Southern Colorado Letterboxing Trip

Thomas and I decided we needed a get away, and what better way than a letterboxing trip.
You can read about each day's adventures by going to Southern Colorado and Letterboxes. I hope you enjoy our little get away.

Santa Fe Mini Meet 2006

Astro D and I are hosting a Dinner Mini Meet in the City Different. The event will be held Saturday, November 11th, 2006 from 6:00 - 10:00 pm. At the moment we plan to host the event at a local restaurant that specializes in New Mexican cuisine.

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen
555 W. Cordova Rd.
Santa Fe, NM
See their website for some more information about the restaurant at www.marias-santafe.com.

We are planning for a very casual dinner event, with plenty of time for exchanges, story telling and sharing of ideas. We hope this is an opportunity to meet letterboxers from surrounding areas. No structured events are planned, although there are plenty of boxes in the nearby area to keep you busy for a few days.

The event has been posted on Atlas Quest - here is the link: http://www.atlasquest.com/events/event.html?gEventId=229
Please make sure to sign up if you plan to attend. We need to know how many people will be in attendance so we can make reservations.

We really hope to see all of you there!

Up, Up, Up, Up, Up and . . . Away!

This morning I drove my nephew down to Albuquerque to his new home - a dorm. Yes, he is a freshman, his first semester at college and away from home. I think he is excited but it is hard to tell with him. Anyway, he is now on his own.

Since I was in Albuquerque I decided to look for a letterbox that eluded me once before. Well, really I was just on the wrong trail. With a little help from a friend I learned the error of my ways and headed for the box.

One of my favorite things to do in Albuquerque is to ride the Sandia Peak Tramway. There are such spectacular views during the ride and from the top of Sandia Peak. I especially love the view at night. The lights of Albuquerque just sparkle! Today was a beautiful and clear day so the views were fantastic. And the temperatures were perfect - it was such a great day for a hike. I decided to hike the Crest Trail #130 to the Kiwanis Cabin. With all the rain we have been having there were so many wildflowers, especially in the Kiwanis Meadow. For such a great day there weren't very many people on the trails - which I feel made my day more enjoyable. More peace and quiet. The views from the Kiwanis Cabin are fantastic and worth the pretty easy 1.5 mile one way hike. After enjoying the views and a little snack I headed back for the Tram. All in all I got in a 3 mile hike and a very relaxing Sunday.

Oh, and I did find that box during my hike, but that is all I will tell you. You have to figure out which box and where. Good Luck!

The High Road to Taos

After getting a slow start, we left the house at 8:30 am. Our goal today was a letterbox at Santa Barbara Campground near Penasco, NM. It looked like it was going to be a very nice day. The drive north from Santa Fe was good - not much traffic early on a Saturday morning. We headed out on Hwy 285 passing through Pojoaque and Espanola. Turning right onto Hwy 76 we drove through the Villages of Chimayo, Truchas and Las Trampas. Places we have visited before - but never grow tired of.

Arriving at the campground, we seemed to have the place to ourselves. As we got towards the back of the campground we noticed one group camping in the back corner - but that was it. Very peaceful, very excited about the hike.

What a great place, this was an easy 2 1/2 - 3 miles roundtrip trail. Heading out on the trail we immediately noticed that the trail was pretty muddy. Thanks to all the rain we have been having - what good fortune for an area that was pretty much in drought at the beginning of the summer. Passing through meadows filled with Shasta Daisies and Aspens, we literally strolled (yes folks, strolled - I told you this was an easy hike) along a pretty easy trail. We paralled the Rio Santa Barbara all the way and enjoyed listening to the babbling of the running water.

Oh, the letterbox, I almost forgot. Found the box without any problems. A nice place to sit and stamp. Got to listen to the river and enjoy the daisies and aspens. The box we found was the Santa Barbara Campground letterbox. Taking into account the drive, hike, views and box - the effort to get this box is worth it.

Returning to the car we decided we were hungry - it was a little pass noon. We headed out on Hwy 75 (this time taking the High Road to Taos) to return home. We stopped at Alicia's Restaurant. After a bowl of Green Chile Stew we continued on Hwy 75 to its intersection with Hwy68. This brought us back to Espanola and Hwy 285. We returned home to a thunderstorm - a wonderful way to end our drive on the High Road to Taos.

Ravens Ridge to Deception Peak

On July 4, 2006 Thomas and I hiked to Ravens Ridge in the Santa Fe National Forest. What incredible views! Ever since then we have been talking about returning there and then continuing on up the trail to Deception Peak. Our hike on the Fourth of July was about two and a half miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 1100 feet. From the start the hike is all uphill – but the views are worth it.

View of Santa Fe Baldy from Ravens Ridge

We left home a little early and drove up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. At 8:30 am we began our hike at the Winsor Trail #254. After about 30 minutes of moderate climbing we reached a fence line. If we had continued through the fence we would have continued on the Winsor Trail and eventually ended up at Nambe Lake (this is a hike we have planned for another time). Instead we turned right at the fence and headed up to Ravens Ridge - the trail is marked with a wooden sign. We continued our uphill climb for another 30 minutes. Along the way we encountered all kinds of wild mushrooms.

After about a mile and a quarter we reached the end of the fence line and encountered a precipitous drop. Here was a rocky ridge with the most incredible views of mountains and valleys.

How did we hear about this place – a letterbox, of course. We initially hiked here to find a wonderful letterbox placed by Astro D. You can get a beautiful carved stamp image while being surrounded by the Santa Fe National Forest. Make sure to check out Astro D’s Ravens Ridge letterbox and if you are in Santa Fe please take some time and hunt for this box. It is well worth it.

After a short break we continued on a small trail headed up Ravens Ridge. Another three quarters of a mile and we arrived at another overlook – this time with views overlooking Santa Fe.

We continued past this overlook and after a very intense climb (about 2 miles and an elevation gain of another 800 feet we reached Deception Peak. There were times along the way when I felt we had gotten off course. In some places the trail was sketchy – Thomas was confident that we were on the trail and headed in the right direction. All I can say is I should listen to him – we were doing fine.
Along the way we caught glimpses of Santa Fe Baldy, Pentitente Peak, Nambe Lake and Lake Peak.

View of Nambe Lake on the way to Deception Peak

From here we followed the saddle of Deception Peak and headed for the top of the Santa Fe Ski Runs. After a few minor ups and downs we reached a Forest Road and started downhill to the Ski Basin parking lot.

All in all today we hiked seven miles with a total elevation gain of about 1800 feet. To some this may be an easy or moderate hike but for us this was pretty challenging. It was our personal best. Now we know that we can attempt more challenging hikes and do just great.

What a great way to spend a Labor Day Holiday!

You Have to Start Somewhere!

I'm lionsmane63! I have been letterboxing since February 16, 2006 when I found my first letterbox (Santa Fe Trails Microbox). I was hooked instantly. In the six months since I started letterboxing I have found letterboxes in six states and two countries. Letterboxing has added so much to my life - I won't get sappy or sentimental here - I just love the things that I am learning, the people I am meeting and the places I am visiting.

My intentions for this blog are to chronicle my letterboxing adventures. This is just an introductory post to get me started - you have to start somewhere! I'll hopefully be back frequently to keep a record of anything related to letterboxing.