While living in Santa Fe, we spent much time hiking in the Pecos Wilderness, but didn't get to Lake Katherine...an alpine lake we both wanted to see. This is the journey to that very special place.
Happy hikers ready to go!
Little meadows provided many nectar sources and lots of butterflies to watch...
and cool fungus such as this fly agaric to check out.
It felt good to have a pack on again. (Jennifer started with around 23 or 24 pounds...Steve with almost 30.)
Puerto Nambe (11,017 feet) offered a great place to take off our boots with views of Santa Fe Baldy (12,622'), breathe some cool, mountain air...
and eat some tasty roasted red pepper spread on tortillas. The first day out on a backpacking trip we almost always eat some sort of perishable food. Trail food gets real old by the end so why not spice it up at the beginning?
A block of parmesan goes a long way (and keeps a long time) on a backpacking trip!
A blue grouse walked by us while we ate...
and joined up with a friend!
Comma butterflies were a common visitor in these high elevation meadows.
Inviting, yes?
We think so...
Jennifer is almost to the top of the saddle to cross over to the other side of this mountain range and begin the trip down to Lake Katherine.
Steve felt like King...
Jennifer had a moment with this view of true wilderness. There's nothing like it. You just have to see it, feel it, know it. (New Mexico's highest point: Wheeler Peak - 13,161' is in the distance.)
Here's our trail switchbacking down the mountain...
August is a great time for mountain wildflowers.
The final leg to our destination...
Next....Lake Katherine.
I'm so glad you had such a wonderful time! Can't wait to see the pics of Lake Katherine. It's very pretty there, I always think of NM as being desert only. Lovely! Some day, perhaps you'll come to NH and visit our White Mountain Presidential Range. Our tallest peak is Mt. Washington at just over 6,400 feet, which is higher then it seems since much of the state is near sea level. Looks like you had a wonderful day to hike weatherwise.
ReplyDeleteWondering how the garden processing is coming along? What you have you put up so far? ~Vonnie
The more I see of NM, the more IM ready to MOVE THERE! Its a beautiful state. I did spend some time there on my last trip out west BUT not enough! Your hike looks like a great choice...Its been a longgg time since I did a backpacking trip, but its never too late! Will look forward to your pics of the lake.
ReplyDeleteHi J&S...For reasons beyond me, yours and a couple of other blogs have not been showing in my feed...I just thought that perhaps you where not posting until today you show up hmmm!
ReplyDeleteWell it looks like you have had a great growing season and summer work around the house and everything looks fabulous!! So you surely deserved this beautiful get away !!
Grace
So beautiful. And you two look so happy!! :)
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