Local Hike: Satch Cowan Trail

The start of the trail was chilly but clear.

A couple of weekends ago, we went on a unexpectedly adventurous hike on a rather simple and benign trail. The weather that day had been chillier than we expected (only in the low 50s instead of the 60s, as we had thought it would be), but the snowstorm that enveloped us was the real surprise!

The Satch Cowan trail starts at the Quemazon trail head in Los Alamos and is normally a moderate hike or run in a loop that goes up one side of a hill and down the other; a little more than a mile and a half in length. The dog and I had jogged it earlier in the week one sunny and warm morning. This afternoon, however, the fog rolled in, and the wind-driven snow actually made us turn around before we made it to the halfway point.

Luckily, I threw in some extra sweatshirts and hats, but no one really had warm clothing.

The temperature fell as we hiked, not only because the storm was rolling in, but also because we were heading up in elevation. It also got windier the further up we went.

Rhys's expression tells a lot.

And then the snow blew in. The surrounding mountains were totally obscured, and we talked a lot about what it would be like to be in a blizzard. I don't think Rhys was convinced that a true blizzard would be much worse. Alanna has gotten very competitive on hikes and was more concerned with being the leader than with thinking about blizzards. She stopped to catch snowflakes in her mouth by positioning herself facing into the wind so the snowflakes would fly in themselves.

Catching snowflakes– and leaning into the wind.

This is the last photo Aaron took of us, because we all ended up a bit cold and miserable; photography with cold, wet fingers is somehow not really an exciting activity.

On the way back, in the midst of the storm!

By the time we made it back to the car, we all had a layer of snow and ice on one side of our torsos and heads, due to the blowing snow. I swear I shook an inch of snow off my hood!

So it was an adventure after all. The kids took warm baths at home and we drank hot chocolate, which always seems to improve things. We'll make it back to hike this trail again because it's really a great trail with fantastic views of the Jemez as well as across the Rio Grande valley to the east and the Sangre de Cristo mountains. As spring continues and wacky weather can still surprise us, I'll be sure to throw in extra clothing next time. Just in case!

More about the trail, and about Helen "Satch" Cowan, a long time Los Alamos resident who worked at the National Lab, and with the community of outdoor enthusiasts here.