04-25-2025 Run/Hike

This turned out to be a decent travel day. We got up fairly early, then Ann went back to sleep while I went for a trail run. It was just light, but the sun hadn't come over the hills nearby. Ran to the Jasper trail at Rockhound State Park, which generally trended down and was really gravelly for most of it. It ended near the visitor center, and I ran back to the start, then took the Thunder Egg Trail up and around the park. Running up steep grades on rocky trails isn't something I'm used to doing, and it was a chore. Same with the downhill runs on similar terrain. But I made it back to the campground and ran back to our site.

Avg pace =10:41/mi

Total distance =2.89 mi

Elapsed moving time =30:56

Avg heartrate = 119 bpm (Coospo)

Relative Effort = 8

https://www.strava.com/activities/14281642272

Ann was just getting up, so we had pancakes and coffee for breakfast, then hiked the same Thunder Egg Trail, this time going much slower and looking for interesting rocks. We really didn't know what to look for, but it was a different perspective on the same trail. Back to the campsite, where we gathered our stuff and drove down to the showers to clean off (no showers at the next stop, where we will be for three days). Then it was time to break camp and hit the road, which went smoothly. Drove to Las Cruces and stopped at a Walmart to stock up on groceries and ice. We got gas there ($2.26/gallon with discount) and then I drove us all the way, without further stops, to Guadalupe Mountains NP. A fair amount of of climbing and descending, and we got to the campsite around 3:25. I was tired and a little irritable from the drive, and we had to carry our gear a little distance to the site. No water nearby, and the toilets are also a hike away from our site. But the site is situated well, and setup went fine. I needed to unwind after we got our water jug filled up. Had a couple of beers, and chopped vegetables for dinner, Sloppy Joe's, which were tasty after a long day (for me). Then we prepped the campsite for possible weather in the night, and relaxed before settling down for the evening.