UNREAL! Carlsbad Caverns National Park exceeded my expectations. At 16 years old, Jim White discovered Carlsbad Caverns. Well, actually over 1,000 years ago, American Indians ventured into the entrance but left no evidence of entering the cave. One day in the late 1800’s White thought he saw smoke coming from the area and when he …
Our hike up McKittrick Canyon to “The Notch” and back was around 10 miles with all our exploring and add ons. The sky was cloudy and the wind was gusting when we started but after the first mile or so it died down and by mile 3 the sun was out and it was warm. …
Camping and Aztec Caves We made the short drive from our spot in Las Cruces, NM to Franklin Mountain State Park in El Paso, TX. We’re camped right at the mountains and it’s pretty sweet. The park closes at 5:00 so for the first night we were all alone in the park. SO QUIET! Franklin …
Dona Ana Trails The BLM’s Doña Ana Trails in Las Cruces are worth it if you’re in the area, which we are. Derek and I rode 17 miles with 1666′ of climbing. From the parking area the trail climbs ever so slightly but is generally very fast. We rode almost all the trails out there …
White Sands National Park is the newest National Park, designated such in 2019. Before then it was a National Monument. Some 275 square miles of dazzling white gypsum sand dunes shift and settle in the Tularosa Basin a short drive from Las Cruces. The park is surrounded by White Sands Missie Range and could be …
Once again, we put our National Park pass to use and visited Dripping Springs Natural Area. It’s Bureau of Land Management and normal $5 but they accept the park pass so it was no charge for us. We spent the afternoon hiking around and checking out the area. First, we hiked out to the namesake, …
Pontiac Ridge Our first hike of the year was short but sweet. We hiked Pontiac Ridge which was four miles with 1300′ of climbing so basically two miles up and two miles back. What a gem! Once you get past the last row of houses it’s all wilderness and absolutely beautiful. After a quick descent …
This year Derek and I have collected billions of memories and they just keep coming this holiday season. I was able to spend my niece’s 8th birthday with her, and Christmas with family. We made four kinds of homemade tamales with my mom for a Christmas Eve celebration. Darnit, I don’t have a picture but …
We’re camped at the edge of wilderness so there is a giant area where bikes aren’t allowed. We took another day to hike up to Fremont Saddle and along the Cave Trail in a big loop. The loop was a around 6.5 miles with 2,000′ of climbing with all our add ons. The hike up …
Wave Cave Hike After a big ride on the Arizona Trail we needed a day off the bike. We slept in, had pancakes, and picked a short hike by where we are camped. Wave Cave is a 3 mile out and back hike on the southwest side of the Superstition Wilderness. It’s rated as moderate …