The Chamisa Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest calls me. I can hear it; it wants my feed pounding it, climbing higher and higher. My goal is to find the Tesuque Creek; according to the sign at the trailhead, it should be 2.5 miles away. So, I loaded my pack and headed on the trail.
I’ve run it a few times, but I’ve been too spooked to complete the distance, but this time, I’d find the creek. Nothing was going to stop me. Except for maybe a bear,that is. I took off, not on the main trailhead, but on the “alternate route.”
The trail is rocky and narrow and climbs about 800 feet over the course of 2 miles. Until today, I’ve never actually gotten to the 2.25 mile mark. I did today, though. 
It was scary and clouds threatened rain. Once I completed this climb:
I was about halfway done…
I continued the climb and not only did I get to 2.25 miles, I kept going until I got to 2.4 miles. But there was no sign of the Tesuque Creek. Because thunderclouds started rolling in, I figured it was time to head back. I wasn’t scared, necessarily, but being 2.4 miles into the forest on a narrow trail with a threatening thunderstorm, I wasn’t exactly relaxed and comforted, either.
By the time I ran this last hill, I was pretty dang tired and the rain was imminent:
I think made a wrong turn and climbed when I should’ve dropped to the Creek. Maybe next time, i should read a map and maybe then I’vee find the Tesuque Creek. Although I failed, I covered a bunch of distance and I can’t wait to hit the trail again…
