Uploads from Reptilian_Sandwich, tagged trail

Off the post

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:49:52 -0700

Decaying sign, 10 miles from the nearest road.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Sign at Spud Patch Ridge

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 08:54:02 -0700

Someone hacked at the board, where the distances are estimated.

Reeds Peak. 1 mile. To me, the walk seemed like 1 mile to the base of the mountain, and then yet another mile to the top.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico.

Stark Fellows

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:33:37 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Yet abundance surrounds these scraggly entities.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Outward

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:51:59 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Feeling a connection which comes from within, but is expressed as the sensory is received.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Recovery

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 07:18:30 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Burnt, broken, sun-beaten. Life recovers.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Exhilaration

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:06:47 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

A feeling of happiness and freedom from the artificial trappings of life.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Radial

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:04:43 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Obstacles

Radial spokes

Over the path

Following mountain curve

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Cracked and Ringed

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 04:46:12 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Ponderosa fell over the trail and was cut to clear the path. You can see that a short saw was used. This was probably modern action, because in the old days people used to use a much longer crosscut saw that required two people for the operation, and zero petroleum.

I captured this image for the strong light and shadows over the texture of rings and radial cracks.

Gila National Forest, New Mexico.

Fir and Moon

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:45:14 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

The weather is strong here on the mountain.
In adaptive response, some conifers grow in shrub-like form, like they do near the tree line.

Hillsboro Peak - 3050 m / 1020 ft elevation

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Hope For Rain.

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:31:18 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Wild and burned.

It was a hot day with intermittent shade. I had to take breaks in shelter from the sun. However hope kept my spirit strong: Clouds were building in the sky, hints of the oncoming monsoon season.

This photo features Trail Number 79, a.k.a. the Black Range Crest Trail. Its form you can spot in the foreground left, and also on the mountain in center.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Fern Road

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:58:55 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Looking back on my progress, toward the South.

This way used to be a fire road for the forest service. Now it is a footpath lined with ferns.

The young aspen are already scarred by fire. All of them are regrowth from a major wildfire. Some aspen have leafless branches and darkened bark, showing signs of more recent fire.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

South Fork McKnight Canyon

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 06:00:32 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Junction: McKnight Road at Pretty Canyon

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 05:44:52 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

A clear road is refreshing, after sweating through a certain amount of trail obstruction. But the regularity and hardness of its tread grow tiresome on the feet and joints. I was fortunate my way North to McKnight Mountain included only a few miles of this road.

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Junction: Pretty Canyon | McKnight

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 05:25:47 -0800

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Located a few steps off the McKnight Road. This is the view to the East.

1.2 Miles
The distance on the sign is good example of numbers that can be misleading in country like this: "1.2" miles to the next junction may be 1.2 as the crow flies, or it may be 1.5 miles of very steep or rugged territory, with enough brush or downfall to make progress a painstaking affair. Switchbacks are welcome relief to climbing effort, but usually add distance not marked on the signs.

I needed at least 3 hours to walk 1.2 miles up the canyon, to this point on the ridgetop. It was good work though, and I was rewarded with some wonderful views to appreciate.

Aldo Leopold Wilderness, New Mexico

Trail and Watercourse

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 07:19:05 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Early evening in Railroad Canyon. This is a spot where the trail meanders back and forth, following and crossing the watercourse two places in this shot. But all the water is gone, since it has been a very dry season. I found just enough water for the night further down the trail, in some brackish pools where the stream flows over large sections of bare rock. It seemed to be the only water in this canyon for quite some distance. Intermittent springs are marked on my topo map, but I won't reach them until the following day.

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Stone Eye

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:23:38 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

On rock face. All of the rocks that I pass have something interesting about them, if only I take the time to look. This one sat moodily in the stream, with an X in its eye and sparkles all around its brow.

The rock is volcanic, perhaps a denser form of tuff. Typical characteristics include large flecks of silica, some conglomerate and signs of gas or low density in the slightly cryptic surface.

Probably it was mostly ash and small particles as it fell back to the Earth after volcano blast. It may have been part of a river of ash to create what is called ash-flow tuff. Now, its nutrients are released by the flow of water and an ocean of air.

In-depth info about very similar rock:
Some Aspects of the Kneeling Nun Rhyolite Tuff - David Giles, Department of Geology, University of New Mexico (607 KB PDF document)

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Time to Dawdle

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:54:46 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Only a few miles left, before I reach the trailhead and the motorcar. I find myself stretching out the moments, lagging intentionally to experience one more evening in the mountains.

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Silver Stream

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 06:07:20 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Time is the stream in which we all travel

Time is a silver thread

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Remembering

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:35:08 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

One of my favorite spots after passing through this area several times. This was a walk to remember. But I was hungry for more and came back about two months later.

BW seemed to fit with the angle and way a memory is reality altered by processing, storage, and filtered recall.

Gila National Forest, New Mexico

Stream

nobody@flickr.com (Reptilian_Sandwich) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 06:32:07 -0700

Reptilian_Sandwich posted a photo:

Water on the rocks, rushing past shadows.

Gila National Forest, New Mexico