Butterflies and chalky cliffs on the South Crest Trail

Something dark moves. I jump.

It darts, resolving into a deep brown butterfly, wings tipped yellow.

These butterflies have been my constant companions on this hike. Occasionally, smaller orange and gray butterflies join them, often in pairs.

Spring hovers on the South Crest Trail. Mud puddles on shaded switchbacks two weeks after the last snow, the earth around the mud baked hard. Mountain bluebirds flock and chirp above canyons layered with evergreen.

My legs and lungs, on their first long hike at elevation since fall, slowly settle into rhythm.

West of the junction with Upper Faulty Trail, a tunnel of trees frozen in autumn. Dead leaves carpet a layer of ice.

A short climb later, limestone cliffs ripple, chalky, like the ones we saw at Palomas Peak last summer. Green yucca blades stud the ivory rock.

Three miles into wilderness, I hear the whoosh of semis on Interstate 40 below.

Snow caps the top of Tijeras Canyon’s walls. The Manzano Mountains, which looked naked as a jaybird from Abó Pass last week, are clearly snowpacked above 8,000 feet.

The sun inhabits every surface. My ears tingle in the breeze.

A day to linger, soak in warmth, stop at every overlook, breathe in the smell of spring mud.

And be frequently startled by butterflies.

Hike length: 6 miles

Difficulty: moderate

Trail traffic: moderate, none west of Upper Faulty Trail

Wildlife spotted: butterflies, nuthatch, crows, mountain bluebirds, pinyon jays