Xtreme Xperience

Stephen has been a driving instructor for the Xtreme Xperience for several years now, but this spring they came to Sandia Raceway just West of Albuquerque, so I finally got to go see what it's all about!

 If you decide to go to Xtreme when it comes to a track near you, ask for Steve as your instructor/driver.  He's the best.

 If you choose to drive one of the supercars (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, etc.) you will take a class before getting into the car.  Then your instructor helps you navigate around the road course to make sure you get to have fun, drive really fast, and stay safe.  You can also purchase a ride-along with a pro driver (ask for Steve!).

 This is the Porsche GT3, which is Stephen's favorite car to drive.  I didn't drive it, this is just pretend.

The Xtreme pro drivers.  They're driving and sliding, get it?

 This is the Xtreme Xperience "office" in Chicago.  A gearhead's dream!

10K Trail

What to do when you get a late start and it's already too hot to run or bike in Albuquerque?  Drive up the mountain and hike the 10K trail!  The trail head is near the peak but not quite at the top, and the temperature will be significantly cooler than in downtown Abq.

The trail is mostly in the shade except where it crosses the ski trails, affording sudden and stunning vistas.

The hike is just short of five miles total (out and back) but it connects to the Crest Trail, the Tree Spring Trail, and the Challenge Trail so it would be easy to extend the length.
When you get to the end of 10K where it connects to the Crest Trail, if you go just a little bit farther you can see this:

On the way back I startled a mommy turkey and five baby turkeys.  They were so cute!  They didn't want to pose for pictures.
The weed or wildflower in the photo below is taller than I am.  At first I thought it was mullein but I'm not sure.  I saw columbine and campanula and fleabane and obedient plant and lots of other wildflowers I couldn't identify.  The air smelled like ponderosa pine (which smells sort of like vanilla) and I could hear birdsong and the breeze in the aspens.

I highly recommend this hike!  But be aware that from the trail head to the vista the general trend is downward.  Which means you have to go UP on the way back.  But the over all elevation change is only 1,000 feet, so it's not bad.  The elevation of the hike is around 9,000 feet.  It was glorious.  You should definitely go!

Garden of the Gods

We took a weekend trip to Fort Collins, Colorado to pick up an engine and parts for Stephen's Formula Ford.  On the way back, we explored the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.