Trail-ogic

We set off bright and early to the Cimarron State Park in New Mexico, found the correct mile marker number and pulled into the turnout. So far so good! We were told to look for a log with water running over it. So there we stand, the stream in front of us, looking for the log. Aaaaah! We spot it. But oh no! ….. a few yards away, is another log – both crossing the stream with trail paths beyond. It was a real “eeny, meeny,” situation. We began with “eeny” but realized shortly after the start that it was not the way to go. Okay, we thought, now we are clever…. so we proceeded to follow the other path.

After about 20 minutes of scaling rocks, hanging from trees and gripping anything along the way to keep us upright …but all the while, following a path (of some sort), we came to a rapidly flowing stream with just a narrow log stretched high over it. Jeff balanced his way across nicely… but with all my huffing and puffing from the last part of the trail, I definitely was not stable. So there I was, on my hands and knees, literally clinging to the log for all I was worth, inching my way across. Sorry no photo’s! Jeff was on the other side holding his breath, hoping he did not have to use his lifesaving skills on me. And it was then that we spotted the “real” trail.

In the 120 minutes that it took us to get to the summit, I had plenty of time to ponder what kind of hiking trails I like the best. Trails take many, many different forms – never the same kind twice. There are the National Park Trails. Those are always easy to find. Just look for the tour bus or a group of Frenchmen and/or Germans decked out with their hiking poles, special water gadgets glued to the corner of the mouths and a guide book in their hand. At these trails, it is common to see a signboard reminding one to take the 10 hiking essentials and to beware of lions, tigers, snakes, bears, lightening, flash floods – do you get the point? After all the warnings, we are surprised to see anyone on the trails at all.

Okay, moving on…… the State Park Trails. These are a little harder to find. At the start of the trail there usually is a narrow pole that blends into the natural surroundings with arrows and pictures showing who and what is allowed (or not allowed) on the trail. The arrows can be very confusing as one does not know whether one is coming or going! Literally.

Then you have the regular trails – sometimes set out by the Forest Services, the County or just the town. This is where one has to be clever…. I mean, really clever. Firstly, if there is a sign, you need binoculars to find it. Once on the trail, one may spot the odd stripe marking in paint or a ribbon dangling from a bush every 40 yards or so. Most of the time, you just walk and hope for the best. We now take along a new “back track” gadget and a compass. However, we have been known to argue on the working of said compass …. “no, the red arrow points north…. or is it the black arrow that points north”. So far this trip, we have been lucky. Only a few extra miles – nothing terrible. Let hope our luck holds. Unlike last year, when we found ourselves 20 miles from the trailhead and had to hitch a ride back to our car.

The best type of trail is the one that is skillfully challenging. It gets the adrenalin pumping when one has to maneuver oneself over various terrains – giant rocks, forests of trees, steep and/or slippery paths, paths cut into the cliffs etc. The elevation gains especially when one out emerges onto a beautiful summit with spectacular views, are worth every huff and puff.

And so today, the trail to Clear Creek was perfect. It had everything and more. What made it just so was the smile on Jeff's face when we got to the summit and he sat down and took out his diet coke. That is his one and only "essential" of hiking. By the way, as we ended the trail, we spotted the correct log with water running over it, just 20 yards from where we started. Go figure!