Santa Fe, NM - the Outdoors

I must say when I decided to come to New Mexico, I pictured it as flat desert with lots of cacti. In reality, northern parts of NM are much different, closer to Colorado in landscape. The mountains are incredibly beautiful, so I could not wait to hike as many trails as I could. 

I wanted to hike most popular trails and more:

1) Deception Peak and Lake Peak trail was a tough one for my first hike in Santa Fe. With elevation gain of just under 2,500 ft and 7 miles round trip in distance, the trail offers fantastic views of the mountains and Nambe Lake (the lake I would hike to later in the month).

Incredible views from the top

Beautiful alpine flowers

Nambe Lake visible in the distance

2) Sun Mountain Trail, while short in distance, is mighty in elevation gain and views. Just off the main road, the trailhead does not even have its designated parking lot, just parking on the side of the road. After you gain close to 800 ft in elevation (and are a bit out of breath), the views of Santa Fe and the surrounding areas are just fantastic.

Where the desert merges with the mountainous area

3) Stewart Lake trail was not my favorite. In fact, I did not even finish it. The trail was a foot wide pathway through tall grass, something I really didn't want to deal with when it came to ticks, and an insane variety of insects. While I did wear pants, I didn't feel comfortable hiking 11 miles in this.

4) Tesuque and Aspen Vista Loop was another tough but very picturesque hike. With close to 2,800 ft elevation gain (an most of it in a short period of time - 2nd mile at 1,600 ft elevation gain!), the trail is very rewarding with views, especially after you sweat your way through the first 3 miles. I took a detour at the mid-way point and added an extra mile or so to go to the lake. The detour worked out really well as the view of the lake was a great reward for more elevation gain. The way back was pretty boring along the fire road, but by then it was exactly what I needed after such a cardio (read: exhausting) hike.

Gentle stream in the beginning of the hike

Views at the mid-point

Me, exhausted with stylish hair and the view of the lake

5) Atalaya Mountain Trail was one of the most popular in Santa Fe. In fact, some Meetup groups even made it a comparison trail to describe other trails and participants' fitness level (i.e. to hike with this group you must complete Atalaya within 3 hours). Indeed, the trail was difficult at 1,800 ft elevation gain and just over 7 miles round trip. It was closer to the town, so it was more or less crowded in the morning.

More of a desert feel

6) Alcove House Trail and Frey Trail could be done in combination in Bandelier National Monument. It was a hot day, so I started out with Frey trail as it had some elevation gain and was completely exposed to the sun.

The main attraction was part of the Alcove trail. The trail winds through a picturesque landscape of towering sandstone cliffs, lush vegetation, and meandering streams. One of the highlights of the Alcove Trail is the chance to witness several ancient Native American alcoves, which are recesses carved into the rock walls that were once used as dwellings and ceremonial spaces by the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The trail ends in a dramatic reveal of Alcove House, a prominent and well-preserved alcove accessible via wooden ladders. This unique site offers a glimpse into the ancestral Puebloan way of life, and visitors can explore the structures and niches that were once used for various daily activities. With my fear of heights, the ladder climbing was not too exciting, so I skipped that part.

View from the top at the remnants of the meeting rooms

7) Nambe Lake Trail was the last trail I did in Santa Fe. It is by far one of the most popular hikes in the area. It is moderately difficult at just over 6 miles with over 2,000 ft elevation gain. The weather on the way back changed rapidly. It started to rain and hail higher up in the mountain. Luckily, I have already encountered this situation back in Colorado hiking Bergen Peak trail, so I bought a lightweight rain jacket that I used on this hike. I was pleasantly dry (on top at least) and warm.

Nambe Lake

Beautiful landscape of New Mexico

Overall, I was very surprised with the types of hikes I have done in Santa Fe. I did not anticipate anything beyond desert but instead I got a healthy combination of pine tree landscapes in the mountains and what I envisioned NM would be - dry desert. 

Santa Fe, New Mexico - Living in a casita off-grid

I have wanted to try out off-grid living for a while. The concept was extremely interesting to me for its sustainability and the challenge of living with less. The place I found on Airbnb was completely off-grid. Solar panels is the only power source, the fridge and stove run on propane, and the source of water is rain. No air conditioning, no kitchen devices that have a heating element (sadly, that included my espresso maker). I wondered how they could have Internet there as the location was also remote on a 5-mile dirt road off the nearest highway. The hosts warned me that the dirt road would become muddy during the monsoon season, exactly when I was planning to stay, and I could need a 4 wheel drive. Indeed, multiple reviews stated getting stuck in the mud. With that said, the hosts reassured me that the road dries out quickly in the summer. Plus the internet was fiber optic with high speeds. Skeptical, yet pretty thrilled to have found this gem, I booked this place early this year.

I was nervous coming to the casita for the first time, but the weather has been drier than normal with no rain in the forecast. The road was completely fine during my first trip, although rather bumpy. Since I had to go slow, it took me 17 minutes. I arrived and parked at my designated spot at the bottom on the staircase that would lead me to the casita. The host met me and showed me around. She provided me with a fan that would become my best friend. The casita was warm, but it would warm up even more...

The casita was completely private and located in an area where all houses were made off-grid. That meant there was no noise from electric appliances, so the peace and quiet were pristine. Perhaps even more than I expected because the first night I had to run the fan just because it was so quiet I could hear my own breath.

Another interesting feature was that instead of the typical insulation in the walls there was straw that kept the house at 80 degrees when it was 97 outside. Hot, but not as hot as it could have been.

Viewing window inside the wall

View of the casita from the stairs 

Back patio

Living room/kitchen

Kitchen

Bathroom

Hallway from bedroom to living room

Bedroom

Bedroom

I loved all the sunlight and floor to ceiling windows. Soon I found out that I had to close all the windows and shades during the day hours to keep the casita somewhat cool without air conditioning. It was pretty difficult when the temperatures reached 97 degrees F. While it was an outlier situation with such heat, it lasted several days. Overall, the temperature stayed in high 80s to low 90s most of the month. I can say that I will never take air conditioning for granted.

The lack of my espresso was a different story. I had to get used to another challenge of drinking coffee from a French press and without steamed oat milk. This was another luxury that I took for granted. The situation with a toaster (or rather lack of it) was a bit challenging as well. They provided a mesh plate for the stove on which you can toast your bread, but it turned burnt every single time. Good thing I typically like my bread burnt!

The forecast was sunny and hot throughout my stay, so the dirt road became an issue only once close to the end of the month when it rained heavily. Even with that I was able to follow other peoples tire tracks and safely get home.

Another challenge living in a rural environment is the bugs. Moths, to be exact. As soon as the sun set, they would come out attracted to any light source you could possibly have. It meant that 9 PM was my  bedtime (or an audiobook listening time). That didn't turn out to be an issue as well as I typically go to be early and like to wake up around 6 AM. 

In fact, the early mornings were my absolute favorites. The property was quite large with a hiking trail in the back. Trespassing on other properties was not an issue as well, so I could hike for a mile before turning back. I loved the cool air of the mornings, something that I got to experience only before 7 AM as with the sun came the heat. The views were spectacular.

View of the casita from the back - sunset

Sunset from a rock just outside the casita

One of the many morning views from the trail, this rock became my sanctuary

Another view from the trail

Typical morning around 7 AM

The place also had a Buddhist temple that I visited once or twice, just for the property visitors and owners.

Inside the temple

Denver - Restaurants and Social Life

I anticipated I would go out much more than I actually did trying new restaurants. I did find a couple of places worth visiting:

1) 54Thirty Rooftop is a rooftop restaurant/bar with a reasonably good view of Denver. I can't say the restaurant or the view blew me away, but it is a classy place with a good drink and appetizer menu. Some tables were under the roof while others not weather protected. Some also had a firepit. It seems a popular spot for conference-goers, which keeps this place higher up in price.

2) Scileppi's at The Old Stone Church in Castle Rock was a really neat experience. It is a restaurant in an old church. I made reservations a few days in advance and was only able to get an 11 AM time slot on a Sunday. We were seated in a private section at a table for two. Food was reasonably good, but probably not the best. Still, I found the place to be very unique, and service pretty good as well.

This was the view to the rest of the restaurant

3) Sinners & Saints in Castle Rock was also a cool place to visit. This was my second time there. They have limited food menu as well, but I opted just for an apple cider. The atmosphere is what I liked the most. There are couches all throughout the bar that offer a lot of privacy and comfort. Service was okay for the most part.

4) Cana Wine Bar was one of my favorite spots that I visited twice during my stay. It is a cozy and private wine bar with a great selection of wines and a knowledgeable owner. There is also an outdoor area but both times I went there it rained, so I was not able to check it out. 

5) Teocalli Cocina is a Mexican restaurant that I found to be very light and airy with great service, drinks and food. It is a semi-casual place in Arvada that has a nice feel and relaxing atmosphere.

6) Humboldt Kitchen + Bar is another pleasant restaurant to visit. Their happy hour offers good apps and drinks, and the overall environment is good for having a conversation without hearing loud music. There was a screaming baby who clearly was starving for the most part of my dinner. Apparently, the parents forgot to bring the bottle, so as soon as the dad showed up with baby food the baby peacefully shut up, and I was able to again enjoy the atmosphere.

7) Somebody People is a weird name for a restaurant. It is a vegetarian restaurant that charges 20% gratuity for any party size + 1% for the charity (who the heck knows if it ever goes to that charity). The food and service were good, but it was way too loud because of the tiny space. I would not go back there.

I have tried a few coffee spots as well but for the most part was disappointed, so I am not going to mention any. 

The social life also differed from my expectations. I anticipated meeting a lot more people while in this big city, but I was disappointed by how detached people were. It reminded me of California where connections were sparse and non-committal. One of the locals told me that it is a "transient city" where people come and go. Indeed, many people I met were new to the area. It almost felt like everyone was ultra-focused on themselves without needing to establish friendships. One woman I met at a Meetup event seemed very interesting, so we met for coffee only to never talk again afterwards. Some of that could be related to me being a nomad, but I wonder if part of it was really the people. It did not seem to be the place where I would want to settle down.

Interestingly enough, I did reconnect with someone I met back in South Carolina. He was also nomading in Denver, so we met for dinner and coffee. It is fascinating how small the world is sometimes...

Denver - the Outdoors

I can't event describe how much I like the access to beautiful nature here in Denver. While it is not as close as in Colorado Springs where in 20 minutes you could be in the mountains, it it close enough that I was able to hike after work several times in the past few weeks.

I've done a variety of hikes, easy ones and tougher with more elevation gain.

1) Green Mountain via Bear Creek - a challenging 12-mile hike with about 2,600 ft elevation gain advertised on Meetup as "beginner-friendly" (hint: it is not). The weather was cool and cloudy which made this hike much more doable, but the views on top were covered in fog.

2) Panorama Point via Bear Creek and Panorama Point Trail - an after-work hike, just over 4 miles round trip and just under 1,000 ft elevation gain. It was a perfect way to break up a work week and get some insane views. The clouds added a level of mystery to the beautiful landscape.

3) Bergen Peak Trail - 10 miles, 2,300 ft elevation gain. The group I went with was apparently fitness fanatics. As they ran uphill, I took my time stopping to take pictures and attempted to run (not literally) to catch up with them. The trail is pretty gradual and moderately challenging (yeah, after I have acclimated to this Colorado elevation...). Most of the hike is in the forest, so there is plenty of shade. The views on top are beautiful (although one of the Meetup members said that he's seen better. Ugh...).

On the way down, the weather rapidly changed, and it started to rain, then hail. I have never hiked in hail, but luckily it was small enough to be mostly an annoyance. With that said, I was soaked by the time I reached the trailhead.

The view from the top

Those white things on the ground is hail

I wanted to capture the lighting, but just could not get it on camera

4) Red Rocks/Morrison Slide Loop trail in Matthews Winters Park - there is no official trail on Alltrails, but the park is stunning. It was an after-work hike with 4.5 miles and 725 ft elevation gain. I liked how green everything was!

5) Mason Creek to Bear Paw Trail - one of the most beautiful hikes I've done in Denver. Located in Staunton State Park, the trail has 3 fantastic overlook areas. It is also not a difficult trail, 9.3 miles (ok, I admit this was with a pee-break detour) with 1,600 ft elevation gain. Catamount Overlook and Pike's Peak Overlook offer similar views and Eagle's Cliff Overlook is just the most stunning and peaceful place (until there are more people that just yourself) I've seen so far. There are a few places (peaks/viewpoints) that I go to in my head when I need a break, and Eagle's Cliff going to be one of them.

You start out in the meadow...

...then hike along a creek...

6) South Boulder Peak via Homestead Trail - this was a very challenging hike for me. There was a ton of elevation gain in a short distance. 9 miles with just over 3,000 ft elevation gain was very tiring. The first part of the hike was completely exposed to the sun. The group sadly started at 9.45 AM when the parking lots were filled and the ground well-heated to bake you from the bottom while the sun roasted you from the top. Luckily, most of the challenging elevation gain is in the forest with the last mile or so exposed again. The views did not disappoint, and the physical challenge really made me feel good albeit after the hike was over.

The drive to Boulder was incredibly beautiful

The head was palpable as the trail was completely exposed to the sun in the beginning

The last mile to the top is also exposed, mostly due to previous fires

View from the top

Panoramic view from the top

7) Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop - this is a trail closer to Denver, just 25 minutes from my rental. 7.5 miles with 1,800 ft elevation gain. It featured a couple of historical buildings. One was the unfinished "Summer Home for the Presidents of the United States". In 1911, John Brisben Walker, the owner of Mount Falcon Park, proposed the idea of a Summer White House, inspired by European castles, to provide a retreat for US Presidents in Colorado. He hired architect J.B. Benedict to design a 22-room castle on Mount Falcon and sought funding through public contributions, including a campaign targeting school children. However, Walker's plans for the Summer White House were abandoned when he became involved in other projects. 

The other was the Walker Mansion Ruins. The house was built for his wife and kids and was destroyed by the fire caused by a lightning strike. 

Besides the historical aspect of the hike, I really enjoyed the views and the overall atmosphere of the park. Cicadas everywhere created constant hum almost too loud for this landscape. It reminded me of the East coast, but was the first such experience in Colorado.

8) Evergreen Mountain East, Wild Iris and Three Sisters Loop - while this was not the hike that was the most memorable, it was peaceful and offered nice views.

9) Walker Ranch Loop - my last hike in Colorado was spectacular. The hike was moderately difficult - almost 8 miles with 1,600 ft elevation gain. I took the counter-clockwise direction as recommended by many reviewers. There were two main sections with elevation gain, but the first mile was downhill. Located in Eldorado Canyon State Park, the trail really shows off Colorado landscapes.

The first mile was already spectacular

The second mile was next to the river

With so much rain in the past several weeks the river was really flowing

Part of the trail was through the meadow

Wildflowers were everywhere!

Peculiar cactus

As the trail circled back, the river reappeared, even more raging

The last mile again offered fantastic views.

Overall, hiking was my favorite part about Denver. The variety of landscapes reminded me of California, and I finally was adjusted to the altitude to handle more challenging hikes.