Monday clouds looked ambivalent in South Fork, with a little sleet falling. NEVERTHELESS, 19 hikers headed out to Elephant Rocks,
a favorite place of the late Ruth Marie Colville and her children.
Up and down the rocks, along the deer trails between them, we traveled a varied route, making about 2.5 to 3 miles seem like more, without great effort. We used our imaginations as we looked at formations. We saw plenty of lichens, grasses, piñons, and junipers. As Ruth Marie wrote--
"each rock is a rock island in a sea of earth" and "it is safe country, except for rattlesnakes."
At coffee, we made two decisions:
1. We will start the next 50+ hikes at 9 a.m. (departing the visitor center), unless an earlier start is announced.
2. Next week's hike -- the "limekiln area." We'll get off US 160 at the Old Spanish Trail exhibits/sculpture (between D.Norte and M.Vista).
Starting time--see decision 1.
We're pleased to see the increase in participation. We will begin offering more than one hike per week in May.
Tentative schedule involving Wayne Moulds, Doug Knudson, Dennis Shepherd:
Monday--Moulds and "easy" hikes.
Tuesday--Knudson and "tough hikes" with gradual build-up of conditioning.
Wednesday--Chapel of S.F. sponsored kids' hikes, with adults accompanying.
Thursday--Shepherd--intermediate and whatever Dennis and the group decides.
Invitation: The Old Spanish Trail Association has its National Conference in Cortez, CO, May 31-June 2. See oldspanishtrail.org.
We'd really like to have you take a field trip and hear some talks about this National Historic Trail covering 6 states.
South Fork Sky
The gang and Connie
Elevated ridges of volcanic rocks
Woman with a basket?
Grumpy and two friends
Cave Man?
Elephant Rocks
Hikers between elephant rocks
Round Rocks (Ruth Marie's preferred name for them)
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