While the trails here in the Franklin Mountains State Park have been closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I had to get creative to maintain my running routine. I detest running on roads because there are humans everywhere; not to mention cars and noise. Unfortunately, I had to run a fair amount on the roads this month, but did a few long runs on the Rio Grande River Levee trail as well. While state and local parks were closed here in El Paso, the river levee seemed to be a gray area since it is controlled by the International Boundary and Water Commission, a federal agency.
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| Coyote |
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| Rio Grande, El Paso, TX |
We have a great system of canals that bring irrigation water to cotton fields, pecan orchards, and subdivisions of the city. Dirt roads along the waterways are great for running, but you will get zero vert if you are training for a mountain race. The river levee, built for flood control, is awesome because it is traffic free and you can get a lot of distance by combining the canal roads with the river trail. In fact I have, several times in the past, run all the way from El Paso to Old Mesilla near Las Cruces, NM., a distance of between 35-40 miles depending on where you start in El Paso.
Read my post: Two States Run
Read my post: Mesilla Valley Run
Anyway, I enjoyed some very nice mornings along the canals and levee running a 13 mile loop and then stopping back by my car to fill up my water bottles. I continued on for a total of between 20-26 miles.
There are several huge cottonwood trees throughout the valley, but they aren’t as plentiful as they once were because the river is dry most of the year. Cottonwoods are known as the “water tree” because If you see one there is probably a water source nearby such as the West Cottonwood Spring in the Franklin Mountains.
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| Cottonwood tree |
Natural flooding helped disperse the cottony seeds before the river was dammed. Native Americans used the trees to build dugout canoes and also used many parts for medicinal purposes.
inaturalist.org writes: “Cottonwoods are useful whenever aspirin may be used because it contains salicin, which is used to treat fevers and urinary infections. The bark makes digestive bitters used for indigestion, poor appetite and fevers. The leaf buds are used for muscle aches, sprains, and joint pain. You can prepare leaf buds in oil or alcohol and also use them for injuries, burns and thick mucus. Native Americans used the leaves for toothaches and cuts and scrapes.”
**WARNING: Do not ingest a cottonwood tree if you are sick or injured! Instead, seek medical attention from a physician or hospital emergency room!**
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| Pink Primrose |
Sadly, in today’s day and age, I had to write that last sentence. The huge shade trees are a welcomed sight since I’m used to mostly running in the desert amongst the scrub vegetation, thorny cacti and jagged rocks.
Below one of the bridges in Sunland Park, NM just across the border from El Paso is a beautiful mural that has been painted on the pilings. It depict scenes of early settlers, a Native American with pueblo and the statue of Christ that sits on top of Mt Cristo Rey a few miles from the mural.
One morning I was running along the river near here when a coyote ran across the trail in front of me. Usually when they see humans they take off for cover, but this one was different. He stopped near the edge of the brush and just looked at me as if he was as curious about me as I was of him. His fur was tan to dark brown with a V shaped dark spot outlined in white on his back. His big ears perked up like radar dishes and his snout was slender with a black shiny nose. He may have had a tick under his left eye and he walked with a slight limp.
He just stood there staring at me so I pulled out my camera and zoomed in on him. After a minute or two he sat down figuring I wasn’t a threat. Coyotes, once limited to western prairies and deserts, have moved into all 48 lower states, Canada and Alaska. In spite of government eradication efforts over the years, coyotes have thrived and are often seen in neighborhoods, golf courses and even urban areas. In the book Coyote America, Dan Flores speculates that the extermination of the wolf enabled the coyote to expand its range into the north and east.
This particular fellow must have been tired from raiding the chicken house or chasing the road runner all night because eventually he laid down in the dirt and did a big yawn. I must have watched him for ten minutes observing his mannerisms which were much like a domesticated house pet. What a beautiful animal!
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| So sleepy now! |
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| Coyote beautiful |
After running along the river for a while I came to another bridge where swallows have built a colony of mud nests. The structures resembled gourds hanging down with a bottle like opening where chicks were poking their heads out waiting for the parents to bring food. Hundreds of swallows swooped in and out with the swift precision and maneuvering of a military aerobatic demonstration team.
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| Swallows under the Artcraft Bridge |
Again, I stood in awe watching these birds for at least ten minutes when I should have been finishing my training run. But for me, running is much more than training for the next race, PRing or collecting another finisher’s medal. I run because it brings me to the most beautiful places in the Southwest and I happen upon all sorts of amazing wildlife.
I was supposed to run the Jemez Mountain Trail 50 miler in Los Alamos, NM this weekend, but like all of our events, it too was cancelled. This would have been my 6th finish in a row provided I was able to cross the finish line this year. A lot can happen in a mountain trail race though, so I’m grateful to have had so many past experiences in the Jemez.
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| Rio Grande |
As America begins to slowly reopen, some of our trails in the Franklin Mountains are now open as well. I'm finally back on the gnarly singletrack amongst the jagged rocks, cactus and shin dagger; climbing steep precipices while hopping over rattlesnakes. Literally! I almost stepped on this guy this morning. Don't worry, I apologized to him (or her). All is right in the Universe.
See you on the trail.
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