Lots of Lincoln Logs

On Monday I decided to go hiking in the Lincoln National Forest just north of Ruidoso, NM. The area has gotten a few snows but most of it has melted off and it was not extremely cold, I just wore a couple layers and did fine. Hiking at altitude is always an interesting experience. Breathing is much more difficult and your heart races to keep the limited oxygen flowing.

I started the hike at 3:00 pm at the Bonito Trailhead which was a good drive from Ruidoso. I stopped at the Forest Service ranger station to get maps and suggestions. Bonito trail was interesting with some nice trees and multiple creek crossings.

But it wasn’t my favorite forest to hike, not the prettiest and very little wildlife. However it would probably be much better at a different time of year, everything is ready for snow. I should have started a lot earlier because I had to hurray back shortly after reaching Crest Trail because of dark creeping up. Would have loved to explore a lot more on Crest Trail which was scenic. It was almost to dark to see by the time I got back to the car. I need to do this more often and build my leg strength up, I am very sore now after the hike.

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