Thursday, December 29, 2016

El Paso: My First El Paso Hike

Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas. September 2016.

September 2016 

There are several hiking groups for the El Paso - Southern New Mexico area on meetup.com. Also, during Celebration of the Mountains, which had begun when I arrived in El Paso, there are even more group hiking opportunities. 

A vibrant woman named Judy, a military veteran who is active in El Paso's quality-of-life issues, led this morning's hike, which was just behind (above) a residential neighborhood. The trail head began at the end of a neighborhood street.

Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas. September 2016.



Some observations from this first experience

  • The area terrain is scrabbly, slippy-slidey, tumble-y rocks, which makes hiking more treacherous than I've experienced in the past. This is where I learned that "easy" in one area of the country might be quite different from "easy" in another part, such as South Louisiana, where you can ride (or stand on) a horse with a beer in your hand while following a trailer with a full-on barbecue grill and stereo sound system. The elevation and obstacles on this El Paso hike were easy. Being ever-mindful of the instability of the small rocks beneath one's feet required vigilance.
  • Gosh darn, there were some wicked-smart, engaging fellow hikers! Knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, or geology, and so generous about sharing the interesting stuff they know. It made for much more than a simple walk. 

Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas. September 2016.



Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas. September 2016.

Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas. September 2016.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

very informative to see my "Beginner" hike from another perspective. I'll keep that in mind for this year's hikes. Thanks.

Mzuri said...

By this do you mean you'll be offering cold beer to your participants? That *would* be nice! I'll bring the music!

judy said...

Now, i see your reply, but did not know to look for it. is there a way that i can get an e-mail announcement when there is a reply to my comment? For this comment, i'll choose Google Account instead of Anonymous and see if that makes a difference.
NOW, i see the "Notify me" box and checked it. Looks like mystery solved.
As you know, i like beer, but after morning hikes, i prefer coffee.

Mzuri said...

Yes, truth is, I prefer coffee to alcohol most times.

judy said...

Thanks for sharing information about our mountains and including a link to Celebration.
Meet Up Hiking is getting more diverse leaders. Tomorrow morning is a Women's beginner hike. I do not know the leader so plan to attend and meet some new people.
hope you are having fun. if not, hurry back to El Paso.