La Luz attempt 2, White Sands National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings and Tent Rocks

At the beginning of March, we hiked a few miles farther up the La Luz trail to 8,800 feet (this is the first hike we went on in ABQ), but were stopped by all the snow.

We also camped for a night near some volcanic fields.

And then we headed toward White Sands National Monument. If you look closely you can see the ridge of sand at the top of the picture.

Once there you buy a sled, put some wax on it and sled down these cool white sand dunes.

Pretty sweet!

We backpacked into a remote campsite

which was very hot during the day, but cool and gorgeous at night.

They have these poles in the sand as the dunes are constantly shifting and without them, you would be in the Hunger Games essentially. Only without any of those parachutes.

Our friends Candyce and David are always up for adventuring with us.

Amazing!

Django, one of the cutest dogs ever.

Sunrise at the dunes was also incredible.

We do live pretty near the Rio Grande which is a nice place to talk a walk or run.

And we got more visitors. We decided to head down to the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

People built and lived in these dwellings over 700 years ago.

There are a nice place to hide from the New Mexican sun.

Pals.

It wouldn't be a trip to NM without hitting up some hot (well, warm) springs.

But then we hiked a few miles to the sweetest (Turkey Creek) springs. We had these giant pools to ourselves.

But we had to cross the river 15 (or was it 16) times to get there.

Luckily we had fun friends and beautiful landscapes surrounding us

as well as these creepy and pretty ghost trees.

We camped down by the Gila River where we got serious about fire

and about appreciating the amazing canyons

we backpacked through.

This is a bigger view of the Gila National Forest.

And yet more adventurous visitors arrived for a visit! We camped for a night at Bandelier National Monument in the Jemez Mountains after getting turned away by some other campgrounds.

and we went to Tent Rocks for a hike after hitting up a Japanese spa. We can't rough it all the time.

Tent Rocks is filled with these slot canyons. I kept expecting to see James Franco needing some assistance.

Josh was skeptical.  Too much old stuff.

Kyle on the other hand, totally loved it.

The reason they are named Tent Rocks.

We made it to the top. No one was nervous about how high we were.

Ahhhh...New Mexico.

Winter - wedding, Chaco Canyon, skiing to a yurt

We started our new year off right, with the wedding of two wonderful people in Santa Fe.

This event also brought some dear friends to visit, and we went to the Petroglyph National Monument which is loaded with things like this,

lovely friends searching for meaning in the rocks,

and clear markings everywhere.

Ben's parents also came out to visit in January and we went to the peak of the Sandias,

and went on a lovely hike in the foothills

where we explored an old dwelling.

Lucky us, the visitors kept coming. My brother came to visit

and we went to Chaco Canyon in in NW New Mexico. This compound was built somewhere around 800 AD.

We hiked to the top and explored from above

as well as on the ground. This looks like some amazing sculpture, but is a big rock impacted by erosion.

They are not sure what the function of these buildings were precisely, but many Pueblo people trace their ancestors back to this place in one way or another.

January also brought lots of snow to northern NM, and we spent the weekend in a yurt at a cross-country ski place near Taos, NM.

It was awesome to be surrounded by the forest and snow for a few nights

with good pals

and our skis of course. Skiing at 10,000 feet is a different ballgame.

Although super beautiful and quiet which made all the sweating worthwhile.

We also got to try out the snow shoes my family got us for Christmas

and check out a snow storm brewing over some distant mountains.

We got hit by it too and it was wonderful to be surrounded.