After the Storm

Our little mountain town spent much of December basking in warm, sunny days.  Made for great hiking but our burnt hills are testament to what happens when we don't get moisture.  On Friday, a nice snowstorm finally brought moisture to our mountain town.

This is today from the Canyon Rim Trail.  Pajarito Mountain is to the right of the tall snag. (Neatly hidden behind the tall snag is an unsightly communications tower!)

Mountain Meadow Dream

Dreamed yesterday that I walked up Valle Canyon and ended up in this little mountain meadow on land owned by the Valles Caldera National Preserve.  It had to be a dream because ever since the United States government in 2000 purchased this land "to provide opportunities for public recreation", among other purposes, there's been no way to hike all the way up Valle Canyon without "trespassing" on this "public" land.