While carefully descending a precipitous slope with loose golf ball-sized rocks, my foot suddenly slips from under me. I catch myself with my hand into a prickly pear cactus while also sitting on another cactus! When I regain my bearings and pull my hand out it looks like a pin cushion. There are large thorns protruding from, not only my hand, but also from my calf and shin because my foot slid into another cactus. 10 big thorns are in my palm and several clusters of those little annoying hair like ones in my fingers. Schaeffer Shuffle trail in the Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso, TX is my least favorite trail especially the steep descents.
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| Franklin Mountains State Park |
I started in the dark on the Upper Sunset Trail which begins with a steep ascent on rugged terrain dominated by shin dagger and other pointy vegetation. The footing is rough with rock formations protruding from the ridge like the spikes and frills of a dragon’s back, making it nearly impossible to run. The morning air was somewhat sultry and the effort drenched my shirt with sweat in no time.
