Who Knew?

Early Morning Family Shot

Well, apparently it snows in New Mexico... in October.  Who knew?  Not me!  When I planned our hiking trip to Cloudcroft a few weeks ago, I knew it would be chilly, but I certainly wasn't expecting several inches of snow.  

First Sights of Snow

Kyle and I enjoyed the white forest floor, but the dogs' poor paws became unbearably cold.  Luckily, Tiney and Lola are small enough to carry when faced with treacherous weather conditions.  The snow was a beautiful surprise, nevertheless.  

We'll definitely return to Cloudcroft to explore again, but next time I'll be sure to check the forecast very closely before venturing out.

Kyle and His Girls in Their Sweaters

Lola loves rolling in the snow.

Escaping Suburbia

We escaped suburbia for a quick hiking trip with our friend Jared.  Off-roading in Jared's convertible Jeep over desert bumps, with the wind blowing in my face, made me feel like a passenger on a wild safari.  

Just Enjoying the Ride

The only difference was that we were stopping to repair a battery cable, not to photograph elephants and wildebeest.  Unfortunately, the Jeep had a lose connection, which caused us to repeatedly lose power.  Finally, after many stops, wire jiggles and crossed fingers, we reached our destination.  

Please work.  Please work.  Please work.

Our hike ended up being an arduous mountain/rock climb and blaze your own path expedition, but don't worry.  No slips or falls resulted in injury... this time.  When I wasn't breaking my fall, I was taking lots of pictures and marveling at the beauty of nature engulfing us.  Our trip was a welcomed retreat from traffic lights and crowded neighborhoods, and it left me feeling refreshed and renewed.

The question remains, "Which way to go?"

Excited to Spot this Combination of Horny Lizard and Toad

Kyle and I on the Rocks

It's Grand Alright

Grand Canyon National Park encompassing its unbelievable, pinch-me-I'm-dreaming, 18-mile wide crack in the Earth certainly lived up to its name and hype.  With its tall pine forests, geologic layers dating back 1.8 million years ago, vast wildlife, and mile deep erosion leading to the Colorado River, this natural wonder was grand in every sense of the word.  Even President Theodore Roosevelt agreed.  He said of Grand Canyon, "Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.  What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American should see."  And that's just what we did, experienced Grand Canyon through an unforgettable camping/biking/hiking/run-around-the-Rim expedition.

The Hoover Dam

Type of Dam: Concrete Gravity-Arch

Herbert Hoover's Namesake

Extending Above is the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

Hydroelectric Power Creates 4.2 billion KW Yearly

On the State Line of Nevada and Arizona

Originally Named Boulder Dam

Vegas' Neighbor (Less Than an Hour's Drive)

Encloses Lake Mead from the Colorado River

Reservoir Reaches 112 Miles Long

Dedicated by President Roosevelt in 1935

Almost One Million Annual Visitors

Made by the U.S. Government During the Depression

Being a Tourist

Dam View from the Bridge

Taking in the Sights

Oh, the Hilarity

Fan of the Bypass Project, but Not Its Height

Roughing It at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

View from Our Tent

Beautiful Lake Mead (Not bad for being man made, right?)

Enjoying Our Summer Day

Operation Cool Down: In Effect

Don't mind if I do take a dip.  Take that, raging heat and humidity.

Subs 'n' Sand

We enjoyed a lovely, shaded picnic at White Sands National Monument. 

 
After lunch, we kicked off our shoes and wandered around barefoot.

From there, we admired the miles of white, glistening sand and took lots of photos. 

Family Shot

Feelin' So Loved

Not Quite Gushing Springs

Here's something new we learned about Joe.  He is quite the hiker, a natural really.  With camera and water bottle in hand, Joe dominated the Organ Mountains.  Not only did he fearlessly hike to Dripping Springs with us, but he actually wanted to trek further, beyond the turnaround point.  

He was, however, a tad disappointed by Dripping Springs' less than waterfall-like qualities.  Joe compared the Springs to a leaky faucet and justifiably so.  But, what more can you expect from a body of water located in the Chihuahuan Desert?  After all, it is called Dripping Springs, not  "rippling" or "gushing" or "surging" springs. 

SimsMen

Gorgeous Day

Walking, Walking, Walking

So Happy

The Springs!  Drip.  Drop.  Drip.  Drop.

Up High

Goofballs

Making Sure I Don't Fall

The View

Former Hotel

The Gila

In A.D. 1200, Mogollon peoples began inhabiting caves just north of Silver City, New Mexico.  The Gila National Forest now houses and protects these dwellings and over 3.3 million acres of natural, undisturbed wilderness.  Today, Indian pictographs, pottery, weapons, sandals, corn cobs and architectural cave remains offer a peek into the secrets of the past.  

Since this all sounded very intriguing and like nothing we'd seen before, we  ventured on a Gila camping excursion.  The trip was much longer and windier than anticipated, which equated to two motion sick dogs and one very cranky wife.  After we finally arrived to the campsite and it was time to rest, squishing the pups into my mummy sleeping bag made quarters uncomfortably tight.  Then, the temperature dropped into the teens and  became so unbearably cold that we had to migrate from our tent to the car.

Luckily, good things were in store for the next day.  A few z's and a fresh mountain morning brought new light to darkness.  Beautiful surroundings came to life as we spotted rabbit, deer and turkey roaming freely throughout the park.  Our eyes grew wide at the sight of towering pines and an actual lake... in New Mexico.  Every bend offered  an intimate encounter with nature and a picturesque scene that I wanted to capture.

It felt ironic walking among the caves and former homes of a people from long ago.  These "dwellings" seemed uninhabitable and the surrounding mountain terrain, equally barren.  Just the night before, Kyle and I were at odds with the harsh, unforgiving elements of nature... and that was with clothes, sleeping bags, a tent, snacks, flashlights and heat from a motorized vehicle.  

The resilient Mogollons undoubtedly have us beat as hardy survivors.  As far as I'm concerned, they can keep that title.  That's as long as I can keep my hot, running water and king size bed (with mattress topper, of course).  No shame in knowing you like things cushy, right?  Not for me anyway.

Camping with the Whole Family

Deer X-ing

More Mule Deer

The Tent Put Together (All Thanks to Kyle)

Making Our Way to the Caves

 

Approaching the Dwellings

 

Up to 40 Different Rooms Filled the Caves

Our Incredible Guide, Sara, with Kyle

Passageway into Room

View from Crack in Dwelling Wall

Pictographs on Cave