Clement and I left Cuba after a leisurely cup of coffee for a quick 53 mile overnight hike to Ghost Ranch, a retreat center just off the trail that is the nearest access point to Santa Fe, where we were picked up by a family friend for a day off and a chance to resupply in a real city.
The climb out of Cuba was beautiful. I expected more of the same sandstone/mesa terrain that we had been going through, but instead we climbed through aspen up to open alpine meadows saturated with snowmelt and surrounded by pink granite.
We did not sleep well that night, as a group of wolves nearby woke us several times with their howling. An early start was required to make it to Ghost Ranch in time for the pickup. It was difficult to get out of my sleeping bag, as a layer of frost had settled overnight, although the day warmed quickly as we descended to the Chama River through more of the familiar open sage brush country.
Our time off in Santa Fe has been productive, although it is hard to relax when there is so much to be done. We both picked up new shoes and socks, among other things. I am looking forward to my feet healing in roomier shoes that have more cushioning.
We will be back on the trail later today, and should reach Chama on Monday morning.
 |
| Clement on the way up from Cuba. |
 |
| Going over San Pedro Peaks. |
 |
| Aspen |
 |
| Cold morning start. |
 |
| Chama River |
 |
| On the way to Ghost Ranch |
The howling of wolves. Did it keep you up from the noise or the concern of becoming a tasty meat and sleeping bag burrito?
ReplyDeletePrimarily the noise, but yeah, I'll admit a bunch of wolves nearby worried me a bit, given that my food bag was two feet away from my head.
ReplyDeleteGreg, I ran into you on your way to Ghost Ranch. I did this painting the next day, but, alas, it took me a while to figure out what to do with it. If you would like to see it go to paintandsimple.com Thanks for the inspiration. Happy hiking! -Juliana
ReplyDelete