By Patty Wilber
Thursday was my last day of in person classes for the Spring term at Central New Mexico Community College. All my face to face Microbiology classes have finals graded and grades posted! I have three more online classes to finish up this weekend.
So, even though it is Spring, my Summer has just about started!
This will be the first Summer in...ever..? that I have not taught at the college, and I am looking forward to having a slightly less hectic schedule.
More time to work cows! Some horse shows! Some Back Country Horsemen projects! A trip to Hawaii to see the grandkids! Maybe a trip to Canada! Giving some lessons, judging some shows, a little NM tour with my folks and sister’s family, yardwork, lunch with friends! Riding with friends! Lunch while riding with friends! Camping with the horses!
Gette says, “that does not sound less hectic, and what about me?!” I say, “Yes, more time with you, too.”
Last Friday, to jump start the summer fun, I went on a 10 mile fun ride in the Manzanita Mountains Recreational Area.
L to R, Siri, Mary Ann, Linda, Amber on a ride in the Cedro Peak (back left) section (technically the Manzanita Mountains) of the Sandia Ranger district.
I never knew it was called the Manzanita Mountains Recreational Area! The trail head (blue) we went to is about three miles from my house (red). It was a really nice ride starting on a trail called “Road Noise” which is not shown on this map, but roughly parallels I40, the gray road in the middle of the map.
I do live in a pretty great spot, especially now that it is “summer”!
It’s warm enough to be summer! Whew! Don’t get blown away during any of your fun stuff!
Right? It has been windy!
I have always known that area as the Manzanita Mountains Trail System ever since I picked up the map from the Tijeras Ranger Station about 8-10 yrs ago. I keep copies of the map in my saddlebags and in my phone. I noticed you started at Lower Pine Trailhead and looked on the website and saw that the Lower Pine trailhead is listed as unavailable. Did you have any issues accessing the trailhead there? I used to ride out from that trailhead often, but then started accessing those trails out of Longview Road the past 5 years instead. Now, the new homeowners have blocked trailer parking there, so I’ll need to go back to using Lower Pine again…if it’s open! Hopefully they just haven’t updated the website. I don’t recall a trail called Road Noise though. I remembee riding Lower Pine Trail out of the trailhead. I wonder if Road Noise is a newly built trail?
Road Noise is a new trail! I am not sure how new, but new since I was there last. It is well signed, and is right at the Lower Pine trail head. The trail head was fully open.