Labor Day Weekend

    We had friends come in from what we used to call "back home" and they wanted to do some hiking and exploring in the area so we spent the weekend with them. It was dark by the time they got here and we met them in town at my daughter's house. (BTW forgot to tell you that I finally convinced my daughter and her husband to move here. I may have also forgot to mention that my other daughter had her baby so I am now a Grandma.)  Anyway, we took Nick, Stephanie and their daughter Elena out to our house away from the lights of town. Nick was hanging his head out the window looking up at the stars in amazement all the way down our dirt road. He said he had never seen so many stars before. Once we got to the house they could see the milky way as bright as could be so Stephanie tried to capture it on her camera. They were excited to be so far away from all the Austin area hustle and bustle.
    The following morning we got our packs together and headed for the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We stopped often to take pictures along the way and once we arrived it was already beginning to get hot. We decided to hike into the mountains and camp at Pine Top. I had hurt my back a week or so before so the hike was kind of hard... about 3000 foot climb over 4 miles. At one point I had to give my pack to Stephen so he could carry it. I felt bad but just couldn't do it. It took us several hours to get to the top but the view was amazing.

 

Starting our hiking adventure

Devil's Gate

A beautiful view from above!

  

    We reached Pine Top and set up camp. The sky was amazing and we could see more stars than ever. It was a very dark night with just a partial moon. We saw numerous shooting stars. It started to get cool and we all headed into our tents for the night. Temps got in the low 60s to high 50s. Elena must have been spending her first night in the wilderness because every once in a while you would hear a tiny "I'm scared." coming from her tent. I just kept assuring her that there was nothing there in the dark that wasn't there in the light. I told her to quietly count to 100 and then back to one. I tried lots of things but she was just scared. She finally fell asleep. At about 5 am I heard something outside. We had put our trash and packs up in the trees to keep animals out of them but something was in the trash. I woke Stephen up in case it was a mountain lion. We were surprised to find that it was a mule deer. Since we were up we had a granola bar and packed up so we could hike down in the cool of the day.

Mule Deer

   Our hike down allowed us to see the trails and switchbacks that had brought us to the mountain top. It would be a difficult climb back down with our packs. Luckily, we were lighter than when we first started out since we had already consumed most of the water we carried up. 

Switchbacks

 

   At one point we stopped to rest and I heard a really weird sound. First I thought it was a plane in the distance but it started to rumble and sound very strange. Then it felt like a small tremble and I heard a rumbling sound. I walked to the corner and tried to look around the corner of the trail. As a stepped around the wall I looked up and saw a herd of Auodad coming right at me.  I didn't know if I should take pictures or run. I wasn't sure if they would knock me off the mountain. I stood still and one male stopped in my path, staring me down as if he were threatening and then the others jumped from the mountain passing behind him one by one as he stood guard. As the last one passed over my path he turned and ran after them.

   As we finished our hike we saw one last deer which ran off behind some brush when I tried to capture it. The hike was tough but I made it all the way down with my pack. We headed to the visitor center so Elena could earn her Junior Rangers patch. She had completed a workbook and identified several animals. She earned her patch. After a break we headed to New Mexico to Carlsbad to go into the caverns. We decided to take the elevator down and then hike up since the wait for elevators was very long coming back up. We didn't realize that the hike up was at 90% humidity and almost 1000 feet up in 1.2 miles. It was tough and especially at the end of our mountain hike but I am stronger for the weekend I spent hiking and I never gave up!

 

 

Elena and her dad, Nick ... lol!

 

We finished the night with a viewing of the bats exiting the cave!

Franklin Mountain State Park

   A few months ago we went to the Franklin Mountains State Park. I meant to blog about it earlier but it is an experience you won't forget.
   We decided to take the 1.2 mile round trip hike to the Aztec Caves. It stated that it was a moderate hike and good for small children. The hike started out with ease and then began to become more active. There were hills that went up and down with some steps built in. We were surprised that they had this trail set as good for small children because some of the built in steps were so high up that I could barely get my toes up to the step and then Stephen would have to pull me up. The trail began to turn to a straight up climb.
   I began to think I would not make it to the caves. It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be and I kept thinking about those poor parents who thought they could make this hike with their children. I could just imagine them having to carry them the last half of the hike which was almost all up hill or mountain.... and the steps were huge and almost unreachable especially for short legs.
   I kept the goal in mind. It was over 100 degrees outside but I knew a cool relaxing rest awaited me in the cave above. I was on the verge of tears at some point feeling that I wouldn't make it. I had to go off trail to find a way around a step that was over two feet high. Rocks slipped under my feet and rolled down the hill. We rested a few times in the only small shaded areas we could find. There are several benches along the trail but most are not shaded. There is an area that is covered for picnics.
   The climb to the top took us over an hour. I finally reached the top and felt success. I can't imagine how the Aztecs climbed it every day(without the trails). The view was amazing and the temperature inside the cave was probably in the 60s. There were some drawings in the cave that I am sure were not true Aztec drawings. There were two different sections. It smelled like fresh dirt and maybe mushrooms... a real musky smell but not overbearing. I was so glad that I made it to the top and got to see it and be where the Aztecs had.

 

 

Caverns of Sonora

   We finally made our way to the Caverns of Sonora. Tours only go out at set times and they are not always the same time. Basically, once someone comes in and signs up for a tour they create a tour time about 45 minutes from the time that person or group pays. This gives them time to add others to the tour group. In the meantime, you can walk along their trails or view the peacocks and ginea hens. There is also a large gift shop with very intersting items. You can pan for gems or fossils or just buy  food for a picnic and enjoy the outdoors. So, even though there is a wait, there is still plenty to do.
   Be sure to use the bathroom before the tour begins because the tour lasts about 2 hours. They will also tell you that if you have problems breathing that the air is thin and it can be muggy down there. The one thing they don't tell you is that just before the end of the tour you will be climbing several flights of stairs that are at a very tight, almost straight up angel so be prepared to be fit or take a few breaks. The next day my legs were very sore. I guess I need to work out a little more.
   Inside the cavern was amazing. There were areas that seemed a bit damp and puddles that you had to walk through in some places but they were shallow. You just had to be sure to hold onto the rails if you did not have good shoes on. I think my favorite part of the tour was when we sat for several minutes in complete darkness. It seemed so peaceful. At the very end the walls were so white and smooth, this area was called the belly of the whale and it was awesome. I could set up a bedroom in that space. Other interesting features were the snake pit where formations twisted around each other like snakes. The feature called honey looked just like honey dripping from a jar. There is an amazing crystal room as well so be prepared to be awed. Be sure not to touch walls while inside because the cavern is still growing and changing. Once a spot is touched the oils and chemicals on the skin can kill the formations.