The area of Las Conchas is truly a gem tucked up in the Jemez Mountains. Miraculously untouched by recent fires (though surrounded by the aftermath) AND boasting the lovely Jemez River (though these days more of a meandering stream…), it can feel like a bit of an oasis in this

(happened Apr 7, 2018, writing this Jan 17, 2022) Ortega West is a bouldering area in the Carson NF that some friends of mine developed. I don’t climb much these days, but the parking spot makes for a great, remote camping spot anyway. I took the boys up there by

Cave of the Winds is a Los Alamos local destination that is surprisingly secret; I have met lifelong locals who have never heard of it.  It’s a cave.  A classic, straight-out-of-a-movie cave.  Big and dark, with some small side passages to explore.  The boys love it–what boy wouldn’t?  When I

Living in Los Alamos has its advantages and disadvantages.  We don’t have anywhere decent to eat, and we may only have one or two decent places to get a drink.  BUT… I can come home from work at 5 and still go camping with the boys in national forest, on

(written 1/17/22 about a trip 1/21/18) Another dad and I took our families to the Long John yurt at Enchanted Forest x-country ski area, just east of Red River, NM. It is an excellent beginner yurt experience: the hike is short (2.25 miles one way), the trails are groomed, and

(written 1/17/22 about a trip 12/30/17) Did I already use this as the title for a blog post? Well, even if so, it bears repeating. Once upon a time I lived in Crested Butte, teaching high school at a a private boarding school for competitive skiers and snowboarders. The teaching

(writing this 1/23/22 about a trip taken 12/27/16-1/5/17) Though this is obviously not in the southwest (or even the US), it’s nevertheless an awesome trip we slipped in between the parenting and I’m posting it here so I can look back on it and jog good memories. Many (most?) of

The Las Conchas fire was the largest in New Mexico history, and left 154,000 acres burned. There is an unbelievable amount of firewood available up there; the forest service sells permits.

We gathered together to do Jon’s last 14er with him, San Luis. I ended up staying up all night driving Emerson around on the forest roads in the dark because he wouldn’t sleep, so I didn’t end up hiking with them. Still a fun time, and a beautiful spot.

(Writing this 1/23/22 about a trip in August 2016) I took Jasper and Bodie up into the Jemez by myself for one (or two?) nights of camping. It rained pretty continuously on us. Shortly after we got into the tent, Jasper got sick, puked in the tent. I cleaned that

We left Karen home with Emerson, and I took Bodie and Jasper up to the Great Sand dunes. The mosquitoes weren’t bad while we played in the stream, but as soon as we moved away from the stream it was INSANE. It was the most mosquitoes I have ever seen.

I’m adding this post in 2022 about a 2016 camping trip, just to get the pics and video archived. The Gauss’s joined us in their camper. I recall that we had to cut a tree off the approach road, about which we were all pretty psyched. Not least because there’s