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Off Day at Potrillo
We don’t feel like climbing, but go because we planned to. We don’t climb particularly well, I finish by bailing off Upper Kor’s Crack 5.9, which I had hoped would just be a challenging lead. I start tense and stay tense on it until I run out of steam at the crux. Despite all this,…
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Intro to Potrillo Cliffs
Ann and Brook were here last weekend, but this is my first trip to this White Rock crag. There are a lot of nice moderate crack climbs here! We sample a few: Belly Up 5.7 My only lead of the day, the airy crux on small pro makes me shake! Belly Flop 5.9- Might have…
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Valley of Fires Nature Trail
Before we leave my dad and I make hike the nature trail loop through the lava flow. It has some of the best interpretive signs I’ve ever seen – I learn and relearn several species that flourish in the New Mexico desert.
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Three Rivers Trail
Our previous two hikes began on the eastern side of the Sierra Blanca mountains. Today we find the Three Rivers area on the west side. It’s much lower and drier than the other trailheads. There is a small camp and picnic area here near a site with thousands of Petroglyphs. Further in a trailhead provides…
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Lookout Mountain Hike
Today we drive to the base of Ski Apache, a nice looking ski area run by the Mescalero Apache tribe. It has over 1,900 feet of vertical rise, which makes for a good hike. A trail winds through meadows and stands of fir to the summit above the ski area. This is a great workout…
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Carrizozo camp and Nogal Peak Hike
I’ve been curious about the area around Carrizozo, which includes a vast lava flow and a peak over 12,000 feet. My dad and Sarah come south for a visit, picking me up in Santa Fe before continuing to the Valley of Fires state park campground outside Carrizozo. I start the day watching the sun rise…
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WordPress Geo Mashup Release 1.2.8
Time for another maintenance release of Geo Mashup: Change Log Upgrading
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Book: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet / Reif Larson
This is an unusual gem of a book, especially for anyone with any familiarity with being on the nerdy side of the social sphere while growing up near the Rockies. The book is illustrated with a cartographic bent, and the narrative flows into and out of the illustrations like a train passing through tunnels of…
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A little sport crack at the Overlook
We’ve met another climber, Brook, interested in easing back into the sport after a hiatus. We manage an early start and reach The Overlook before it’s too hot. I’m curious how we’ll do on some familiar routes, and also how my new Vibram Five Fingers will work on the approach. Over Easy 5.6 Feels harder…
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Movie: Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
An accomplished minimalist film – almost nothing happens. While you are waiting you can’t help but ask yourself questions about what is going the minds of the characters, which is probably the point. You have to answer your own questions as the plot slowly plays out, commenting as it goes about the realities of the…