Maggnificent Monday

So today was officially, really, totally Maggie’s first day of school. When we went last week, we were there together and we only stayed a couple of hours. Today, I took her in the morning, gave her a kiss, and didn’t see her again until 3:30. I thought we were going to have a meltdown on our hands when I told her I was leaving and she asked me “Why?” But when I said “School is for kiddos and teachers, not for mommies,” she replied “I love you” and turned away to continue playing. Alrighty then! By all accounts, she had a fun day. Her teacher said she did really well, and although she told me she cried at naptime, apparently it was short-lived. She seemed entirely pooped when I picked her up, spent most of the evening contentedly playing by herself, and conked out pretty darned quick tonight. So, first day a success! Onward and upward.
Late last week we took a field trip with a bunch of other moms and kids. Three of the little girls are at Maggie’s school, and two are actually in her class, so I wanted to be sure Maggie got to know them a little bit before today. We went to an indoor bouncy house bonanza place in Farmington. Basically there are five or six huge inflatable obstacle courses and slides and things in this carpeted warehouse, and the kids go at em. Maggie (and everyone else) had a blast! I was a little bummed about being pregnant since it put me over the weight limit for participating, but I know what we’ll be doing on our way to Albuquerque from now on!

Ohio Peak

We set off expedition style yesterday with a whole crew in tow (Bill, Gretchen, Maggie, Kenny, Nora, and Julia). Three parents – three kids under three – one peak at nearly thirteen thousand feet (Ohio peak – 12,673 feet). Some of the kids got a little tired part way, but I think most had fun.
One of the many, really neat looking, dilapidated mines up in this area.
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The troop doing their best impression of the Sound of Music.

Julia getting a snack at the saddle. Wistfully looking out into the mountains.

A rest before the difficult ridge line.

Coming up the talus slope. This range (which includes the Red Mountains) has historically attracted quite a few miners due to these colors.

 Looking south over the summit to the San Juan Mountains. In the valley below you can see Silverton.

 Just a great day to be out with my super wife and daughter (and no thats not a bear in the background – thats Kenny’s dog Porter who followed us up to the top).

Maggnificent Monday

Tomorrow’s a big day for our big girl: her first day at school. Well, sort of. We all go and spend a couple hours in the classroom, learning how things kind of go and meeting the teacher and classmates. Then she starts officially next Monday. Maggie’s super stoked, of course. She’s been asking about school for a long time, and we finally found her a place in a really good facility (which isn’t to be taken for granted in Durango). There’s a huge demand for child care here, and she’s been on waiting lists for 2013 for awhile, but she realllllly wanted to go sooner than a year from now. Thank goodness we were able to cajole her a spot! So she’s raring to go and I’m trying to keep up a brave face, wondering if she’ll figure out how to open her own water bottle and put her underwear back on the right way, if her naptime blanket will garner her stares or if she’ll be assertive enough to make friends quickly. And of course she will; she’s Maggie. So here we go to the Big Time!

Maggie’s First Summit

Mags and I (bill) decided to kick it up a notch on our hike this morning. Previously (this summer) we had climbed a whole bunch of local peaks with short ascents and relatively easy elevation gains. It was time to graduate to the big-girl league. We went for Madden Peak in the La Plata mountain range. 
The hike started a little ominously. The vagaries of the area guidebook presented an initial problem in figuring out where the trail started (aka: bush-wacking through a dense aspen forest until we found it)

Nevertheless, we found our way out of the forest and onto the proper trail. Here is an early sunrise over the La Platas, and an even sunnier smile from Mags.

Keeping hydrated while looking over Mesa Verde and New Mexico.

The first of two false summits. Mags is turning into quite the climber. I imagine it will not be long before she will leave me in the dust on these hikes.

Heading over to the beginning of the actual summit climb. This was the crux of the climb and included roughly 300-400 feet of very steep talus to scramble over.

Looking up at the talus slope.

Mags taking a breather on the slope. She tried to convince me that this would be a good place to take a nap. I thought otherwise.

Madden Peak (summit elevation: 11,972 feet, total elevation gain: 2,972 feet).

I am so proud of her. She is turning into an amazing climbing buddy.

Mount Hesperus (Dibe’ Nitsaa)

Yesterday my friend Kenny and I (bill) decided to head out and climb Hesperus Mountain. Also called Dibe’ Nitsaa in Navajo; this peak is one of the four sacred mountains of this tribe (the other three being:  Blanca peak, Mount Taylor, and the San Francisco Peaks). Each of these peaks marks the spiritual homeland of the Navajo people. Both of us have had our eye on this peak for a while, so with the weather giving us a window we went for it: 
Looking off of the first ridge to the south into New Mexico.

The La Plata Mountain Range to the west: Lavander and Moss to the right, Babcock and Spiller peaks to the left.

Just an absolutely beautiful climb up to the summit.

Looking north from the summit (Lizard head wilderness area). No civilization for a hundred miles.

All around a spectacular morning to be out!