faithrunner

Jeff and I at the top of Trail 78 On Wednesday, June 28, 2017 my friend, Jeff Byrd, and I climbed the San Cristobal Canyon Trail 78 on our way to Lobo Peak . We had both climbed Wheeler Peak out of Red River so we were looking for a new tail. This trail is hard to find, less traveled, but one of my favorite trails now in the Red River/Taos region . The trail head is off CR B-009 in San Cristobal (turn left coming from the north just after the San Cristobal Post Office onto Comino del Medio go about 3 miles through town past the San Cristobal Academy entrance to the trail head. High clearance vehicle recommended.) The trail follows the San Cristobal Creek and is shaded most of the way. We counted about eighteen (18) creek crossings. We easily managed most of them, but we had to build up one to get to the other side. Less snow fall and later weeks of summer will lessen the flow of the creek and the number of crossings. The 3,100 feet of elevation gain over the four...

Our Goal from the Road into Red River On Wednesday, July 17, three friends and I hiked out of the Middlefork trailhead parking lot to camp at Lost Lake and then summit Wheeler Peak the next day. This would be my fifth or sixth summit of Wheeler Peak and second year in a row to camp overnight at Lost Lake. Jim and Sara Craig drove in from Santa Fe to join us. This would be Sara's first hike and overnight camp out. She is a marathoner and triathlete, so she was definitely strong enough to make the trip. Jim climbed this trail and summit with two other friends and me last year, and he made the summit of Mt. Rainier that same year. My son-in-law, Graham , rounded out the band of hikers. This was his first summit of Wheeler but hiking and camping is part of his premarital and child-filled days. The weather was ideal and the trails were in good shape from the trailhead to the lake. The trail (#91) to Lost Lake is more scenic than either the East Fork or Middlefork trails, i...

Last week I traveled with some guys from different groups at Legacy Church to NM and CO for some hiking and camping. Goose Lake We "warmed up" the first day in Red River, NM, Saturday, September 1 , by hiking the Goose Creek Trail to Goose Lake and back. That 14.8 mile, about 3,000-foot elevation gain round trip almost did me in for the week, but it was worth it. The next morning, I preached at the Red River Community House Sunday morning worship service, and then we hiked to Lost Lake , 11,400 feet. We camped there overnight and made the summit of Wheeler Peak , 13,160 feet, Monday morning. It was windy and cold, but did not hamper our efforts. Wheeler Peak After we returned to our Lost Lake camp and packed our tents, we descended to Red River and had a delicious meal at Texas Red's and restful evening at the Banks' Cabin up Bitter Creek Road. We took all day Tuesday , September 4, to travel from Red River, NM, to Grizzly Gulch Campsite outside L...