What a wonderful long 4 day New Years weekend! I’m very fortunate that my job gives two days at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. It will just make this stretch from January to out next day off, Memorial Day, that much more difficult.
I finally learned how to save maps to my Garmin Fenix which has been a pure delight because a lot of the trails here aren’t really marked or only marked with numbers which makes it more difficult for me to learn and remember. I’ve had a trail downloaded that I wanted to do, Embudito Canyon Trail, so I set off to do it. It’s an out and back 7.9mile trail with 2,395ft of elevation gain. Its a fantastically fun trail that starts in the desert, takes you up to the pine, and then somewhere alone the way you enter Narnia and there is snow and crazy views and silence so deafening if it wasn’t for the cold you’d stay forever.
I got to the end of the trail and despite that being as far as I was planning to go, I carried on to the left because I knew that trail lead up to the South Sandia Peak and I have this sickness where I just have to see what’s around the next corner. I’ve learned this about myself and since it has gotten me into trouble I am more mindful about it.
I looked at the map the night before and thought it’d be fun to continue on the trail but I knew I was tired and needed some rest so I packed enough water for the 7.9miles and a buff as my only extra piece of gear. This should have been enough to tell me to turn around but on I went. Two men were coming down individually and each one told me it was super windy and cold. One told me the snow got up to about an inch at the top but it was doable. I carried on and the wind continued to pick up to what I’m guessing to be the 20-25mph the one guy reported. It was cold. There was no sun that day. The storms were rolling in that would bury the mountains in snow the next day. I went for bit longer until I could no longer feel my fingers and knew I’d be in trouble if it got colder since I had no extra provisions.
I turned around and ran down the mountain trying to escape the wind but the wind was more prominent than on the way up and it followed me for a few miles. It didn’t dwindle until I reached back down to the desert. I got very tired a couple miles from the end and actually stopped to have a snack with only 1.5miles to go…I think I had an adrenaline crash. Worth it though. Those views!
Sunday rolls around and I decide to see if I can get back through Narnia to the peak. The mountains were snowcapped with the storms that came through. I packed extra gear to help me achieve this peak: extra mittens, hand/feet warmers, exospikes, knit cap, hoodini jacket, extra socks…should be good to go!
I went to another trailhead this time, Three Gun Springs (TGS), which goes up the south and intersects with Embudito and the trail to the peak. I found this trail to be more enjoyable but that could have just been because of the snow 🙂 Two people have told me that the TGS trail is one that people often need rescuing from because of all the false trails. Stay on the trails, folks! And def learn to download maps to your Garmin. It also has handy features like telling you the grade of incline you’re trying so hard to get up so when you wonder why you feel like you’re going through mud…oh because its a 16% grade🥵
Luckily yhis time there was no option to follow false trails and get lost because the only trail was the one through the snow.
At the 2.5mile mark it seemed to be that everyone was turning around based on the tracks greatly diminishing. It seemed like there was only one or two footprints from there and that person had hiking poles. Duh! I always have mine in the car but didn’t even think to take them. That might have been very helpful on the way down but too late now. I continue on. When I’m almost at the top of TGS where everything intersects I see two people coming down…with hiking poles. They said they just went to the intersection so that must have been their tracks; no one else in sight (and still only a few people in sight the whole way up…have I mentioned that I love there are only 17people per square mile in NM?…because I love it!). We make pleasantries for awhile and then I continue on my adventure…the views were too beautiful to stop seeing😍
I only get to mile 4.55 before I decided to turn around…south sandia peak via TGS is 11.3 miles out and back with 3,612ft of gain. I should have only had a bit to go but I realized I was running out of time which I started to fixate on and the fun diminished. And if your fun is diminishing then that’s when things can go awry. I knew I’d probably get tired eventually and if you’re fatigued and not having fun then there’s a recipe for disaster. I haven’t run in snow since that winter storm last year in Oklahoma so I knew going down might be tricky and I didn’t want to be going down in the dark and have things ice over.
I sat down, changed my socks, and put on my spikes. Running down in the fresh snow was fun but once it got to the melted and more packed places I slowed down because if there’s one thing I remember about living in Pittsburgh it’s that running on packed snow will destroy you. The last 3/4 mile was delightful and all the snow was gone. I didn’t make it to the top but I’m learning about the mountain and the weather (Sunday was brilliant with sunshine so even though the weather was in the teens my water didn’t freeze and I didn’t need much of my extra gear, I even took some layers off). Thursday I had the time but not the gear, Sunday I had the gear but not the time…maybe I need to learn to take less photos 🙂 I am excited to have these trails to do to race against myself; what a great challenege on days you’re not sure what to do. Next time South Sandia Peak, next time…3rd time is a charm!
In case anyone else like me is learning how to dress and handle different weather on Sunday I wore: adidas cap, Smartwool ear warmer, knit hat I made (this I often took off), Nathan gloves (I had old thick mittens in my pack that I never needed), Smartwool Merino 250 long sleeve on top, Smartwool vest, Tracksmith Bislett pant on bottom (these got me through that Oklahoma race in weather that was -6degrees to 0degrees with no issues), balega merino socks on the feet, Kahtoola microspikes over Altra Timps. I had a Brooks 3/4 zip which I took off about 1.5miles into the trail. I had a Patagonia Hoodini just in case it was extra windy further up and also had hand/feet warmers but never needed them. I don’t have many cold weather things but the ones I have work great and have gotten me through great times and hold up well. Some of them you can find on great sales (REI with coupons is my jam…and you have up to a year to return things). Tailwind is always in whatever hydration system I’m using which I love because I can go a half marathon+ with just it and that is some peace of mind.
i did some good adventures but i also made sure to relax and enjoy some slow mornings. Bandit approves 🙂 He also suggested we not get crazy with decorations so he has more money for his treat budget…can’t argue with that!
Happy new year, folks! Happy Adventuring!
half marathoning my way through grad school 