Shannon

Justin and I are seeking inspiration and ideas as we (once again) try to coax our schedules and somewhat atrophied outdoors "itch" out of hibernation.

Weekend trips, primarily, are the order of the day -- interspersed with a few mid-week trips I could reasonably do on my own if need be (if Justin couldn't line up time off).

Live in San Antonio, obviously, so driving distance is ... unfortunately... a factor.

Want to go someplace new, rather than the same (wonderful, but somewhat tired) places we always go when we realize what have both the means AND the motivation.

Weekend-warrior stuff. Haven't reached critical mass to do a backpacking trip yet, though long-timers here know I've been using that excuse for a good long while. When I figure out how to carry 25-30 lbs. of camera gear (I'm sure it's less; it just feels that heavy when I'm tromping around the Leon Creek Greenbelt or other uninmproved/undeveloped local trail systems), I'll be ready to call myself backpacking-worthy...

Thanks, all.

PS: What, no comments or suggestions regarding all the slaving I'm doing behind-the-scenes on the Texas Parks pages?

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- Shannon Moore
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lost_but_found

You might consider Chain-O-Lakes - some of us were talking about it in another discussion. I have been looking into going there with Leslie for a weekend sometime soon. www.colresort.com Seems to have some nice accomodations, good fishing, and some wonderful ponds to take pictures of. It is worth looking into anyway. Or somewhere in east Texas where you might find some good fall colors and glassy ponds. If you really want to be brave - There are some amazing places in New Mexico - I suggest the Sangre De Cristo Range around Taos!!!

As for backpacking with 25-30lbs of camera stuff, leave it behind - invest in a compact and enjoy the trip. 25-30lbs of necessities (including the compact digital of course) would be sufficient to go on a weekend warrior trip for sure!

BTW, thanks for all the hard work going on behind the scenes, we all appreciate it!

Shannon

Thanks for the destination suggestions -- I'll explore the Chain O' Lakes site you shared later today. New Mexico certainly has appeal, as well -- my parents spent a lot of their early time together, pre-children, there so they've instilled in me an appreciation of the place. However, there's so much of Texas we've not experienced "it just seems wrong to go someplace else!"


That is excellent advice for the vast majority of folks. It used to be that easy for Justin and I -- leave all the fancy glass and heavier cameras and just enjoy the outing. However, after realizing that all the beautiful photos I shot in 2001 during a week in Big Bend National Park are basically un-sellable due to the lightweight 1 megapixel digital camera I was shooting with at the time, it just isn't that simple when part of your business is marketing your photography! I'm not complaining, by any means, but certainly there's a compromise required.

I do like the compact digital camera I own -- Canon G2. It's a little heavy for its size, so it's perhaps not the best for ultra-light backpackers, but it's got all the features one finds in Canon's interchangeable lens digital cameras.

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com
http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal

toejam

From here it's only about one hour more driving time to the White Mountain Wilderness in NM than to Big Bend or Guadalupe. Since there's no entry fee in the wilderness, you can camp where you want, you don't have to pack water, you can have a camp fire, and it's in the Rocky Mountains, I'm more likely to spend my camping time there.

Texas has a lot of cool stuff to see. But what inspires me to run all year long, spend hours on a stair-master, and keep my weight down is planning a couple of backpacking trips to the Rocky Mountains every year.

ploddinTod

Toejam,
Where is this wilderness in NM? Thanks.

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PloddinTod

lost_but_found

PloddinTod,
I am like you, WHERE IS THIS PLACE??? I love New Mexico, so far it is one of my favorite places to trek. But as soon as I saw a new oppurtunity, I had to look it up. It is in Lincoln National Forest in central New Mexico. There doesn't seem to be an abundance of trails, but I have to admit that I am interested in finding out more about it.

Toejam,
Are there any loops that could make up a 4 or 5 night trek? What is the water situation like? What are the crowds like?

toejam

The spot I’ve been to in the White Mountain Wilderness on seven occasions is the South Fork Rio Bonito. It’s a little north of Ruidoso, just past Bonito Lake. If you park at South Fork campground there are four different routes you can take to the top and 25 miles of crest trail. So there are lots of loop opportunities.

There are lots of creeks and springs. The driest part of the year is May, when some of the springs go dry and there may be fire restrictions. There is a good spring at 10,000’ near the intersection of the crest trail, South Fork trail and Bluefront trail that allows you to camp on the ridge. There’s a reliable spring in the Ski Apache ski area called Ice Spring on my map.

I’ve never seen a crowd a mile from the road; I’ve always had my choice of campsites. The canyons to the west, Turkey and Argentina Canyons, get quite a bit of horse traffic, but much less on the South Fork.

I really love the thick forest full of elk, the bald ridges with awesome views, and the chance to climb a real mountain, Sierra Blanca. I’m surprised you guys haven’t been there.

The Destinations Southwest forum on Backpacker.com has had a lot about it. There’s also a review here:

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trails/nm/trail_468.php

Call the ranger and get a map!

lost_but_found

Thanks for the inspiration and idea!

I am definitely adding this to my list of places to go. Sounds like an awesome spring trip for next year. Thanks for the information!!!

toejam

Glad I could help. I've uploaded some pictures to give you a little more inspiration.

http://www.thebackpacker.com/picture...m/pdtkmxzm.php