faithrunner

  I have traveled most of the trails from Red River, New Mexico to Wheeler Peak. I had never climbed to the peak via the Williams Lake Trail out of Taos Ski Valley . Trail #67 comes out of the valley, past Williams Lake, and on to Wheeler Peak. The lower parts of the trail were damaged by the wind storm that tore through Taos and Red River in December of 2021 . The destruction looked similar to the destruction caused by a Texas tornado, but they don't have those in NM in the mountains; do they? The trail rises steeply out of the valley and divides to go down to Williams Lake or continue up to the Peak. The trail above the tree line has several sections of scree, which makes traversing the face of the mountain difficult.  The trail intersects with the Middlefork Trail on the ridge between Mt. Walter and Wheeler and leads to the peak. Neal and I made it in about four hours with stops to catch our breath, fuel and hydrate.  I prefer the Lost Lake Trail to get to Wheeler Pea...

Vacation in Crested Butte this year included climbing Mt. Huron with friends. Some of us had climbed Mt. Belford three years ago and wanted to climb another one in the area. Also, the women in the group had attempted Mt. Huron last year and had failed. We were all there to reach the top this year.  Finding the trailhead was iffy and required a 4W Drive Jeep. (Thanks, Jeff) Some other climbers helped us to the starting point , and we were off.  The initial switchbacks and first 3/4 of the trail was an easy walk up through beautiful forest and open slopes. The last quarter mile is another story. We had been told Mt. Huron was an easy climb, "no problem," they said. However, the trails near the top were loose rock and sand, which caused you to slide both going up and climbing down. This section is the Class 2 Moderate part of the mountain trail. I prefer the ascent because of better footing, and this trail only confirmed my preference.  The summit was terrific and the view ...

On 19-21 July I hiked to Wheeler Peak for the sixth time, I think. (First pictures I have are from 1994) Love this trek and that mountain. I'll have my ashes scattered there.  1994 Wheeler Peak Group Campsite at Lost Lake Jon and Jeff at Lost Lake   The three of us left Riverside Lodge in Red River about 0700 Friday morning. After stopping by Major Bean for coffee and sausage/cheese biscuit, we got to the Middle Fork Trailhead about 0800. The weather was ideal, and my legs were okay after Gold Hill the day before.  We got to the "half-way meadow" by 0900 and texted Kim, who had left for home the day before. I found out we needed a new AC unit at the house back home. Ended up calling Kim, texting a friend to get a friend’s number for a framer to lay boards in the attic, and buying a new unit to be installed Monday. All at 10,000 ft. of elevation! (Not really a break you want from life in the city while on the trail.) The trail ...

I left RR ski lift area at about 0700 and headed up Pioneer Trail (forest road). Hiked to private property gate and found Trail 171 near gate that loops around the property. The run off from the snow made the road a creek bed the higher I climbed. Several long creek crossings. The trail throws you back onto the Jeep trail but soon brings you to the continuation of the trail. That takes you to the Gold Hill Trail juncture. Steep but heavily forested. I think I was the first and only one on the trail. Saw no one coming up.  Took Gold Hill trail to the summit. Steeper and more rugged than I had thought. Switchbacks near the summit were heavily washed out.  The view was spectacular, and the wind was blowing hard. Still some snow on the morning side of the mountains. No animals in sight.  Saw only chipmunks and black squirrels coming up.   Decided to go down Goose Creek Trail instead of back tracking and fighting the ATV traffic on P...

Do you see it? It's right there. Behind the flowers. It's Poison Ivy. I hate the weed because I'm allergic to it, but it fades so nicely behind the scene. The beauty of the flowers in front hide the weed in the back. I have two options here: 1) leave the weed and keep it in the background, hoping no one will come in contact with it; or, 2) I can intentionally get a broad-leaf herbicide and kill it. My bad habits springing from my heart are like that poison ivy growing in my flowerbed . I think they go unnoticed because the flowers of my public behavior built on good habits masks them, but they are there. They betray my heart's deepest motives even when I think they don't. My "unseen" habits, however, do affect those who come near me whether I tell them they are there or not. People are made ill, or, at least, irritated by my selfish behaviors. Like poison ivy in the flowerbed, I have two options with my habits: 1) I can leave them alone and t...

--> The recent and continued racial strife in our country has deepened the division and separation among our citizens that has existed for years. As followers of Jesus, we must speak and act in ways that bring reconciliation and redemption out of the strife, not add to the disruptions. What is our narrative in days like these?             Paul, a Jewish religious leader who Jesus called out from among his people and sent him to all ethnic groups beyond the tribes of Israel, faced similar racial divisions as he carried the good news of Jesus to the global mission field. Many of the issues in the movement of Jesus centered on social and racial issues like who could share a meal with whom and who belonged and who did not by the religious rules they kept. Paul addressed the corrosive issue of race and its attending social practices when he wrote to Christ-followers in Ephesus . 14  For he himself is our peace ,...

Erik, Rebecca and Jeff at the campsite about .25 mile beyond the trail head Monday, June 26, 2017 Erik and Rebecca Skogsberg and Jeff Byrd and I left the Missouri Gulch Trail Head headed for Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford . This would be Erik and Rebecca's 2nd 14er, Jeff's first, and my 7th.  Sunday afternoon several hikers came down from the peaks saying they could only do Mt. Belford and couldn't make Mt. Oxford. They all described the trail with one phrase, "It's really steep." Of course, being optimistic and overly confident, we collectively thought they were weak and that we would easily knock out both peaks per the plan. We would eat our words for lunch on Monday. Approaching Mt. Belford via Missouri Creek Trail The weather was ideal, and the first leg is in the forest along the creek. The issue is that the steep part begins immediately as you cross the creek at the trail head! The 8-mile, 4500 ft. elevation gain, Class 2 Moderate trail create...