Mi Cumpleaños Caminata a México

To mark the beginning of my 60th year, we hiked from Montezuma Pass to Mexico. It may sound more impressive than it actually was, and it might have only been four miles total, but it kicked our old butts!

Tom made delectable fluffy omelets to start the day, fueling us for our trek down the trail. The sun was shining, the sky was a vibrant blue, with random clouds streaking through... with temperatures in the upper 60’s, it was a fantastic day to hike.

Desert plants were plentiful along our path. The yucca stalks were reaching for the sky with their seed heads puffy and feather-like, while the agaves displayed festive greens & reds beyond their barbed succulent leaves. The cholla cacti were crowned with brilliant yellow fruits. We talked of including their beauty in our future landscaping should our next home be in a desert environment.

We descended along the trail, switchback after switchback, wondering if we’d have to go all the way to the valley floor, when suddenly a small portion of the border wall appeared, both of us sighing in relief. The border wall section here is short, maybe 200 feet, while the remainder visible from this point consisted of barbed wire and tee-posts. I much prefer the minimally visible wire over the thick iron dominating the landscape.

The monument marking the official border is quaint, with the United States side engraved in English, the Mexico side in Spanish. Tom thought it oddly appropriate that his foot appeared as huge as it felt in his picture. Suki and Cassie joined me for my portrait, both peculiarly looking to Mexico. We saw nothing but beautiful mountain vistas in every direction, soaring above the Santa Cruz River Valley. It was such a peaceful place with not another soul in sight. It was a much needed calming atmosphere to offer us a respite before the ascending return, and what a grueling ascent it was!

While we’ve been around 4000’ elevation for the past month, jumping above 6000’ was a bit of a shock, as both of us were breathing much heavier. Tom began feeling quite ill before the halfway point, so frequent slowing or stopping became necessary.

Just before getting back to the truck, we noticed a sign saying dogs were not allowed on the trail, of which we must have missed on the way out. It looks like I’m already breaking the rules in this new decade of age.

We made it home, had a nice sandwich and caught our breaths, letting our hearts return to a normal rhythm. The sunset put on an impressive spectrum of red, orange, pink and purple among the greying clouds, after which Jeff joined us while Tom cooked up bratwurst and German potato salad for supper. No birthday cake this year, but that’s okay. We’ve got some mini pies that will do just fine.

Before I go... A big THANK YOU to all that wished me a happy birthday today. It makes me feel like I’ve got a much bigger support group than I’d thought. Somedays, I feel rather alone in this big old world, and I very much appreciate that!

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