Friday, May 30, 2008

Chimney Canyon Hike

A day spent hiking in the Sandia Mountains is almost always a good day, and today was no exception. I hiked up the difficult Chimney Canyon "route," and then back down the La Luz Trail, with my friend John Brewer, John's son Jeff, and Jeff's friends Andrew and Bo. Chimney Canyon is one of the wildest places in the entire Sandia range, as evidenced by this photo, which shows the "Chimney" formation from about half-way up the loose, steep (and spooky) couloir that one must scramble up to reach the top of the "route." I was a little anxious about how I'd do on the hike with my 49-year-old body, but I did fine: well-fitting boots, plenty of ibuprofen (the true "fountain of youth"), my trusty trekking poles, lots of good conversation, and all the miles I put in on the treadmill saw me through. John and I also have plans to hike up the North Crest Trail (probably in July) and up to South Sandia Peak (via the Whitewash and the upper portion of the Embudito Trail, probably in September). John loves the Sandias as much as I do -- and we're pretty close in age and have similar interests -- so we make good hiking companions.