After the monsoons started the Sandia Mountains were reopened for hiking. During the hot summer it was a welcome relief to get to the higher elevations for our hikes. Jan lead us along the shaded 10K Trail to the Del Agua Overlook for lunch and we returned via Survey Trail. We had several Fitbits with us and maps that claimed various lengths for the hike. So we are just going with a distance of a bit less than a seven-mile hike.
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| The Hoofers: Sally, Annie, Mary, Julie (2x Hoofer) Helene, Kathleen, and our leader: Jan |
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| Behind the camera: Rose |
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| We have wildflowers!! This one is Arnica |
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| Velvet Umbrella Wort aka Mountain 4 O'clock |
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| Western Yarrow |
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| Harebells (all the ones we saw were very small) |
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| Showy or Spreading Fleabane |
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| Jacob's Ladder |
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| Penstemon |
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| Twistpod Draba |
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| Richardson's Geranium |
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| Being rusty, I misidentified this on the trail... This is Baneberry elliptical clusters of berries -- 3 leaflets. (Think 3 leaves poison [ivy]) Bane[berry] of your existence = poisonous |
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| BANEBERRY (don't think that one is above the leaves and the other, Elderberry, is below) or vice versa because we saw both species of them above AND below the leaves |
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| These are Red Elderberries... see the "e"longated leaves--think Elderberry |
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| See the Red Elderberries... below the leaves and above the leaves--not a good way to tell them apart...The native Indians did eat these--but please save them for the bears and other wildlife |
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| Indian Paintbrush |
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Water Break, or chat break
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Large dead tree without it's top
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| Tree Fungi |
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Jacob's Ladder
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| Looking up through the hole in the rock |
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| Another chatty water break |
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Kathleen covering up her laugh
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| Beautiful healthy Indian Paintbrush |
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| A distant cousin of Perky Sue Alpine version |
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| Del Agua Overlook |
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| Nodding onions with Mary and Julie |
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This tree has more pine cones than needles
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Kathleen took this picture, worried that I never get in a picture...
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Mary (photo taken by Kathleen)
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| Views at the Overlook |
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Another Siamese Tree Trunk
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| Sally, she smiled already so didn't do it twice, and Annie |
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| Jan and Kathleen both pretty in purple & pink -- the rest of us did not get the memo |
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| Rose taking a selfie with Julie and Helene |
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A beautiful rock..too heavy to carry home
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| Taking Survey Trail on the way back |
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| Time for another selfie |
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| A hollowed out tree with interesting features |
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| With all the fallen trees on Survey Trail... there were plenty of newborn trees |
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| A very large tree in mid-fall |
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| Being held up by another tree |
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| Large number of fallen trees on Survey trail |
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| Caught a glimpse of Helene through this cracked tree |
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| Jan introducing the Medallion Tree to our newest Hoofers who have not seen one yet |
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| Gestation date of this Douglas Fir was 1455! |
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| Seeing their first Medallion tree are newest Hoofers Annie and Julie |
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| This tree across the trail from the Medallion Tree always beckons me to take its picture |
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| It just screams...I am a frame! So I must do what I must do |
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| Here's Annie! |
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| Here's Helene! |
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| Here's Julie! |
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| Getting a shot of almost the entire Douglas Fir Medallion Tree |
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| I was right...this is an Osha plant part of the parsley family |
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| Tree fungi and moss |
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| More Baby Trees |
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| A sit down chat/water/snack break |
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| A great example of a tree burl (a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds) |
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| Moss along the trail |
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| Large fallen tree with a huge root ball |
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| Yes, we finally reach the end of Survey Trail, cross the highway and head back to the cars on the Challenge Trail |
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| But still more than a half mile to go |
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| Hiking through a grove of Aspen Trees |
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| One last selfie |
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| One last Penstemon |
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| End of the trail |
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| Julie was so impressed with the Hoofers--especially our oldest members Sally and Mary--that she just had to have a picture with them to show all the people in Indiana what a strong bunch of hikers she has joined in New Mexico |
KEEP ON HOOFING LADIES!!
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