I back out of the green tunnel. Two can’t pass here. Pull up my mask.
A pleasant fellow with a camera exits.
How long do droplets linger in the air? Eight minutes? 18?
Meander eight minutes, return, plunge in.
Invaders swallow me. Thicket sucks water from the ground. Yet the Russian olive smells so sweet, and the tamarisk branches gleam so red.
Mask up, in case branches others have pushed through thwack me in the mouth (one does.)
All to see water. Sand ledge, Rio Grande bank.
Bird music, artist unknown.
Tamarisk tangles. Lizards scramble.
Wander arroyo. Sandbar opens wide. Heat rises, river gleams, mountains loom.
No need to wade through the thicket to reach water.
It was right there the whole time.
Hike length: 3.8 miles
Difficulty: easy
Trail traffic: very light
Wildlife spotted: robin, cottontail, butterflies, dragonflies, flycatchers, goldfinches, lizards, doves, nuthatch
I’m using these best practices for responsible outdoor recreation during Covid-19 as my guide, and was overjoyed to find this quiet corner of the bosque nearby.
Woman Seeks Elevation 