A month or so has passed, I've successfully completed my first crew, and I'm now in that glorious process of unpacking, repacking and generally sorting through everything. I would say I've been chilling out here in Phoenix, but the lows are in the 80s, so that would be a lie. Before I headed down to the valley, I did manage to make a stop at my family's place up on the Mogollon Rim and get some higher altitude, cooler running in. In Phoenix, it just means I leave the house by about 4:45am and get to the trails by 5, that way its generally only in the high 80's by the time I've finished running. I was really excited about all the beautiful trails I would be running in the North Cascades...unfortunately its bear country, and the policies of my employer mean that I will not be running, unless I can convince 4 others to come with me...I feel some conversions in my future. I will talk of the glory that is running trails, the craziness of running long distances, and hopefully be able to squeeze a few miles out.
So, what did I do in San Antonio? Well, I did manage to run, many mornings, around the Missions where I was working and along the San Antonio river. It was muggy and hot and beautiful. The mornings were peaceful and I even managed to spy an owl one day, resting on a telephone pole, before it took flight to find a good sleeping spot for the day. Our project was largely focused on revitalizing the old farming fields that had been used by the Missions in the 1700s, and to water them using a process that we came to call 'running the acequias.' One of the incredible things about the acequias was that, aside from being built in the 1700s, the technology of it was borrowed by the Spanish from the Moors, and by the Moors from the Romans...so this was old school, to say the least.
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| the Mission San Jose |
The field was plowed for us, and we began planting our seeds with the traditional crops of the three sisters: corn, beans and squash. We also planted lots of peppers, which one of our agency contacts told us were all for him to make salsa! Hopefully they continue to thrive in our absence. As I said, it was hot and muggy, and the workday was full of hoeing the rows and trying to guide the water through the furrows. Ultimately we were successful, and before we left, we were able to see the first signs of life coming up through the dirt. I'm sure I could say so much more, but my brain is too focused now on preparations for my next trip, that another pictorial diary of sorts will have to suffice.
Our crew in images:
A tour of some of the Missions.
San Antonio Missions National Historic Park is actually spread out across San Antonio and is home to four different missions; San Jose, San Juan, Concepcion and Espada.
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| the "Rose Window" at Mission San Jose |
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| standing outside the grist mill at San Jose |
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| The grist mill, run by water from the acequias, grinding wheat and corn into meal |
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| The inside of Mission San Jose |
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| Crew photo op, in front of Mission Concepcion |
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| The front of Mission Concepcion |
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The gate from the acequia to the grist mill at San Jose
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While we weren't touring the missions around us, we were actually hard at work, I swear!! Here's some of the proof:
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| Some of the seeds we planted |
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| Direct seeding by hand |
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| The first signs of life, as our corn began to sprout |
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Water in the fields, delivered by the acequias and some hard work
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| Impromptu adobe tutorial and reinforcing the burms for irrigation |
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| Dirty and happy, checking out the finished adobe |
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| Here's a brief video of the running of the acequias |
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| Water successfully running along the reinforced burm |
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| Checking out the fruits, well- veggies, of our labor |
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| Life!!! |
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| And more!!! |
We did more than just play around in the dirt though, there were also lessons on baking bread while camping, and an awesome rec trip to
Padre Island National Seashore. At Padre Island, we got to see the release of rehabilitated Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, and also play around in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a great way to wrap things up.
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| Our oven. |
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| A beauty of a loaf |
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| To be turned into sandwiches for the next work day |
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| Seahorses rule. |
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| The view from my tent. |
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| Life on the beach. |
So, that was Texas. I packed things up and got back into my car to knock out another 1,000 or so miles of driving. All in all I've traveled through 26 states since leaving Arizona in April. I've logged over 7600 miles of driving, and I've had some pretty great adventures. With all that driving, its always great to stretch my legs, and even better to actually get some running in. It was quite the reward to make it up to the cool mountain air above the Mogollon Rim to run the trails and jeep roads that I've enjoyed exploring since I was a kid. I even got to paddle around Willow Springs lake with my dad and his new kayak. It really was fantastic.
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| Day one run in Forest Lakes |
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| What's crazy is that I realize I come to this spot often in my dreams when I'm trying to figure things out...me and the metal buzzing kachinas... |
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What a glorious morning, afternoon monsoons on their way.
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And the run to Willow Springs followed by paddle time and hang time with both of my folks.
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| Yay! No motor vehicles! Just my legs. |
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| Run Steep, Get High! |
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| Signage assuring me i'm heading the right direction |
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| Arrival at Willow Springs |
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| That's my pops in the kayak! |
That about sums up the last month. Now I'm headed to
North Cascades National Park, where I'll be leading a crew through a trail project on the Big Beaver Trail. Really looking forward to it, and to the train ride back up to the Northwest. Hope this finds everyone well. Happy trails!
