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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.”

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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.  DSCN0359.JPGIt was scary and clouds threatened rain.  Once I completed this climb:

I was about halfway done…

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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…

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