Bridal Veil Trek

Starting down the Bridal Veil Falls Trail

Got a little later start on a long hike down the Bridal Veil Falls trail this morning with the intention of branching off onto the Calico Peak Road Trail; but by the time we reached the junction we decided that it was too hot to strike upward on a steeply ascending path.  So, instead, we hiked almost all the way to the falls, stopping at the flowing creek to turn around and head back.

Two encounters on the return journey, one bad, one good.  We thought our Heelers would be too pooped to overreact to a strange dog, but when we bumped into a young man and woman with two children and an Irish Setter, the excitement was too much to contain.  Frio and Willow barked, and Willow whimpered to get at the canine.  The good encounter came when we met a young African American family--father, mother and son--who greeted us with friendly salutations.  Dr. K said to the family, "We have two dogs here, and we don't want them to bark at you."  The man said, "Let them bark," to which Willow and Frio responded with perfect behavior.

Sumac showing fall colors

Old railroad trestle

Further down the Bridle Veil

Three-leaf Sumac

Narrowing through the gorge

Subtle autumn colors

This and the next:  down to the gorge

Old railroad ties along this NM Rails-to-Trails trail

Heading through there soon

A beautiful section of the Bridal Veil Falls Trail

Sumacs in the high country

Chocolate Daisies well past their "Best by" date

This and the next:  Cottonwoods

Chamisa

Headed back

This and the next: Frio and Willow on shade break in the gorge