Cloudcroft Adventure

Last week I finally had the opportunity to head to Cloudcroft, New Mexico for Four nights camping and hiking. The forecast was for highs in the 70's and low's in the 50's and no rain. I had read online about some dispersed campsites along a Forest Road just outside of town, so I headed there first to see what was available. About a mile down the road I found a nice secluded site that had parking just 20 feet from the campsite. No other campers were in the area so it would be nice and quiet. The only issue was that there was not a designated tent pad. I found the most level rock free site and set up my tent. the slope was gradual, but it was enough that during the course of the night I slid down feet first to the end of my tent. It was just a minor inconvenience as the location was so peaceful and beautiful. I counted over a dozen different bird species and woke to their songs every morning and had them serenade me throughout the day. I also had some great views to the north across the mountains. Overnight on two of the nights I was awakened by coyotes howling and yelping and the elk barking out warnings . It was a bit eerie as otherwise it was so silent. 

A big advantage to these campsites was trail access was right there. I had a six mile hike right on my doorstep. I did that hike both clockwise and counter-clockwise. It is a combination of several trails that includes the popular OSHA trail. I also did a third hike that I had to drive to that was linked into the Trestle Rec Area.  This hike was under 3 miles but had some great steep inclines. I also did a few short hikes near my campsite along the Forest Road. 

No trip to Cloudcroft is complete without a stop at Cloudcroft Brewery for a Amber Ale and one of the best wood-fired pizzas you will ever eat.It was a great finish to a successful hiking trip.

                        

                                                            Morning View from my tent.

BTW - the forecast was wrong about the rain. It rained on both Monday and Tuesday afternoons and  an overnight shower on Tuesday night. My tent kept me perfectly dry with no leaks!

Restless

 I am feeling very much like I am in a state of limbo. I'm restless to travel again, but at this particular moment I cannot get away. The weather has been quite warm, very humid and still somewhat rainy. It is not an optimal time to go hiking here. It has even been lousy weather for doing a bit of gardening. The few new plants I put out a few weeks ago were eaten by the deer. I have never had issues with deer in the past. I'm not sure why the decided to venture down my street and make my garden their dinner table. I bought an electronic motion deterrent, and that seems to help and the bonus is that it has kept the neighborhood cats from using my beds for a litter box.  So anyway... about being restless. I am considering heading off to New Mexico in a week or two (plus again in July) to do a bit of camping and hiking. I'm just watching the 10-day forecast to find a good 4-5 day window to go.  In the meantime I will keep hitting the gym five days a week and keep up with my maintenance workouts for now. Once I gain some more weight (I've gained 3-4 lbs) I'll start increasing my workouts back up to a training level. I have increased my calorie intake by over 500 calories a day and that seems to be slowly working. I need to gain a minimum of another 9 pounds before I leave for Nepal.

I received an email from the Volunteer Organization I'll be working with while I am there.IT was mostly information about getting ready for the trip. When I first read through it all and clicked on the links it felt a bit overwhelming. There were a few things that I hadn't thought of though that I will need to get. Transportation option were discussed and the expense of each. I am pretty sure I will go with the private jeep to Salleri event though the cost is quite a bit more than a shared one. A shared jeep or the bus usually have luggage limitations and I don't want to stress about that. 

They also sent me information about having them organize the EBC trek. Logistically it just makes sense to do through them as I can roll in the  cost with my volunteer expenses and I won't have to worry about having the cash on hand to pay as I trek. I will be assured of getting a licensed, experienced guide and porter too. They did recommend though that I trek during the two week Dashain Festival in late October as the schools and Monastery will be quiet. This would have me working four weeks after I arrive and then four weeks after the trek. I would then have two weeks remaining to explore Nepal. I know a trip to Chitwan National Parks  is a must and probably a stay in Pokhara. I will also allow a few days rest before I fly on to South Korea. In my nine days there it will be a whirlwind of activity. I will need to be well rested. 

Now I just need to stay healthy and injury free for the next several months. Oh and I've got to keep those doubting demons at bay, they have been taunting me this past week. The best cure for that is to get out and hike!

Maintenance Workouts

 I didn't take but a few days rest after returning from Peru last month before getting back to the gym. I have reduced the intensity and number of days though as I lost too much weight while in Peru. I made it a point to eat three meals a day, but I didn't have time to snack much and I did not eat dessert any of the evenings. I weighed 113 lbs, when I left for Peru and was 105 lbs. when I returned. Thankfully most of my hiking pants have an adjustable waist. Since returning I have only managed to gain back 3 lbs. I am adding more calories to my diet and drinking nutritional shakes. I have added more eggs and fish for extra protein.  Hoping that I can get up to 116 lbs before I leave for Nepal.

My workouts are now just 5 days a week. I try to keep one of the off days to just relax, but that is really hard for me to do. My current workouts are 500 - 1000 steps on the stair-master, 2,75 miles on the treadmill at 15% incline and another .5 miles at minus 3% - +3%.  I have had quite a bit of work to do in my garden since returning and I have my sons dog (very active pittie) that keeps me busy. I won't have a fitness center to go to while in Nepal so I just need to maintain my current fitness level and gain some weight before I go.I know once I settle into a routine in Salleri I will get out and hike daily to keep in shape. 

My trip planning has kicked into high gear. Flights are booked. DFW to IST, 2 night layover before flying on to Kathmandu. I'll be in Nepal 88 days (I'll have a 90 day VISA). I then fly direct to South Korea for 9 days before returning back to DFW. All flights are direct with no lay-overs. That should really reduce the stress of flying. I despise layovers - especially on international flights. This itinerary takes me around the world! 

Peru Part 6 - Machu Picchu

 Morning came early once again. My room at the hotel was on the third floor and the dining and kitchen were on the fourth floor directly above me. They start serving breakfast at 5:00 am, so the noise started by 4:00. It could have been worse if I had planned on sleeping in, but we needed to be in the lobby ready to go by 6:00 am. So breakfast at 5:00, then finish packing and head down to the lobby to check-out, store our bags and head to the bus to take us to Machu Picchu. 

The sky had a mix of clouds, fog and some sunny spots. We weren't sure what we would encounter once we arrived up the mountain. We had it all - often from sun to fog to clouds and back to sun within minutes. It really added to the atmosphere of the place. I felt like it was perfect. 

We were booked in for Circuit 3. This one encompasses the best tour of the ruins. We were on Circuit 1 as we came in on the Inca Trail the day before. That has a view from above looking down for great photo ops. Circuit 2 which is the most popular for those that didn't hike in has a combination of views from above and touring some of the actual ruins. I was glad we were on Circuit 3. Our guide was very knowledgeable and was able to explain how the buildings were used and what their day to day lives were probably like. He was patient as everyone repeatedly stopped for photos yet managed to keep the group together. I think we spent over three hours touring the ruins before heading back to Aquas Calientes the nearby town that was built to accommodate the tourists. It is a very touristy town filled with hotels, bars and restaurants. They have incorporated quite a bit of art into the landscape and the river flowing through town adds a bit of sereneness. I will say though that walking down the main street with all the bars and restaurants was a sensory overload for me. I really did not like it. We had over three hours until our train would depart so to fill the time myself and another solo traveler explored a near-by market then found a nice coffee shop to get a bite to eat. We sat there for well over an hour. By the time we were to head to the train station it had started to rain. It was time to go! 

I was nearing the end of my Peruvian adventure with one day left in Cusco which I would fill with shopping and then a very early flight home the following day. Nineteen days had flown by. I wasn't sure if I was ready to return home, but my plane ticket said otherwise. It would be a long trip with the flight leaving Cusco at 5:00 am and my final flight (of 3) arriving in Austin at 9;45 pm. I had connections in Lima and Miami. The two hour lay-over in Lima was not quite enough time as I barely made my connecting flight. Miami went smoothly. I lost my phone in Lima - I think I left it at the Security screening as I was practically running to my plane. I didn't realize it until it was too late. That really made for a stressful day. I was so glad when I got to Austin and saw my daughter arrive to pick me up. I stayed with her that evening and drove home the following morning. 

Now to start planning for Nepal!

A few pictures from Aquas Calientes...