Month: March 2022

No matter the status of your green thumb, there are some really interesting options for gardening here in Los Alamos. The topsoil here on the Pajarito Plateau isn’t ideal for growing gardens, but modern farming and gardening technology have come up with soil additives and organic fertilizing options that can help you with everything from basic fertility issues to improving the taste of your vegetables and fruits.

If your home is older and you’re located on a large lot, you might have plenty of room for a garden. Sunlight might be a problem if you live on a lot filled with towering trees or one that happens to be in the shadow of the mountains. Maybe you’re in one of the newer developments such as Quemazon or Mirador and you don’t have the space for a garden. That doesn’t exclude you from the enjoyment of growing your own flowers, fruits, and vegetables here in Los Alamos. It just means you might want to check into joining one of the community gardens.

If you’re scratching your head and wondering what I’m talking about, you’re probably not alone. Many residents don’t realize that our lovely city on the hill boasts three separate locations for community gardening. There’s a fairly well known plot up on North Mesa accessible from the North Mesa Stables, another in front of the Police Station, and a third in White Rock. The White Rock Community Garden is directly across State Road 4 from the Visitor Center near the Canada del Buey trailhead.

Community Gardens have a long history here in the United States. According to the Smithsonian’s education and gardening website, “Since the 1890s, Americans have turned to the garden to confront social problems such as economic recession, war, urban decline, and environmental injustice.” You’ve probably heard of Victory Gardens, popular during WWI and WWII, but you might not know that a good number of the Victory or “War Gardens” from WWI were Community Gardens. And it wasn’t just morale they were trying to boost either. There was a shortage of food during these times. “The War Garden Commission reported there were 3,500,000 war gardens in 1917, which produced some 350 million dollars worth of crops.” (communitygardens.si.edu)

Community Gardening programs were kickstarted in large cities during recession, depression, and periods of heightening unemployment. Why? Because it gave people something to do. It’s good for the body and soul to be outside under the sun working hard. And growing food to feed your family is just as important as taking the excess produce to the Farmers’ Market to earn some much needed cash. With the rise of the Farm to Table movement, this has literally become a way of life for not just family farms, but also enterprising individuals.

With the recent social and political issues going on not only in our country, but internationally, there has never been a better time to get outside and garden! Here in Los Alamos, the growing season is just getting underway. I’ve been noticing members of the Community Gardens out clearing the fall collection of leaves and debris away from their garden plots in preparation for planting. If you’d like to be a part of the Los Alamos Community Gardening movement, contact the Parks & Recreation Department for more information. If you’ve ever wondered what the Parks department actually does here in Los Alamos, they maintain 29 parks and 20 playgrounds covering 600 acres, 4,000 acres of open space, and 58 miles of local trails. Of course, there’s also management of the North Mesa Stables, the Community Gardens, and more than a few amazing amenities like the Aquatic Center and the Ice Rink. So when you’re ready to start growing your own produce in your Community Garden Plot, they’re the department to call.

Worried you have a brown thumb instead of a green one? That’s okay! There are tons of resources online and around Los Alamos to help out. 4-H Cooperative Extension is a wealth of information about soil and land conservation. According to the Smithsonian, part of the community gardening movement has been a growth of School Gardens. The idea of the School Garden actually dates back to the early 1900s. But organizations like Montessori and many public school districts have continued the use of gardening as a way to educate your kiddos in concepts of science, economics, and nutrition. In many large urban areas, outdoor pre-schools are becoming the choice of parents wanting their children to learn about green, growing things.

Here in Los Alamos, the North Mesa Stables based Little Farm on the Hill is working to offer “farm school” classes focused on nutrition and wellness, gardening, and animal husbandry. Keep an eye out for their upcoming camps in Summer of 2022. And if you want to join your kids in learning how to grow a few things, check in with the Los Alamos Garden Club and ask for local resources on how to get your garden growing in Los Alamos.

So get your favorite pair of outdoor shoes and some gloves and get outside this spring! It’s a beautiful time of year here in Los Alamos and there’s no better time to get involved. And when you’re ready to buy and sell real estate here in Los Alamos, look me up! I’ve love to talk Los Alamos Real Estate with you!

If you’ve never heard of the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs, you have no idea what kind of fun and excitement you’re missing out on. Even if you don’t enjoy a good trail run, don’t click away from this post just yet. First of all, you don’t have to set out at the crack of dawn and run fifty miles to enjoy this annual event here in Los Alamos. Jemez Mountain Trail Runs offers 50 mile, 50 K and 15 mile runs. You even get 7 hours to complete your 15 miles, which is pretty generous in allowing participants to set a pace that’s comfortable to them.

This year’s Sixteenth Annual Running is scheduled for Saturday May 21. It might seem like this post is a bit early for an even that is still just over two months away, but let’s be honest. It’s been a bit of a strange and sluggish winter here in Los Alamos. This could be just the incentive you need to get out and get moving! It takes some time to work up to a trail run. So now would be the perfect time to start training.

The races have staggered start times between 5:00AM and 8:00AM depending on how much trail running you’d like to do. All races start and finish at the Sheriff’s Posse Lodge up on North Mesa Road.

I love to run, but if you’re more ambitious than I am, you can actually use the 50 Mile and 50K Jemez Mountain Trail Runs as a way to gain ITRA points. The International Trail Running Association was formed in 2013 to keep track of points earned by trail runners in order to qualify for some of the bigger trail races such as the Bighorn in Montana and the Western States in Wyoming. If you really get into trail running, you might even qualify for the UTMB series. This Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc takes place every August in Chamonix, France. It’s like the Olympics of Trail Running, a seven day mega event that challenges trail runners from every corner of the world. And for the record, American women have traditionally done pretty darned well in this race!

Meanwhile, Back In Los Alamos…

Part of the coolness of the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs is that it traverses one of Los Alamos County’s best trails. The Mitchell Trail. Sometimes known as Forest Road #69, The Mitchell Trail was first developed as an Eagle Scout Project. The trail was created in 1974 by David Mitchell with the purpose of connecting Los Alamos with Guaje Canyon. Erosion and later flash flooding damage caused by the Cerro Grande Fire in May 2000 and the Las Conchas Fire in 2011 made the northern portion of the trail impassable. However, in 2018 efforts were made to rebuild this important connecting trail by moving a portion to the ridge in order to provide access to the Guaje Reservoir.

If you’ve never walked or run the Mitchell Trail, the trailhead is located at the top of Arizona Street. According to the hiking project,

“From the trailhead on Arizona Street, travel uphill a short distance to meet the Perimeter Trail coming in from the left, proceed over a low ridge and continue straight when the Perimeter Trail heads to the right. Skirt below a water tank and make a crossing of a dry stream channel. The original trail use to stay in the canyon bottom but flooding in the canyon after the 2011 Las Conchas fire, more or less wiped out the trail. Circa 2014, the Mitchell Trail was officially re-routed by the USFS up out of the canyon and onto the ridge to the west of the canyon. There is an official sign marking the left turn up out of the canyon bottom. There is still a decent use trail in the canyon bottom used by hikers heading to the Natural Arch Trail and this use trail continues through the canyon to the intersection of the “new” trail where it heads up the steep switchbacks to Guaje Ridge.

After about a mile, the Mitchell Trail turns north and steeply ascends to a saddle. Guaje Ridge, hidden until now, is still one half mile and 400 feet of elevation gain ahead. The intersection with the Guaje Ridge Trail #285 is near a plaque honoring the late trail builder, David Mitchell.”

Alltrails.com considers the Mitchell Trail to be 7.1 miles out and back. But part of the fun of the Mitchell Trail is using it again and again to link to other trails here in beautiful Los Alamos County. Whether you’re trying to reach Guaje Canyon, the old Perimeter Trail, or to find the Natural Arch, this is the place to begin.

And whether you want to hike the Mitchell Trail on your own, take a chance on joining the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs, or set your sights on competing in Chamonix, France, our tiny town atop the hill is a great place to be! And when you’re ready to make your home here in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat local with YOU.