Category Archives: Flowers

Trips highlighting photos of flowers.

Cottonwood Canyon Hike – 09/04/2018

September 26, 2018

Leaving D and D’s Organic Haven headed for home, again we looked for an opportunity for a hike along the way. Heading north on US 180 from Glenwood, we “spontaneously” stopped at a small campground, and it looked promising.

The Hike

So up the canyon we went. There was a two-track for a while, but then it was following along Cottonwood Creek. The canyon bottom was open forest, with some sections bounded by interesting rock faces. With the recent rains across New Mexico, there were many flowers in full bloom. ‘Twas a short hike, but we still had quite a drive ahead of us.

[I’m quite pleased with my new camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS-100. It allows me to take photos the way I want to – it has a 20-1 zoom, giving me the 120 mm focal length that suits me so well. And auto-focus that works quite well for “close up” (with the zoom) or it’s macro feature. I still use my phone, a Galaxy S-5 particularly for panorama photos, but the Lumix has become my go-to camera.]

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.14 miles
Elevation: start 5,807 ft, maximum 5,951 ft, minimum 5,807 ft
Gross gain: 144 ft. Aggregate ascending 773 ft, descending 808 ft
Maximum slope: 47% ascending, 56% descending, 11% average
Duration: 1:39

Cottonwood Canyon Hike.Pat.2018-09-04 (KML)	149 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Cottonwood Canyon Hike.Pat.2018-09-04 (GPX)	67 Downloads

I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

Forest Service: Cottonwood Campground
HipCamp: Cottonwood Campground

George's Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

George's Flower Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

Fenton Lake Hike – 08/14/2018

September 7, 2018

This is the first hiking on a 3-day trip with grandson Thomas. Our original destination was one of the campgrounds further into the Jemez Mountains (and higher elevations), but with the threats of rain/thunderstorms, we holed up in the Vista Linda campground near Jemez Springs. We enjoyed the bubbling Jemez River adjacent to the campsite, but the conditions were hot. Once the R-Pod was set up, we headed to higher ground, Fenton Lake. Driving through the campground, we noted this for future camping. Near the back end of the campground, near the dam, we parked and set out on a short hike.

The Hike

This was a “walk in the woods”, really a stroll down the Rio Cebolla below the dam for Fenton Lake with Thomas. The trail is well used, easy walking even biking. Along the stream it is lush with grasses and flowers, as you can see in the photo gallery below. View the Gallery with captions for a brief narrative of the hike.

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.92 miles
Elevation: start 7,676 ft, maximum 7,710 ft, minimum 7,612 ft
Gross gain: 98 ft. Aggregate ascending 711 ft, descending 696 ft
Maximum slope: 33% ascending, 32% descending, 7% average
Duration: 2:38

Fenton Lake Hike.PatThomas.2018-08-14 (KML)	216 Downloads
GPS Track Files for Download
Fenton Lake Hike.PatThomas.2018-08-14 (GPX)	169 Downloads

If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, I urge you to try it. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the screenshot above. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

New Mexico State Parks: Fenton Lake State Park
Campsite Photos: Fenton Lake Campground
Angler’s Guide: New Mexico’s Fenton Lake
Lake Lubbers: Fenton Lake, New Mexico, USA

George's Photos w/ Captions: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

I’ve been entranced on so many hikes in New Mexico by the many flowers that seem to thrive here. I’ve photographed many of them with my Samsung/Android phone, but with mixed results. Now I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100, much better at getting good photos of objects up close, especially with its zoom lens. And this walk, with its lush growth of flowers, presented a great opportunity to get photos worth sharing.

George's Flower Photos: Click on a Photo for Gallery Show.

La Jara Arroyo Hike – 04/29/2018

May 10, 2018

On this hike we explored the south side of Bernalillito Mesa in the Ojito Wilderness, an area that we hadn’t visited before. I’ve labeled this a Wander rather than Hike – there aren’t any defined trails; the topography lends itself to just exploring. Like other parts of Ojito, the views are interesting, the geology varies greatly, and this time of year the early flowers are abloom.

The Hike

The first 1.25 miles of our wander allowed us to remain close to the bottom of the edge of Bernalillito Mesa. But then we faced a deep washed-out arroyo that we chose not to attempt crossing. So from there we wandered around the bottom of the “sub-mesa”, then back towards the mesa and a bit further for our mid-hike break. Along the way the geology changed continuously (rocks, outcrops, types of material); always great scenery near and far.

Statistics

Total Distance: 3.87 miles
Elevation: start 5,847 ft, maximum 6,024 ft, minimum 5,825 ft
Gross gain: 199 ft. Aggregate ascending 507 ft, descending 508 ft
Maximum slope: 16% ascending, 21% descending, 4% average
Duration: 4:00