Hiking and Letterboxing After the Snow

Last week we had our first big snow of the season in Santa Fe. I wanted to go hiking and get some pictures but the temperatures for the days following the snow did not get above the low 40's. So today when I saw the high temperature to be 48 degrees I decided to hike the Dale Ball South Trail to get a letterbox planted by kennamtn when she attended the Santa Fe Mini Meet.

As I started my hike it was still a little cold and I was bundled up pretty good. But the hike soon warmed me up. The snow had begun to melt and in places there was none. But parts of the trail were still covered and in places a little icy. It wasn't the snowy landscape that I had envisioned but there were areas still covered and very pretty. As I made my way up to the box I just enjoyed the solitude (mine was the only car in the lot when I started my hike). After a mile I located the box and stamped in. A nice box called Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by kennamtn - I enjoyed the stamping in and then rehid the box. I decided to continue on this trail a little further and checked in on Astro D's Pine Borer box. As I continued up to the Pine Borer box I saw this dead tree and snapped the picture - don't know why, it just caught my eye. The views from here are incredible and if you make it to Santa Fe these two boxes and the views are worth the approximately 2.5 mile round trip hike.

As I made my way back down the trail I took my time and enjoyed the areas that still had snow. I took quite a few pictures and realized that it took me twice as long to descend as it did to ascend. Oh well, it was a great morning of hiking on Upper Canyon Road. As I was driving down Upper Canyon Road I spotted this gate - boy does it just scream Santa Fe - absolutely beautiful. I pulled over and got this picture and then continued to my next destination - Old Fort Marcy Park and another letterbox. This box was placed by KAT and called Lizard Goes South. A nice easy walk and I found the box. No one around and very peaceful. I stamped in, wrote a note and rehid the box. I still had one more box to find. So I made my way back to the car and headed for my next destination.

Museum Hill! Located off of Old Santa Fe Trail, with four museums, a cafe and shops, this is a great place to visit. There are also a few trails around the area. By this time it had warmed up a little and I needed to remove one of my jackets. I gathered my clue and letterboxing gear and started my search for Art Attack! (#1) by preboxed. After a short walk and little deciphering of the clues I found the box. What a great stamp! And I got a bonus - a hitchhiker. I found Snowshoe Dog '06 by KAT. Astro D left it in this box - I promise to find it a new home soon. I sat on a nice large rock and had a blast coloring the stamp and adding it to my journal. When I finally finished stamping in and rehiding the box I walked around the area and visited two of the museums.

I had a great morning letterboxing in Santa Fe. Thanks to kennamtn, KAT and preboxed for planting three great boxes on your visit to the Santa Fe Mini Meet.