First Day

January 2024

A tradition I like to continue each year is to hike a new trail on the first day of a new year.

So January 1, I went to one of my favorite spots San Lorenzo Canyon. There are many trails and basically it’s a playground to me. I climb things, walk the rocky sandy paths, look for rocks, and explore the views. One moment I am looking up smooth or stepped canyon walls and the next moment I am looking down on the layered amorphous rock formations.

There is a particular trailhead I have passed so many times and decided this would be my “first day” hike. I always take a picture of the trail map at a trailhead (if there is one) for reference, knowing all too well I’ll meander off. It is exhilarating to climb up boulders, duck through narrow sculpted rock walls, carefully calculate where to step or grab, and then get to a top to survey which direction to go next. Bonus: I get out of my head. Since I am on orange alert and intentional with every single step there is no space for the running thoughts in my mind that were there an hour ago. Being present is all there is.

Below are a couple first day hikes from past years. To the left, was a hike at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas, "The Grand Canyon of Texas". To the right, I scaled rocks in the foothills of Albuquerque for a higher vantage point. You can see Mount Taylor off in the distance.

Being on a new trail on the first day of the year is exciting with a pinch of hesitation. Everything lays ahead of you. Don’t know what you will encounter, experience, loose, or find. Sound familiar? Gotta love a metaphor.