Griffis Family Outdoors

10/16-17/2009: Palo Duro State Park, TX

2009-10-19T18:09:00.001-07:00

On my list of things to do before moving away from west Texas was to do a long exploration of Palo Duro’s backcountry. Of particular interest has been to get back into the North Ceta Canyon drainage and then try and make a loop up over Mesquite Park and back to the developed area of the park.

I left Dimmitt around 12:45 after finishing up work on Friday. I was excited about the trip as it was my first real backpacking trip without having the kids along in quite some time. The park was pretty busy as the annual trail run was scheduled for the next day. I picked up my permit and drove out to the trailhead.

The day was sunny and in the upper 60’s. I started east along the banks of the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red. Unofficial use trails provided intermittent paths as I waded through the frequently chest and head high grasses along the flood plain. A couple of miles into my walk I left the river and struck off to the southeast to try and shave a few miles off my journey into North Ceta Canyon. The walk took me through dense juniper and mesquite thickets, eroded clay badlands and upland prairie.

Around 5:30 I arrived in the North Ceta drainage and turned west. The large drainage felt like traveling a highway after the bushwhack getting there. I made good time heading west. I passed what looked like a good swimming hole at the junction with South Ceta Canyon. Around 6:30 I climbed up onto a small knob and tossed out my sleeping bag. I pulled out a precooked “Uncle Ben’s” rice meal and some power bars for dinner and fell asleep to the distant songs of coyotes.

Saturday dawned to overcast skies and the now familiar howls of coyotes. I was up before sunrise and had packed my gear and started walking. Today would be the crux of the trip, an ascent up and over Mesquite Park and down Red Canyon. The stream bed began getting more difficult to traverse as I encountered more water, and with the water came the slick clay.

I turned north and entered an unnamed canyon by which I hoped to climb up to the rim. I spooked a herd of 10-12 aoudads and watched them nimbly climb the walls. The walk quickly turned into a climb as I encountered numerous large boulders obstructing the bottom of the canyon. Complicating the climb was the small creek with numerous water holes which I tried to avoid. I had the thought more than once that a helmet would be comforting given my remote location. Near the headwall of the canyon I came across two narrow slot canyons. This prompted me to dub the area “Utah Canyon”.

A difficult scramble up the crumbling sidewalls of the canyon brought me out into an open bowl of eroded badlands. I spooked a few mule deer bucks as I traversed the eroded buttes up to the flat expanse of Mesquite Park. I was relieved to have made it up, but I feared descending Red Canyon was going to be more difficult. The topo map gave the impression of a large ring of cliffs just below the 3200’ elevation line. I mentally mapped out a few possibilities in case I “cliffed out” and began my descent.

The canyon started off quite benign, my only real obstacles were the thick vegetation. I made good time heading down. Eventually I encountered a large pour off. I scouted around to try and find a route down and realized that it was not one, but rather two large pour offs in succession. I was able to found a bypass around to the east of the first drop. I did have to rig a short rappel, but in the end managed to scramble down and around the pour offs and into the lower section of Red Canyon. From here I knew it would all be easy.

I made my way out of the canyon and back to the park road. I had hoped to follow the Juniper Trail back to the trailhead, but it was being heavily used for the annual Palo Duro Enduro Run, so I was instead reduced to a road slog for the remainder of the trip. I arrived back at the truck around 12:30, having completed about 16 miles.

9/30-10/3/2009: San Pedro Parks Wilderness, NM

2009-10-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

We escaped west Texas every fall for the past several years to backpack in Rocky Mountain National Park to catch the aspen changing. Due to limited vacation with an impending move and a baby on the way we opted for something closer. My original intent was to hike the Windsor Trail into Puerto Nambe in the Pecos Wilderness. There are some tremendous aspen groves in the area and the only time I had seen them in the past was on a snowshoe trip. The more I thought about it I decided for something a bit less steep as my wife was 29 weeks pregnant and we were taking all of the kids.

We left town around 5:30 Friday afternoon, headed for Sumner State Park outside of Ft. Sumner, NM. We arrived right at sundown. We came across a little western diamondback warming itself on the road. I was able to use a trekking pole as a snake hook and lift it up to the car window so the kids could see it well without worrying about them getting too close. I turned the snake loose and we got a campsite along the Pecos River.

Friday dawned to a balmy 55 degrees and we continued our trip west. Around noon we turned back east from Cuba, NM and climbed into the Sierra Nacimiento. I was excited as the oak were a beautiful rust red down low and we could see patches of aspen changing up high. We arrived at the trailhead and were greeted by brisk temperatures in the 40’s, clear skies and shimmering aspen.

The San Pedro Parks is a relatively flat area of uplifted granite that averages around 10,000 ft. in elevation. We followed the Vacas Trail (an appropriate name as there are quite a few cattle which graze the meadows in the area) up a very gradual slope starting around 9,200 ft. in elevation. About two miles into the walk we came across Vallecito Damian, a small area of meadows with a beautiful campsite. We opted to set up camp here and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

The kids played as Jen and I set up camp and fixed dinner. The high stayed in the low 40’s and occasional gusts of wind chilled as the sun set. It was forecasted to fall into the low 20’s so the seven of us piled into our four man tent to conserve warmth and turned in to the music of at least four different bull elk bugling.

We awoke Friday morning to clear skies and a much balmier temperature than expected at 31 degrees. During the night some of the cattle for which the San Pedro Parks are so well known for had moved in to graze our meadow. Their low bellows lended to the pastoral air of the morning.

Our plan for the day was to head up along Clear Creek to explore some of the meadows further in the wilderness and try to find some more aspen groves. The seven of us followed the diminutive creek to some more meadows. We were passed by a lone hiker and a horseman, our only company for the day.

A little over a mile into our walk we found one of those rare magical places, a pure aspen stand at peak color. Golden tinged light filtered through the dense canopy and showers of leaves fell with every breath of wind. We spent several hours enjoying the beauty before returning to camp.

Our evening hours were spent around a nice fire. My oldest two boys and my youngest daughter opted to bivy under the stars with me while my wife, oldest daughter and youngest son retired to the tent. We once again enjoyed the evening elk serenade as the fire slowly died.

Saturday dawned to a crisp temperature of 23 degrees. We fixed breakfast, broke down the tent and packed up. Our solitude was broken by three separate groups of hikers as we walked out. I knew we’d been spoiled when Jen commented about how crowded it was on the trail.

We made it back to the trailhead and headed out. As I knew this was likely our last trip to the Jemez Range I wanted to explore a little. We decided to drive “Hwy 126” east. I put highway in quotation marks as a fair bit of it is dirt road as it travels through the mountains. It was a beautiful and lonely drive with golden aspen seemingly everywhere we looked.

From La Cueva we headed east onto Hwy 4 through the beautiful (but frustratingly restrictive) Valles Caldera National Preserve. We decided to stop by Bandelier National Monument on a whim for lunch and ended up staying for three hours. The boxelders in Frijoles Canyon were a soft yellow and the picnic area was much less crowded than I expected it would be on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. The kids enjoyed exploring some of the ruins, playing along Frijole Creek and spending a few hours outside the car. Finally, we got back in the car and finished the drive back home, arriving around 11:30 Saturday night.

9/11-13/2009: Serpent Lake, NM

2009-09-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Our original plan had been to take this weekend and meet up with a friend and his son to go camping. When that fell through we decided to head out anyway and get up into New Mexico. The boys had originally said they wanted to go on a bike trip in the Sacramentos, but the evening before we left they changed their minds and decided instead to hit an alpine lake.

We left Dimmitt Friday morning around 8:30 and by 1:30 were at the Angostura Trailhead outside of the Pecos Wilderness. It was beginning to cloud up a little and we had about 3.5 miles to go to get to the lake, so we decided to get started. The trail involved a gradual climb of 1300 feet up to Serpent Lake, which sits a little over 11,700 ft. Views were quite limited as nearly the entire route stays in thick subalpine forest.

A little over four hours into our walk we arrived in the Serpent Lake Basin. We had the place to ourselves and found a choice site with a view of the lake and magnificant headwall which backs it. We fixed pizza for dinner and lounged around the campfire before turning in. We were serenaded all night long with the bugles of a lovesick elk.

Saturday morning brought a temperature of 34 degrees and the sound of the wind ripping through the trees. We cooked pancakes for breakfast and walked around the lakes while we waited for the air to warm.

Once the winds settled down and the boys warmed up we loaded our day packs and set out to climb the ridge. The going was slow as we switchbacked up to reach the alpine tundra. Views began to open up to our east and the surrounding terrain was layed flat before us. Wyatt commented, "Dad, this is just like looking at the map. I can see everything". Once we hit the ridge we were again exposed to the winds which were blowing from the west. We were treated to fabulous views of the rugged Truchas Peaks.

Our route turned north as we began following the spine of the ridge towards Point 12,828, the peak which towers over Serpent Lake. Building clouds and tiring legs forced us to end our quest at a rocky promontory around 12,500 feet in elevation. We then turned around and began our descent, sometime around 12:30.

Low rumblings of thunder began to echo across the mountains as ominous appearing clouds pushed their way in from the south. The sun warmed air began to cool and the wind began to pick up. We headed back down to the shelter of the lake basin.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent playing, catching salamanders and napping. The sky remained overcast the rest of the day and fog banks intermittently moved through our mountain hideaway.

We fixed bean burritos for dinner and built a fire to ward off the increasing chill. At dusk it began to rain lightly and we headed in to the tent.

The gentle rain became torrential during the night as the sky flashed with lightning and deep booms of thunder reverberated. Around 2:00 I opened up the rain fly and had a small collection of snow fall from the tent onto my hand. I looked outside to a brilliant starry night.

Morning dawned to 35 degrees and some scattered low clouds. We had to make it back to teh trailhead by noon to make it home in time for church. To minimize morning discomfort and keep the boys happy and efficient we ate our pancake in the warmth of the tent. We then broke down camp, packed and headed out.

We made good time on our way back as the route was all down hill. We passed a bowhunter and his son as they packed out a beautiful 6X6 bull they had killed two lake basins to our south. We made it back to the truck by 11:45 to make the long drive back home.

8/28-30/2009: Guadalupe Mountains NP, TX

2009-08-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Despite numerous trips to the Guadalupes (primarily the New Mexico portion) I had never climbed Guadalupe Peak, the Texas state high point. Colter, my four year old, was also interested in an attempt on the peak. Despite his age, he is probably our best hiker.

The two of us left town a little after 7:00 Friday night and rolled into Gualalupe Mountains NP after midnight. We tossed our sleeping bags out on the ground and went to sleep. Despite some biting gnats we slept well.

Saturday morning brought clear skies and moderate temperatures. We awoke, cooked pancakes for breakfast and packed up. We made it to the visitor center at opening to get our permit to camp at the Guadalupe Peak backcountry site.

We picked up our permit and headed out to the trailhead. The day was rapidly warming as we began our climb. While we ceratainly didn't set any land speed records, we did make steady progress as we climbed. We had frequent rest/water/snack breaks. At one point our pace was reduced to stopping to catch a grasshopper, having it jump five feet up the trail, standing up and walking to the insect and then repeating the process. We sang, counted switchbacks and talked. Finally, around 1:30 we arrived at the backcountry site, 3.1 miles and 2200 ft. of elevationm change.

We spent the afternoon reading, napping and enjoying the rustling of the ponderosa in the breeze. The high only reached 68 at the campsite and the day was beautiful. We cooked bean burritos for dinner and as the afternoon grew late we began the trek up to the peak to watch the sunset.

Colter had plenty of energy after his nap and dinner. We comparitively flew up the last mile to the summit. He made a camera, tripod and cable release from some sticks and an agave blade and stopped to take photographs on the climb.

We were treated to spectacular views in the waning afternoon light.

Around 6:00 we scrambled up to the summit. The winds were calm and the views we staggering. We signed the summit register and spent about 45 minutes at the top before heading back down.

We scrambled back down to our campsite and climbed into our sleeping bags. We turned in to a temperature of 60 degrees and calm winds.

Sunday dawned to cloudy skies and a light, intermittent drizzle. I was concerned that the rain wouldn't let up as we didn't bring a tent, but within a few minutes it abated and the skies began to clear.

We fixed another breakfast of pancakes, packed out gear and headed down the mountain. The walk down occurred in a fraction of the time as our ascent. We passed several groups of impressed folks as Colter descended from his 8.4 mile walk with a 3,000 ft. elevation gain. The big motivator as we came down was a planned trip to Carlsbad Caverns on our way back home.

I arrived a the caverns with pretty low expectations. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy caves, but always wild caves in the past. I was utterly amazed. The caves were spectacular. Colter repeated, "This is awesome, this is awesome". We walked the Big Room Trail before heading back home. We had a great trip, travelling from the top of Texas to the bottom of an ancient sea.

6/26-28/2009: "Bikepacking" Gallinas Canyon

2009-06-28T19:53:00.001-07:00

Wyatt, Sabrina, Colter and I left Dimmitt bound for New Mexico around 8:30 Friday night. They had been requesting to take a camping trip on the bikes for some time, but the deal was we had to wait for Colter, our four year old, to be able to ride without training wheels. Additionally I had to find an area where we would be close enough to make it back to church Sunday night for a class Jen and I were leading, have an easy enough grade for the kids to be able to ride, have access to water and have minimal traffic. After considering all of these variables I decided to head to Gallinas Canyon in the Santa Fe National Forest.

We arrived in the forest close to 1:00 and tossed out the sleeping bags in a ponderosa forest. Around 6:30 I awoke to a beautiful orange sunrise. As I lay there looking up at the sky pondering the old proverb, "Red in the morning sailor take warning..." it began to rain. It had been a busy sleep deprived week, so I reacted by pulling the sleeping bag over my head and going back to sleep. Fortunately the rain was brief and the sleeping bags didn't get too wet.

The four of us headed down into the canyon after a pancake breakfast and parked the truck. We loaded all of our gear into the bike trailer and started out. The grade was mild (about 3%), but still enough that the kids had to work hard at times as we wound our way through the canyon. We took plenty of rest/water/play/water breaks which made the trip more enjoyable for the kids.

We stopped for lunch and played on some rocks by the creek for about 45 minutes before continuing up canyon.

The canyon has some private property scattered in it. Unfortunately these parcels tend to be on the most desirable land for camping.

Around 1:30 we made it up to Burro Flats, an area of small meadows near the end of the road. We had biked a little more than six miles and climbed around 1100 feet. We set up the tent in the meadow and spent the rest of the afternoon playing, resting and reading.

We fixed pizza for dinner and read the remaining twelve chapters in Louis Sachar's "Holes" before climbing into bed.

Sunday dawned to leaden skies and rain. We had planned to cook pancakes for breakfast again, but the more prudent (and less wet choice) seemed to be granola bars. We broke down camp and climbed back on the bikes. The wet dirt combined with high speeds on our way down did result in a few crashes, but no injuries. We arrived back at the truck wet and muddy, but the kids quickly asked "When do we get to do this again?".

5/29-31/2009: Middle Fork Lake, NM

2009-05-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

The kids and I loaded up the van and left Dimmitt bound for the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. We arrived at the trailhead to Middle Fork Lake around 12:30 AM on Saturday morning. We tossed out our sleeping bags next to the van and went to sleep.

Saturday dawned to clear skies, a temperature of 31 degrees and a layer of frost coating anything exposed to the air (including Colter's hair). We cooked oatmeal for breakfast before loading up the packs and setting out.

Middle Fork Lake is a small lake near the northern edge of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Until recently there was a Jeep road leading up to it and with its proximity to Red Rver it was a heavily travelled route. The road was closed to motorized vehicle use a few years ago, making it a great walk to a high mountain lake.

We headed up the road through a thick forest of Engelman spruce, subalpine fir and aspen. The road paralleled a branch of the Middle Fork, treating us to a series of cascades. The kids enjoyed playing in the remnant snow.

We made the 2.3 mile trek up to the lake a little after noon. We found a beautiful campsite on the north side of the lake back in the trees. We set up camp, dried out the sleeping bags and played by the lake as clouds slowly began to gather.

Around 3:00 we began to hear low grumblings of thunder and it began to rain. Wyatt and I put on our rain gear and went for a walk around the lake as the other kids played in the tent. We had fun climbing through the snow and watching the rain move in. We headed back to the tent as the lighting drew closer.

The clouds moved out as quickly as they had appeared and we were able to finish the afternoon with plenty of sunshine.We cooked cheesy chicken enchiladas for dinner and enjoyed a small fire before retiring to the tent to read a few chapters of "Ralph S. Mouse".

Sunday dawned warmer and drier, with a temperature of 35 degrees when we awoke. We spent a lazy morning playing and taking down camp before heading back down. Our trip out was uneventful, not passing any other hikers until we were within a 1/4 mile of the trailhead. We had great solitude for such a pretty and easily reached location. We had seen two hikers on Saturday, had the lake to ourselves and saw only the one pair of hikers Sunday.

4/4-10/2009: Zion National Park, UT

2009-04-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

We left Dimmitt Saturday morning with the plan to drive to Page, AZ for the night. The weather staerted out rough as we drove into a 30-40 mph head wind, but began to settle as we headed further west. Finally, after 11 hours of drive time we settled into a motel in Page for the night.

Sunday we awoke and continued west. We stopped at the visitor's centers for Glen Canyon NRA and Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, arriving at the Watchman CG in Zion around 2:00. The Griffins (my roommate from college, his wife and 3 kids from Pasadena, CA) had arrived at the campsite about 15 minutes before us. We set up camp, enjoying the challenge of keeping eight kids aged six and under corraled. We then took the shuttle to the Zion Human History Museum and then walked back to the campground after stopping at the Virgin River to play.

Monday we took the shuttle up to the Zion Lodge where we had a snack under a massive cottonwood in front of the lodge.

We then loaded up the kids and hiked the Emerald Pools Trail. It was a beautiful walk, although quite crowded. The kids did a great job hiking. We decided to ride the full trip through the canyon on our way back to the campground and made it back around 5:00.

Tuesday we awoke and took the shuttle up to the Temple of Sinawava. We spent the entire day playing along and in the Virgin. Once again it was quite crowded but beautiful. We finally finished up around 5:30.

Wednesday we drove up to Spring Creek Canyon on BLM land adjoining the park to the north. We loaded our packs and walked about a mile and a half to a small shelf where we set up camp. From there our families split up to explore the narrows of Spring Creek.

We made it back to the campsite around 5:30 as snow flurries began to fall. We cooked dinner and I managed to build my first fire with flint and steel and all natural tender (no dryer lint this time!). We warmed ourselves by the fire as the temperature dropped into the 20's.

Thursday dawned to clear skies and a temperaute of 24 degrees. We packed our gear and walked back to the cars.

We drove through the Kolob Canyons portion of the park before arriving back at the Watchman CG where we set camp back up. The kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt underneath the towering sandstone walls of Zion Canyon.

Friday morning we broke down camp. We celebrated Good Friday with each other by having Brad administer communion before we parted ways. We headed up to Denver to see my parents and one set of my grandparents for Easter. On the drive we stopped through Colorado National Monument, completing the scenic drive. Finally, on Monday we drove back to Dimmitt.

3/15-17/2009: Lonesome Ridge, Lincoln National Forest

2009-03-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

The boys and I left Dimmitt soon after I got home from clinic. The girls were going to spend a "scrapbook weekend" with mom while we headed to the mountains. We finished packing our remaining gear, loaded the truck and and set off. We drove through a spring snow and stopped in Clovis to pick up some stove fuel. From there it was on to the Guadalupes.

We arrived at the turnoff for FR 201 around 7:00. we were in thick fog and low visibility as we put the truck into low range for the crawl to our trailhead. The road was rocky and tested my nerves and patience as I gently guided the truck through numerous obstacles. About an hour into the drive we found a flat place to set up the tent and crash for the evening. We set up camp and built a small fire as snow flurries drifted down onto us.

Morning brought a temperature of 21 degrees and the smallest dusting of snow. I realized that though I brought the now full stove fuel bottle, I had neglected to grab the burner. I built a small "stove" with rocks and built a fire to heat water for oatmeal. We finished breakfast, packed up and got back onto the road.

We continued to grind our way along the rarely used Jeep track, eventually arriving at our destination. The morning was beautiful. As the fog slowly burned off it left a coating of rime on the trees, giving the landscape a hint of winter. We unloaded our gear and set out.

Our path followed an old road that extended out on the appropriately named Lonesome Ridge. The difficult drive, absence of tire tracks and fog gave us a profound felling of isolation and remoteness. As we passed vegetation we would pull off sheets of ice to eat. Wyatt and Colter ran ahead while Zane road on my shoulders. We felt as though we were the only ones left in the world.

The road eventually transitioned to a narrow trail that followed the ridge, winding amongst the mixture of forest and desert vegetation. We felt a sense of exposure as we looked down beneath our path into a void of fog.

About a mile into our walk we stopped to pitch the tent on a small plateau. We played around camp for awhile before setting off to hike further down the ridge. The boys ran like little mountain goats along the narrow trail. We were treated to spectacular views of Big Canyon to our south and Black Canyon to our north.

Finally hunger won out over the joy of explorationa and we headed back to camp. We built another cooking fire and enjoyed one of the calmest, most pleasant days I have ever spent in the Guadalupe high country. We climbed into the tent as the stars began to spread out over the sky.

Sunday dawned to dramatic winds. I was up and out of the tent multiple times to resecure tent stakes that would repeatedly rip out of the ground. Many times the tent would flatten down on us in the winds. The boys laughed and pretended we were in a tornado, but Zane contented himself to snuggle up close to me for comfort. The winds made it impossible to cook breakfast so we split the remaining granola bars for food.

As the sun rose the winds did calm some and we started out in the balmy 35 degree air. We enjoyed the views that we had missed on our walk in as we now had unlimited visibility.

We arrived at the truck around 11:30 and began the arduous drive back out. Zane inexplicably fell asleep as we bumped, swayed and ground our way over the road. We stopped in Dark Canyon for a picnic before making the long trek back to Dimmitt. We enjoyed our trip and the solitude of the Guads. We saw not a soul and were treated to the many moods of the mountains. The boys were upset that we couldn't spend another night in the desert splendor.

1/23-24/2009: Palo Duro Canyon SP, TX

2009-01-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

The kids and I ledt Dimmitt around 2:45 for a quick overnighter to Palo Duro State Park. We had day tripped there numerous times in the past, but never overnighted. We arrived an hour later and stopped by the entrance station to get our permits. From there it was on to the trailhead.

We started by paralleling the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red, passing amidst juniper, mesquite and cottonwood. The sky was sunny, but a cool north wind was dropping the temperature from the 54 degrees we had at the trailhead. We made several stops to play along the rocky bluffs and toss rocks into the creek. About 3/4 of a mile into our walk we turned north into Tub Springs Draw and found a flat, prickly pear free area to sleep for the night.

I fixed bean burritos while the kids played. After dinner we climbed into the sleeping bags and watched the stars come out as it grew steadily colder. Sometime after 8:00 we all fell asleep.

Morning brought frozen water bottles and a temperature of 16 degrees. We thawed our water supply, ate some oatmeal and headed back to the car. By 10:45 we were back from our brief trip and loaded up in the car to head home.

12/19-22/2008: Guadalupe Mountains, NM

2008-12-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

Wyatt, Sabrina, Colter and I left Dimmitt Friday evening and drove to Brownfield where we picked up my brother-in-law Jerod. From there we headed out to the Guads. While driving on FR 540 in the forest I mentioned to Jerod that I would love to see a mountain lion sometime. Not 5 minutes later I began slowing down to avoid what I thought was another mule deer when I saw a large tawny colored cat with a thick tail slink across the road, my first mountain lion!

We arrived at our campsite for the night and set up the tent. The sky was clear and brilliant and several shooting stars traced across the heavens. The winds were quite high and we staked out the tent well before turning in around 1:45.

Morning dawned to continued high winds and a temperature of 36 degrees. We walked down to the lee side of the saddle we were camped at to cook breakfast. Following breakfast we pulled out the maps to decide on a route. My initial thought was to head over to Lonesome Ridge and explore. We ultimately decided to stay off the ridges to get out of the winds which were easily gusting around 50 miles per hour. Back in April we had explored some of the South Fork of Big Canyon and this time we decided to head north of the saddle into Middle Fork.

We loaded our packs and descended into the canyon. The area was heavily wooded with Douglas fir, Alligator juniper, ponderosa, maple and oak. Colter had decided to carry his bow and an arrow so that "if I see another mountain lion I will shoot it!"Our progress down the canyon was slow as the kids downclimbed small pouroffs and wound their way through the frequent deadfall.

Around 2:30 we merged with the main branch of the Middle Fork. We took a long lunch break while we considered whether to head up one of the ridges to find a spot for the night or to camp down in the canyon. We eventually decided to head upstream and see if we could find a good place to set up.

Finally, around 5:00 we found a sandy area large enough to pitch the tent. The winds which had been pounding the mountains all day were still roaring up along the ridges, but we were well protected in the canyon. We built a small fire, cooked burritos for dinner and by 7:30 we climbed in the tent to read stories.

Sunday morning brought a temperature of 28 degrees. The winds had died down during the night and the woods were silent. We fixed oatmeal for breakfast before packing up. Our route continued up canyon until the brush became thick enough to slow our progress. We then climbed up and out onto the ridge where we picked up a jeep road which we followed back to the truck. From there we drove to an area to do some shooting before heading on back home. It was a great trip highlighted by my first mountain lion sighting. We had absolute solitude while we were out.

11/1-2/2008: Caprock Canyons SP, TX

2008-11-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

The kids and I left Dimmitt around 11:00 Saturday and drove out to Caprock Canyons. We stopped by the visitor center and got the South Prong primitive camping area for the night. From there we headed to Lake Theo in the park to do some fishing while we waited for Skylar and his son Brooks. The day was warm, around 80 degrees. We fished for a little more than an hour without success before heading to the trailhead.

Skylar and Brooks arrived and by 3:30 we were out on the trail. The walk to the camping area was just a little more than an hour. We were counting on the creek having some water in it. Finally, at the last creek crossing before the campsite we found good water flow.

We set up camp and cooked burritos for dinner. From there we headed back to the creek to fill up our water supplies and let the kids play. We spent about an hour playing by the creek as the day faded. The kids had a great time and we made it back to the campsite wet and muddy. We spent the evening hanging out by the campsite before turning in. Due to the unseasonably balmy weather we opted to sleep out under the stars.

Morning dawned to clear skies and some wind. The temperature was a pleasant 50 degrees. We fixed oatmeal for breakfast before heading back to the creek to play some more. This time we headed upstream, walking in the creek catching frogs and enjoying the fall colors. Around 11:00 we headed back to the campsite to pack up.

We made the short walk back to the trailhead. From there it was back to the lake for some more fishing. This time we had much better luck. Each kid caught several fish and we all had a good time. Finally around 3:00 we headed back home.

9/22-28/2008: Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-10-01T18:18:00.001-07:00

Monday- We left Dimmitt during the afternoon and drove to my parent's house outside of Denver.

Tuesday- From my parent's we headed north to Rocky Mountain National Park. We secured a backcountry permit for the Rabbit Ears campsite along Cow Creek, an area of the park we had not yet seen. The walk was short, under two miles, and refreshingly flat. We made good time and set up camp.

We spent the rest of our afternoon playing, climbing the Rabbit Ears and taking care of camp chores. Jen, Sabrina and Zane slept in the tent while Monique, Wyatt, Colter and I slept under the stars. We enjoyed listening to the bugle of a bull elk outside of our camp.

Wednesday- We awoke to frost coating our sleeping bags and the thermometer reading 30 degrees. The mood of the kids improved as the sun warmed the air. We headed back to the trailhead and drove to the YMCA camp where we had a cabin reserved.

My parents arrived later that afternoon and we all drove back into the park and spent the afternoon walking around Sprague Lake.

Thursday- Sabrina had been wanting to ride horses, but we couldn't figure out how to coordinate that with all of the kids. We instead did pony rides. I'm not sure the kids really noticed the difference.

We ate lunch in Endo Valley before heading back to the campsite. That afternoon my parents watched the kids while Jen and I headed back into the park for a quick overnighter. We made it to the trailhead around 3:00 and began the trek up to Spruce Lake. The colors were beautiful and the day was sunny and clear.

We set up the tent and enjoyed the quiet of no kids. It was our first backpacking trip without the kids in more than five years and our first night without them in a year and a half.

Friday- We awoke to a balmy temperature of 44 degrees. We cooked breakfast and headed back down, stopping to see Fern Lake on our way out.

Friday afternoon we headed up to the Alpine Visitor Center by way of Old Fall Creek Road. We walked around "Heart Attack Hill" as cold winds blew storms past us. We headed down Trail Ridge Road to get back to the cabin.

Saturday- Colter and I had stayed up Friday night listening to the sounds of the elk rut. The following morning we walked out the door of the cabin to the sites and sounds of bulls defending their harems. The kids enjoyed the show and we even stalked some up a ridge from us. The kids practiced their bugles, but the old bulls didn't seem too impressed.

We checked out of the cabin and drove up to Hidden Valley for one last look at the aspen. From there it was back to Denver and then Dimmitt on Sunday.

September 11-14, 2008: Bow Hunting the Sangres

2008-09-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

Matt Clayton and I left Dimmitt around 9:30 Thursday morning. We drove north, arriving at Villa Grove in the northern San Luis Valley in the late afternoon. We stayed at a friend of Matt's family and waited for the rest of the group to arrive.
Friday morning we woke early and headed into the mountains. We the area south of Miller Canyon. Matt shot a blue grouse, which turned out to be our only quarry of the trip. We saw some elk, but none close. We spent the afternoon exploring the west side of the valley, including the old Bonanza gold mine and Mosquito Lake.

Late Friday afternoon we headed back out. This time we packed in to North Brook Canyon. We set up camp about a mile in and headed out from there. I went up to the treeline and hunted the high meadows, but once again did not see anything.

We headed back down Saturday morning and hunted south of the canyon mouth. I saw a few mule deer, but the elk were more elusive.

Saturday afternoon we headed up again. This time I went up the north side of Carr gulch. I had an outstanding vantage point among some rocks, but only saw more mule deer.

Finally, Sunday morning we headed up one last time. more elk were out, but none clsoe enough to pursue with a bow. Matt's older brother and a friend stayed, but our hunt was over. I had a great time, but came back empty handed.

8/22-24/2008: Valle Vidal, NM

2008-08-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

We have a family tradition that at one year old each child gets to take their first backpacking trip without Momma. Wyatt's first was to the Sam Houston NF in TX and Colter's was to the Ouachita NF in OK (Monique and Sabrina both joined our family after they were a year old). Now it was Zane's turn. I remember Colter's first trip and feeling like I was "super Dad" because I had a one and a three year old with me alone in the backcountry. This time there was to be five! I was a bit nervous.

We left Dimmitt Friday afternoon and drove to Dalhart where we stopped for dinner at Pizza Hut. This was my first time to take all five out to eat by myself. I was glad I was wearing synthetic clothing. It meant that I dried much faster after the three separate glasses of water were spilled on me.

We arrived at the McCrystal Campground around 9:45. We found a site and set up the tent. It took a while before all five of the children were able to settle down.

Saturday morning dawned to clear skies and a temperature of 46 degrees. We cooked oatmeal for breakfast before taking down the tent and driving to the west side of the Valle to backpack.

Twenty minutes later we arrived at our intended trailhead only to discover that the whole Comanche Creek drainage was under a closure order. The game commision was poisoning the drainage in anticipation of reintroducing Rio Grande cutthroat. We were slightly disappointed but decided to change our plan to walking along the North Fork of Ponil Creek.
After a bit of wrestling we loaded our packs and started walking. The day was sunny and warm, but already we could see wisps of clouds forming up over the Cimmaron Range. We stopped to eat lunch under a ponderosa by the creek. We fixed tortillas with summer sausage and cheddar cheese.

In typical kid form the children were a bit messy. I picked up all of the food I could find and we started out again. I looked in back of me as we walked and saw a large black object running from the creek up into the timber. I shouted "Bear!" and we all began running to where I had seen the animal. It ran up to a ledge where it sat and stared at us for a while.

Finally we turned and started walking back along the trail. I once again turned around and noticed that the bear was now following us, first along the ridge, but then dropped down to the trail. When we stopped, he stopped. When we would walk so would he. I had left the pistol in the van and was thinking how difficult it would be to throw rocks while wearing Zane in the front carrier. A few hundred yards later the bear lost interest and ambled up over a ridge.

Low grumblings of thunder had started by the time we set up the tent. We had walked about a mile in. The kids had been asking to play in the creek, though in the end only the boys did. As they played we watched the clouds build up over the ridges.

Around 3:00 the skies let loose on us. A cold rain began falling, followed by hail. The six of us climbed into the tent where we were kept pinned down for a little more than two hours. By the time we got out the area had been transformed into a mud pit.
We cooked Spanish rice and chicken for dinner. After our encounter earlier in the day we worked to keep our camp clean. After dinner we hiked up through a burned area from the 2002 Ponil fire. The scattered ponderosa seedlings gave us a good chance to discuss fire ecology. Wyatt told me he wants to come back when he is grown up to see how the forest has come back. By the time we looped back to the tent it was nearly pitch black.

Morning brought us clear skies and balmy temperatures in the mid-40's. The humidity of the night meant that nothing had dried. We cooked oatmeal for breakfast and slowly began packing up. By 10:00 we were back on the trail. By 11:00 we had arrived back at the trailhead. We ate by the car and by 11:30 were back on the road and bound for Dimmitt. It was not a restful trip and there were definately difficulties, however I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

7/11-18/2008: Colorado Vacation

2008-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

The seven of us left Dimmitt late Friday evening and drove to Trinidad, CO where we spent the night. Saturday we awoke, grabbed some breakfast and then set off for our trailhead outside of Westcliffe.

We arrived at the Comanche-Venable Trailhead a little before noon and loaded our packs. It was cloudy and cool , in the 50's. We started off following an access trail steeply up to the Rainbow Trail. We paused for lunch and then began to head north. The clouds slowly burned off, but the day remained pleasantly cool.

We reached the Goodwin Trail where we again turned north and climbed steeply.Mosquitos began to cause some minor annoyance as we walked through thick timber. The trail entered the canyon of Goodwin Creek where the grade began to moderate. We found the area we had chosen on the map to set up camp. It was depicted as a wide meadow on the map, but was in reality a swampy area of grass hummocks. We set up camp along the edge of the woods, loaded ourselves up with DEET and spent the rest of the afternoon playing. We heard occasional rumbles of thunder but managed to avoid any significant rain. The boys spent the night in their own tent, a first for them.

Sunday we awoke to clear skies and a temperature in the upper 30's. After breakfast we decided to hike up to the Goodwin Lakes. The seven of us started out with good intentions, but grouchiness prevailed upon many. Finally we decided that Colter, Zane and I would hike up to the lakes. We had a great time and I don't think Colter ever stopped talking. We had to cross a few late season snowfields which Colter didn't care for. We finally made Lower Goodwin Lake where we stopped to play for awhile. AS we had planned to move to another campsite we didn't visit the other lakes as I wanted to reestablish camp before the afternoon thunder storms rolled through.

We arrived back just as a light rain began settling in. We quickly broke down camp and moved about 1/5 of a mile down canyon to a dry meadow. The people who had been camped there the night before had left and we decided it was too good to pass up. We managed to stay mostly dry as we set up. The remainder of the afternoon was spent blowing dandelions, playing in the creek and relaxing by the fire.

Our improved easterly exposure allowed things to warm up much quicker on Monday. We fixed breakfast and broke down camp. The downhill grade for our walk out made everyone a little more cheerful. Low rumblings of thunder did more to help teh kids keep a good pace than any encouragement I could offer. We made it to the trailhead just as the heavens began to let loose.

From Westcliffe we drove on to Colorado Springs to spend one last night with my parents before they moved to Denver. Tuesday we headed south to Cuchara and Bear Lake CG in the San Isabel National Forest. We found a great site tucked next to a creek with a great view of the Culebra Range. Jen's parents arrived later that afternoon and we cooked hot dogs and smores over the fire. Jen suprised the kids by pulling out glow sticks with which they amused themselves.

Wednesday Jen's folks and the kids went fishing while I went for a mountain bike ride. While fishing they saw a black bear come down to the lake and take a few fish before ambling back up into the woods. Later Jen, Zane, Wyatt and I drove the truck up the 4WD road going to Trinchera Peak. WE cooked burritos for dinner that night before turning in.

Thurday we headed over to Great Sand Dunes National Park where the kids played in Medano Creek and the dunes for several hours. Jen's parents drove back to Lubbock while we spent one more night out.

Finally Friday morning we packed up and drove back to Dimmitt.

5/31-6/2/2008: Valle Vidal, NM

2008-06-06T10:38:00.001-07:00

Monique, Colter and I left town after I finished up clinic Friday evening. With the exception of getting some gas and conversing with a New Mexico State Trooper we drove straight through. we spent the night at the McCrystal CG in the Valle.

Morning dawned to clear skies and cool temperatures. The campground was virtually deserted. Only three units appeared to be occupied, despite the great weather forecast for the weekend. We cooked breakfast and then moved the truck outside of the campground. We loaded the trailer with our camp gear and started off.

We followed the Jeep road to the old McCrystal ranch, a turn of the century ranch house. The route was picked due to its gentle elevation change. We did some battle with deep sand, rocks and ruts. We averaged 3.5-4 mph, but made it there with minimal problems. After seeing the ranch site we backtracked to Can Creek where we pulled out our gear and hung our food bag.

We played around the campsite for awhile before I loaded the kids back into the trailer and headed back out. We had a fun ride out, with the downhill grade and a much less encumbered trailer. We tooled around on the bike on some of the forest roads and went to see the old Ring Place (and most importantly for Colter, the horses in the corrals). We headed back in to our campsite and spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the creek. We only went 14 miles, but I was beat.

Dinner was freeze dried Mexican Rice with Chicken chased down with creek water. We built a small fire and went to sleep under the stars.

We awoke to pleasant temperatures and cloudless skies. Morning was spent around camp. Finally, around 9:00 we loaded the trailer back up and headed out. Once again, our trip out was much faster than going in. I had to repeatedly look behind me to make sure our gear didn't bounce off.

Upon our arrival at the truck we unloaded the gear and headed back out onto the forest roads. We spotted a small black bear and watched him amble about the ponderosas. We then climbed uphill for about a 500 ft. elevation gain (as far as I could make it without needing CPR). We turned around and headed downhill. Riding 32 mph on a graveled forest road being pushed by 60 pounds of kids in a trailer was quite and adventure.

We loaded up the bike and trailer and drove up to the Shuree Ponds where we ate lunch. The ponds were deserted and we enjoyed watching the trout feed. We finally headed back home that afternoon.

5/13-14/2008: Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

2008-05-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Jen, the kids and I had driven up Friday night. We spent Saturday through Monday nights with my parents at the YMCA camp in Estes Park. Monday night we had gone to bed to rain with a forecast of snow.

We awoke Tuesday morning to several inches of snow with more coming down. The previous several days had been warm so the snow wasn't collecting on the roads. We drove down to the Beaver Meadows Ranger Station to pick up our backcountry permit and selected Cub Creek. This was an area I had been wanting to go see, but the 2.2 mile walk in had seemed prohibitively long for the kids in previous years.

The trailhead was snow draped and quiet when we arrived about 11:00 that morning. We layered up the kids in their fleece and rain gear and started walking amidst a gently falling snow. The temperature was holding steady at 30 degrees and there was no wind. The trail remained snow free while the grasses and trees were clothed in white.

We made steady progress up the trail. The cloudy skies and muffled sounds gave a profound sense of isolation. Additionally the weather made one of the parks most popular trails deserted. We saw only two other groups all day. The kids took a number of "snow eating" breaks on the walk.

We had several "encounters of the bird kind". Wyatt and Colter made friends with a female mallard while at a beaver pond. Further on down the trail we came across an aggressive blue grouse. The bird terrorized the kids by chasing them down the trail. I would intervene by suggesting with my foot that the bird go away. It would respond by pecking at my leg and flapping its wings. It lost interest after following us for about 0.2 miles.

The kids did great until the last part of the trail when it begins switch backing up to the lake. At this point the trail became snow covered and they began to get tired. I ran on ahead to get camp set up while they took a rest break with Jen.

We set up camp at the Cub Creek site, situated in a grove of lodgepole. We then headed up to Cub Lake where we cooked beef stew for dinner as snow fell heavily around us. By this point the kids were cold and wet, so we didn't tarry long. After eating Jen and the kids climbed into the tent and played while I finished up camp chores. The snow fall allowed me to melt all of our water from the snow and thus not have to make trips back and forth to the creek.

Wednesday dawned to clearing skies and a temperature of 26. We let the kids eat oatmeal in the tent before breaking down camp. Jen and the kids got started on the trail while I finished taking down the tent, but they quickly turned around and came back after spying another blue grouse. We later all got started together and discovered that it wasn't our "grouchy grouse" of the previous day.

The kids did much better on the downhill leg of the walk. Considerable snow melt had occurred in the lower elevations, making our walk easier. The nicer weather had tempted a larger number of people to get out on the trail than the previous day, though still not bad considering the popularity of the trail.

We made it back to the trailhead around 1:00. From there we loaded up and drove back to my parents house in Colorado Springs. It was Zane and the girls first snow camping trip and was a nice last taste of winter.

4/18-20/2008: Guadalupe Mountains, NM

2008-04-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

Friday- Wyatt, Sabrina and I left Dimmitt around 6:30. Five hours later we drove out onto Big Canyon Ridge where we parked and spent the night in the bed of the truck.

Saturday- We awoke to a temperature of 46 degrees and partly cloudy skies. Around 9:00 we began descending into one of the upper tributaries of Big Canyon. We enjoyed the shady, heavily wooded environs. Good sized ponderosa, southwestern white pine and Douglas fir grew in dense areas throughout the canyon.

Our progress through the canyon was slow. Frequent deadfall and small pouroffs required attention and the natural pace of preschoolers further added to our delay. Around noon we began a difficult 600 vertical foot climb out of the canyons. Helping the kids navigate the maze of agave, sotol, yucca, oakbrush, rock and other obstacles required constant vigilance.

We set up camp on Camp Wilderness Ridge. After a nap we all headed over to gaze across the state line into the national park. Wyatt enjoyed hearing the story of when he and I backpacked into the Mescalero campsite when he was 15 months old. Sabrina wanted to know when she would be able to go.

Sunday- We awoke to high winds and a temperatuer of 48 degrees. I was thankful that we passed up on views and instead had camped in the shelter of the forest. We took down the tent and walked along forest service roads to get back to the truck. we were blessed with complete solitude, beautiful scenery and with the exception of the wind on Sunday perfect weather.

3/26-29/2008: White Mountain Wilderness, NM

2008-03-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday- We left Dimmitt a little after noon. We didn't make it to the Southfork Campground until nearly 5:00. As the campground was still closed for the season we parked by the gate and walked about a half mile. We set up camp just beyon the campground at a previously used site near the creek. Dinner was pizza on the Outback Oven and dried fruit. The older kids and I spent the night by the campfire while Jen and Zane spent the night in the tent.
At the trailhead.

Pizza in the woods!

The boys taught the girls how to pump their own water.

Sleeping under the stars.

Thursday- I woke up early and started the fire. The temperature was a balmy 45 degrees and the winds were gusting from the south. We cooked oatmeal for breakfast and took down camp. The seven of us walked about a mile up the trail to the meadows formed where Bluefront Canyon comes in. We set up camp.

Wyatt and I headed off trail to climb a small promomtory overlooking the canyon (about a 700 ft. climb). He had a great time conquering this "mountain". We cooked bean and chicken burritos for dinner and turned in. Once again, the older kids spent the night by the fire and Jen and Zane slept in the tent.

King of the mountain!

Friday- The morning dawned clear and cool with a low of 26 degrees and frozen water bottles. The kids took longer to roll out of their sleeping bags than they did the previous morning. We fixed pancakes for breakfast and packed up for a day hike. We hiked a short distance up the trail to a good spot to play in the creek. Several hours were spent climbing, throwing rocks and playing in the creek

We had freeze dried chicken teriyaki for dinner. The temperature had dropped to 31 degrees as we were settling down for dinner. I had us all move into the tent for warmth as I was afraid it might get down into the teens.

South Fork of the Rio Bonito

Colter grows a beard.

Dinner time.

Saturday- Morning dawned cool, but not as cold as I was afraid it might be. The thermometer was reading 35 degrees, but a thin coating of frost was noted. We fixed an oatmeal breakfast before taking down the tent. By about 10:30 we were on our way out. The walk back went well. We made it back to the car by 12:30, packed up and headed back home. It was the girls first backpacking trip and it went very well.

2/29-3/1/2008: Caprock Canyons State Park, TX

2008-03-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

The seven of us managed to head out of town on a Friday post-call afternoon for a quick family camping trip. The trip was to serve as both Sabrina and Monique's first camping trip and a shake down for a proposed backpack next month.

We arrived at the park around 3:00 and headed back to the South Prong tent camping area. After setting up the tent we went for a short hike. It quickly became apparent that neither of the girls had been in cactus country before. They brushed into several prickly pears and chollas before deciding the warnings to avoid these were sound advice.

The rest of the evening was spent around the campsite. We had burritos for dinner and watched the stars come out one by one. We even got to do a little star viewing through Wyatt's telescope. The evening wound down with reading some of the Chronicles of Narnia before turning in. Amazingly we managed to fit all seven of us into a four man tent.

Morning dawned to clear skies and a temperature of 40. We ate breakfast, took down the tent and headed to the playground to play. Our trip was a success. On our drive back home Sabrina asked "When are we going camping again".

1/25-27/2008: Columbine Hondo WSA, NM

2008-01-27T19:03:00.001-08:00

Friday- The boys and I left Dimmitt around 6:00, bound for Red River. We arrived in Red River around 11:30 and spent the night at the Best Western. My dad arrived a little past midnight.

Saturday- We awoke, ate breakfast at the hotel and headed out to the trailhead for the Columbine Trail in the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area. The morning was sunny and clear and the temperature was hovering around 14 degrees.

Between arriving at the hotel late, being excited about seeing "G-pa" and Colter running fever most of the night, neither boy was well rested. The combination of being tired, irritable and cold conspired to cause a revolt among the boys. Between the crying and shouts of "I just want to go home" I suggested that my Dad take the boys back into town for some hot chocolate while I head back up the trail and set up the tent.

I met my dad and the boys back at the trailhead around 11:30. Their mood had improved remarkably. I loaded the boys up in the sled and dragged them the half mile up to where I had set up the tent.

We made it to our campsite without incident. Colter decided he was interested in taking a nap while Wyatt wanted to to "hike around". The temperature had warmed to the upper 30's and the sun felt nice. Wyatt and my dad decided to try out the sled on the trail. The trail made a great sled run, and we spent part of the afternoon on endless sled runs. We capped off the day with a short hike further up the trail.

The temperature began dropping as the afternoon wore on. We fixed freeze dried lasagna for dinner and built a small fire. The temperature had dropped to about 15 degrees by the time we climbed into the tent around 7:30. We read a few chapters from The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis before falling asleep.

Sunday dawned to still, cloudless skies and a temperature of 3 degrees, much colder than the forecasted low of 12. My dad and I got out of the tent to fix breakfast while the boys stayed buried in the sleeping bags.

The temperature had warmed up to about 10 degrees by the time we started taking down camp. The boys were not interested in snowshoeing out, so I loaded them back in the sled, wrapped them in sleeping bags and dragged them out.

We made it back to the trailhead around noon. After a quick lunch we parted ways and began the trek back to Dimmitt. It marked Colter's first snowshoe trip, Wyatt's third and set a temperature record for each boy.

11/15-18/2007: Big Bend National Park, TX

2007-11-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

The five of us loaded up and left Dimmitt Thursday afternoon. We arrived in the Basin campground close to midnight and set up the tent.

Friday morning dawned to clear skies and cool temperatures. We cooked breakfast and headed down to Panther Junction to get our permits. We reserved Terlingua Abajo 2 for Friday night and the Tule Mountain zone for Saturday night.

We drove out to Terlingua Abajo and spent the day relaxing and playing in Terlingua Creek. The day was overcast and brought some intermittent light showers.

Saturday dawned clear and cool. We fixed breakfast, took down our camp and packed the backpacks. We drove out to the Burro Spring trailhead.

Our route began by dropping down into Javelina Wash. We followed this west, enjoying frequent stops for the boys to play. About 1.75 miles into the route we set up the tent . Wyatt and I headed over to Tule Spring to replenish our water supply. We turned in around 8:00.

Sunday, the boys and I headed back over to the spring to fill up again. We cooked breakfast and headed back to the trailhead. We arrived around 1:00 and headed back to Dimmitt.

10/19-21/2007: Last Chance Canyon, NM

2007-10-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Wyatt, Colter and I left Dimmitt a little after 2:00 Friday afternoon and drove to the Pumphouse Trailhead on the western end of Last Chance Canyon. The access to the trailhead was long and passed over rough roads, but by 8:00 we had the tent set up and were settling in to our camp.

Saturday we awake to high winds and a temperature in the 40's. We took down the tent and fixed oatmeal for breakfast. By 9:00 we were packed and ready to descend into the canyon.
Wyatt and I had visited the canyon a few years before from its eastern end with Uncle Jerod. We had spent the night camped on a limestone shelf overlooking it's small creek. The magic of a desert creek brought us back again.

The trail started by descending steeply down limestone slopes clad in a combination of typical Chihuahuan vegetation with scattered juniper, oak and pinyon. We ate lunch at a beautiful perch overlooking the canyon. The high winds continued to blow, but we found respite descending the lee side of the slope.

We took our time as we descended and by noon had made it down the 600 feet into the bottom of the canyon. We spent time exploring the fern draped oasis of the upper spring in the canyon, shaded by white oak, Gooding willow and walnut. The sound of water trickling out of the limestone crevices and the wind rustling through the large trees seemed quite out of place with the sun baked slopes we had just descended.

We wandered downstream through stands of cottonwood, looking for a place to set up the tent. We found the perfect spot at the base of a waterfall on a small mound covered with a dense lawn of bermuda grass. Though it was not our most "Leave No Trace" campsite, it was too good to pass up. The grass was as soft as camping in someone's backyard.

The boys spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the small creek as I relaxed and enjoyed the solitude of the desert afternoon. The wind began to die down some and we built a small fire in a dry portion of the creek bed. The temperature had reached about 80 degrees.

We turned in around 8:30 to balmy temperatures and increasing winds. We read, sang and played before finally going to sleep.

Sunday brought an unseasonably warm temperature of 60 degrees and high winds ripping through the canyon. We ate breakfast inside the tent to stay out of the wind and broke down camp. By 8:45 we were back on the trail.

We made good time heading back until we hit the climb. Colter and Wyatt decided they needed rest breaks about every five minutes. Because of the long drive back I carried them intermittently on the ascent.

We made it back to the trailhead by 1:30. With the exception of having to change a tire we had an uneventful drive back to Dimmitt.

10/2-7/2007: Rocky Mtn National Park, CO

2007-10-11T10:52:00.001-07:00

The five of us left Dimmitt a little after 3:00 Tuesday afternoon. We drove to Louisville where we spent the night in a hotel.

Wednesday morning we awoke and finished the drive to Rocky Mountain National Park. We headed to the backcountry office where we picked up our permit for the Mill Creek Basin backcountry site. We drove out to the trailhead in Hollowell Park and loaded our packs and got ready for Zane's first backpacking trip at two months of age.

The trail started in the meadows of Hollowell Park at about 8300 ft. and proceeded west into the forest. We could see brilliant aspen trees contrasted against the green of the pines. Wyatt did a great job walking as we slowly climbed next to Mill Creek. Logging before the establishment of the park created many of the aspen groves we walked through on the trail.

Two hours, 1.6 miles and 700 ft of climbing brought us to our campsite for the night. We set up and let Jen, Colter and Zane take a nap while Wyatt and I walked another 3 miles up to Bierstadt Lake. The winds were roaring up on the lake and Wyatt dictated that we didn't stay there long.We arrived back at camp and began cooking dinner. While we cooked we listeded to elk bugle in the timber. As it began to grow dark they moved down into the meadow which we were camped next to. We ate dinner and enjoyed being the only people around to watch the rut. Several males locked antlers while we watched.

As it grew even darker we cleaned up and climbed into the tent. The boys quickly fell asleep as we listened to the last of the elk bugles.

Morning brought clear skies and a temperature of 38 degrees. The boys and I got up and cooked breakfast while Jen and Zane slept in. We heard a few elk, but none came out into the meadow. After Jen and Zane ate we cleaned up camp and broke down the tent.

We were treated to more beautiful aspen as we descended back down to Mill Creek. The aspen were a spectacular gold and the sky was a deep blue. We took our time on the way out and arrived back at the trailhead around 1:30. From there we headed over to the YMCA Camp and to our cabin.

Friday was spent exploring the park. We drove up Old Fall Pass Road, climbed "Heart Attack Hill" by the Alpine Visitor Center and spent time down in the Kawuneeche Valley before heading back to the cabin.

Wyatt, Colter, my Dad and I took a horseback ride on Saturday. Afterwards both my parents and the five of us spent the afternoon at Sprague Lake before going elk watching and playing in an aspen grove.
Sunday brought the end of our brief trip and a long drive back to Dimmitt.

8/24-26/2007: White Mountain Wilderness, NM

2007-10-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Friday Night- The boys and I left Dimmitt around 3:00 Friday afternoon. We drove to Roswell where we stopped for dinner, before continuing on to Bonito Canyon. We set up camp for the evening in the canyon.
The night brought intermittent thunder storms, while Saturday dawned to overcast skies. We cooked some oatmeal, took down the tent and packed up. The drive to the trailhead was short. We parked and loaded up the packs and by 9:30 were on the trail.

We followed Bonito Canyon up along its namesake creek. Colter got off to a rough start by tripping and falling into some mud within a hundred yards of the trailhead. After changing into some shorts he calmed down. We stopped and explored a small mine, letting the boys wander around its short tunnel.

I was initially a little concerned about our water situation as we were down to a half liter when we started off. Bonito Creek, which had water lower down, was now dry. However, further up the creek had decent flow.

We set up camp about a 1 1/4 miles in, just past the junction of Little Bonito and Big Bonito Trails. we found a small site near the creek for the boys to play. After setting up camp we climbed the rest of the Little Bonito Trail up to the Crest. My hope was for the boys to walk most of the way to the Crest. About thirty yards into the walk I discovered this was not to be. I put Wyatt on my shoulders and carried Colter the remaining mile and a half to the crest.
The Crest was beautiful and grass covered. We were able to enjoy a few minutes up there before building clouds and distant thunder sent us back down. We spent the remainder of the afternoon playing in the creek around camp. We had chicken and noodles for dinner and retired around 9:00.

We awoke around 6:30 Monday morning to the intermittent bugle of elk. We built a fire to warm us up from the 48 degree temperature. Breakfast was oatmeal and afterwards we broke down camp and by 9:00 were on our way back down.

We made good time on our way out. We took some rest stops and some rock throwing breaks. By 11:30 we were back at the truck. We drove back through Capitan and made it back to Dimmitt a little after 5:00. It was a great trip and a nice break from our busy summer.