed behind some clouds most of the day, which was actually a relief for temps. We were doing alright, a little windy but alright, then we hit the final push to get to Fern Cave. It was a little more intense than everyone was used to, but we made it up and then down in only to find they were all brown! I had only been in the fall, so I wasn’t sure if they went brown in the winter and came back to life in the spring? I didn’t know what to expect. Either way, we enjoyed the cool temps but had to get out because some people were monopolizing it with their lunch making (making it stink like fuel) and dogs off leash everywhere. We meandered out and back to the main trail and eventually back to my car. The dog was TIRED, we were mostly spent, and it was definitely time for a cocktail and some dinner.

No matter how many times I visit Caprock Canyons, I always enjoy the trails. It’s one of my go-to locations in Texas and I already can’t wait to get back for another weekend.

#hike23 - Dinosaur Valley State Park

Crossing the Paluxy River to start our hike.

Date: July 14, 2018

Location: Dinosaur Valley State Park - Glen Rose, TX

Distance: 5 miles

Trails: Cedar Brake Outer Loop (partial), Denio Creek Warbler Trail. Paluxy River Trail

See the trail map HERE

We started early, my aunt and I, and got to the park about 7:00 A.M.  We registered, parked, and started our hike in 79 degree weather with about 79% humidity.  At Dinosaur Valley State Park you have to cross the river to get to the good trails, but the Paluxy was only a trickle so we didn't have to get wet this time.

I like hikes with my aunt, or other close friends/family, because you can have those good talks that I'd classify as quality time.  We talked, bitched about things, laughed, and overall had a very positive ongoing conversation about life.

The sun climbed higher in the sky, and we started to feel the heat increase while simultaneously feeling perfectly acclimated to the temperature.  About halfway through the hike, we encountered some bugs and that was mildly annoying, but no other real issues.  I have one horse fly bite, that I didn't even notice until today.

We finished up after five miles, before the real heat hit with a slightly lower humidity, and made our way back to the parking area.  We avoided most direct sunlight by picking trails that were shaded by the ridges and scrubby trees thus avoiding excessive exposure.  We saw one woman on a mountain bike, but really no one else dared to be out there with us that we could see or hear.  Once we arrived back to the parking lot, there were a few more cars, but nowhere near the normal packed lot I'm used to seeing.

Summer hiking, in Texas, is not my favorite and I'm at least a month behind on my quest to hike 52 times in the year with one per week....but I'm not worried.   Once the fall hits, I'll have no excuse to hike twice per weekend and maybe even twice per day!  I'm longing for the cooler mornings and evenings ahead.  Until next time, happy trails!

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