Pecos River

During our week's stay here in the Carlsbad, NM area, we have explored several of the activities offered.  We hiked the Guadalupe Mountains, and visited Sitting Bull Falls.  (On a previous visit we experienced the famous Carlsbad Caverns National Park.)  We admired the downtown Lake Carlsbad (formed by damming the Pecos River) Beach Park. 

The area along and on the water is open to many different activities.  Below the dam fishing is popular. 

On the opposite side of the street are very nice tennis courts

and pickleball courts.  Duane has been playing with the local group here.

Above the dam is the Beach Park with swimming 

and picnic areas,

and the adjacent water park.

Further upstream a boat ramp allows speed boaters, jet skiers, tubers and water skiers can enjoy the water.

We drove by but didn't visit The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

Moving day tomorrow.

Louise and Duane

Carlsbad RV Park

Carlsbad RV Park has been our roosting place this week.  The park is very nice with some amenities.  At the park entrance is this building. The A frame and the left wing 

are the office and a camp store.

The right wing houses restrooms/showers in the front and a tv room on one side 

and large laundry on the other.

Next to the laundry is a nice indoor pool.

The park is all gravel with over a hundred rv sites

a couple of rental cabins,

a few tent spaces

 

and several picnic shelters with grills.

We had the full use of a double back-in site, but needed only one half of it. 

Each part had picnic table on pavers, a spacious place to set out chairs and a large fire pit.

Only one day left here.

Louise and Duane

Flying Again

Eagle screamed and we let him fly, 

 fifty miles through the Chihuahuan Desert

to the heart of the Lincoln National Forest.

We let him rest while we explored Sitting Bull Falls.  Since the US Forest Service maintains this popular recreation area at the location of the falls it requires a daily fee or a National Parks Pass.  They have constructed about a dozen nice picnic shelters,

each with two large picnic tables and two grills.

From the upper parking lot a paved path leads about 1/2 mile past the picnic shelters to the pack of the canyon

to the falls--there is one on the left of the main one.

We stayed on the viewing platform, but most people

opt to take the stairs down to the pools at the base of the falls.

  

After enjoying the canyon views for a few minutes, walked back to the parking lot where Eagle was ready to reverse his flight for home.

Excellent!

Louise and Duane

Tenacious Life

 On the way up the mountain yesterday we were still fresh enough to look around for anything interesting--plants, flowers, bugs, critters.  We were amazed at how plants and flowers needed only a small crack in a rock or a bit of dirt to bloom and grow.

Many of the trees had roots in a crack in the rock, and were gnarled and twisted, but still green and growing.

Tomorrow a short hike maybe.

Louise and Duane

Buns Of Steel

Up and on the road at 6 for our last 50-mile drive to Guadalupe Mountain National Park.  We are staying in Carlsbad NM but the park is just over the line in Texas.  

Yesterday we took the trail to the right to Devil's Hall.  Today we headed left to access Guadalupe Peak.  The trail is listed as a strenous 8.4 mile round trip hike to the summit at 8751 ft.  We started at 5751ft  for a climb of 3000 ft.

The stony path seemed very doable until the big rocks showed up.

Still, we were optimistic that we could do it.

We turtled along at our usual 1 mph pace, being passed by people who started one or two hours later than we did (like those guys below).

Yesterday we hiked along trail below which joined that wash further down the trail.

Duane does not like heights, but does well if the trail is level and wide enough.  This sign put him on the alert

with good reason.

After a couple of hours we entered the tree line--the altitude which was cool and wet enough for trees to grow.   

                             

At this point we were very near the top of the mountain, when we realized that we still had a way to go.  We slogged up the switchbacks ahead, rounded the the peak on the right,

and started around the other side.  While we rested and snacked on this bridge, we looked up 

and discovered that the hardest part of the trip--less than a mile--lay ahead of us!  The guys from the trail behind us (7 pix above) caught up to us at this point and started up the trail (those little dark spots).  Later we were told that  the trail went through the trees, then up steeply again before gaining the summit.  After discussing the situation for a couple of minutes we gave up and started back.  We still had a 2 hour hike down the mountain and had already used up a lot of energy to get this far.

As we turtled back down, most of the people who passed us going up passed us going down also.  One of these was Kimmy, a traveling nurse who decided to enjoy the mountain today.  We enjoyed a short pleasant chat with her on the way up and on the way down.  We told her about other good national parks to hike.  Here she's noting our blog site on her phone.

By the time we reached the bottom again, Duane's knees were talking rather loudly to him.  I was fighting low blood sugar, over heating, and sore feet.  Nothing like a long hike up steep stony grades to teach us our physical limitations!  All those steps left us with well-exercised backsides, and rubber legs.

We were more than happy to be back in New Mexico and home.

Our next hike is a .7 mile to Sitting Bull Falls, maybe tomorrow.

Louise and Duane