Cienega Canyon Hike

I love to be out in nature. And I'm so blessed to be surrounded by beautiful trails in the National Forest and Open Space. This day I decided to head out with two of my dogs for a hike in the Cibola National Forest, from the Cienega Canyon Picnic Grounds.

My hiking selfie! 

Sometimes I just like to stop, sit, rest and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of nature.

Just had to take an Us'ie of me and my trail buddies.

This tree is like a sculpture.

The trails are very well marked.

The road down below is the main road through the picnic grounds.

Blurry photo, but this plant is called Bear Corn.

This waffle stump amused me.

I've ridden my horse up and down these steps.

Hiking down below in the picnic ground is wonderful beneath the tall, shady trees beside Cienega Creek.

Hmm...which way?

The trail through Cienega Canyon was so lush and green.

A couple bridges to cross over the creek.

Another group photo!

My dogs are awesome!

My other mission this day was to try out my brand new Lowa Hiking Boots that Lowa had just sent me. Lowa had actually sent two pairs of their awesome hiking boots, one paid for me and one pair for my son. All because I have been a passionate fan of Lowa since I bought my son his first pair for backpacking with the Boy Scouts. Lowas truly are comfortable boots right out of the box. No need to break them in to avoid blisters. I hiked over 5 miles this day and my feet never got a hot spot nor felt sore. Lowas are well worth the money. Get yourself a pair!  

Great signage out on the trails.

A beautiful, but boggy, meadow down in Cienega Canyon, near the Nature Trail.

The trails are very well maintained and easy to hike.

Heading back toward the parking area.

I love the way the sun shines dappled through the tall trees.

Incredible views looking east from the mountain side trails.

Back down the stairs.

The sounds of the babbling creek were music to my ears. I love the sound of running water out in nature...not something we high desert folks here in New Mexico hear very often.

I sat down and listened quite a bit this day.

But I had to laugh at this old sign calling the beauty of the sights and sounds of nature, important national forest products.

Another fantastic day spent out in nature...Life is Good!

Bill Springs Hike

I always enjoy hiking, especially with my kids. This time I chose Bill Springs Trail in the Sandia Mountains, to hike with my son.

 

The trail was lined with lush green vegetation.

Tall rock walls and shaded trails surrounded by green. New Mexico is not just a desert state!

I brought two of my dogs, too.

Not the best lighting, but here we are.

Just to show how thick, lush and green the trail was.

Can you locate my son and my two dogs in this photo?

Beautiful mushrooms beside the trail. In fact, we saw many mushrooms, as well as a few ferns, too. 

Nope, New Mexico is definitely not just a desert state.

I am always fascinated with rocks. I just had to take a selfie with this layered rock wall to show perspective.

Taking a rest among this rock garden.

Interesting and unusual trees are also something I am drawn to. This tree was growing straight out of the side of the mountain horizontally.

My son found a plethora of huge boulders to climb and explore.

We enjoyed a great hike and even managed to out hike a heavy rain storm on our return.

Kasha Katuwe - Tent Rocks Hike

About halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, very close to Cochiti Lake, is a magical place called Kasha-Katuwe, or Tent Rocks. I have been there many times with my 3 kids, and have taken visitors, too. This time my kids and I were taking my 72 year old friend, Gin to hike and explore this enchanting place. The following is a photo tour of our special day at Kasha-Katuwe.