I love the drive to the Trampas Lake trailhead. It’s about an hour and a half from Santa Fe, but the last half hour drive is on a long dirt road, heading into the forest, past a small town and a number of campsites. We did this hike last summer. I was still pretty new to hiking at that point, so it was a tough one for me. This year it seemed much easier.

The day was cloudy and threatened to rain. The morning mist hovered in the trees, shrouding the mountains, never quite burning off with the mid-day sun. It was beautiful, and a lovely way to see Trampas Lake. Last summer, it had been really hot and sunny, and the trail, lake, and mountains looked completely different. Amazing what a little cloud cover can do.