Location: Holy Ghost Campground & trail area - Santa Fe National Forest Distance: ~2-3 miles
Date: July 15, 2017
On a whim, we decided that Santa Fe National Forest was the place to go for the weekend. We (my other half and I) had been toying with the idea of going somewhere to escape the annoying Texas heat, but had no concrete plans until Friday night. We went to Target and bought supplies, pulled the gear out of the closet, packed the car, and took a nap. Waking around midnight, I packed the cooler and we were off towards New Mexico!
We arrived around 10 am to the area, with a campground arrival around 10:30. We took the last open spot, met our neighbors, and set up camp. The site was open, sunny, and protected on the west side by a hill and tall trees. The campground was in a valley of sorts with tall firs and a mountain creek that could be heard from the tent.
There are two trails - Trail 283-A and 283. We attempted 283-A, but only went about a mile overall in and out. It was steep and we were exhausted from driving through the night. We napped. Later that evening, we walked down the road a bit and eventually made our way up to the group camping site and the trailhead for 283. We took that, crossed the creek, and it was a very promising trail until the rain got heavier. We eventually turned around and headed back to the site. We got back to the tent just in time for heavy rains that lasted the next hour.
This wasn't the longest hike, but it was bits and pieces of greatness. I will be back to explore this place further. Hike #28 lived up to the ideas behind this challenge - to get out, to hike, to clear my head, and to enjoy life. There are a number of trails and campgrounds throughout the Santa Fe National Forest, and surrounding forests, that I feel I could go here once a month and see something new for a long time.
