Bandera Volcano and the Ice Cave

New Mexico's Land of Fire and Ice

June 2006

Along the Continental Divide in New Mexico, you can hike to a volcano crater followed by a descent into a nearby ice cave in a collapsed lava tube where the temperature never rises above 31 F.

The hike to view the crater:

The trail to the Ice Cave leads through old-growth Juniper, Fir and Ponderosa Pines:

The Ice Cave:

Leaving the Ice Cave (not exactly accessible):

Christmas 2005

Christmas 2005

The picture below might be shocking, but it's nothing compared to how Kellisa looked when she was wheeled back to her hospital room on December 16, 2005, following her shunt replacement surgery. Even though it was her 18th surgery (as of 12.25.05), I was not prepared to see her shaved and heavily bandaged head. This would be Kellisa's 3rd surgery in as many months. Kellisa had two shunt repair surgeries, one on October 6th and one on November 15th. When the repairs did not work, a complete shunt replacement was necessary.

 Like usual, even though Kellisa was only nine days removed from a major surgery, she was back to her usual self as she enjoyed Christmas:

All dressed up for a traditional Christmas dinner:

You can see hints of a scar on her neck (left side) in several of the above pictures. However, we don't have a clear picture of the scar. The neurosurgeon had to open Kellisa's neck to help the shunt's drainage tube down to her stomach. 

North Window Arch

North Window Arch

Arches National Park, Utah

June 2006

End of the trail for the jog stroller:

The rest is on foot or in your dad's arms:

Kellisa in the arch: 

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures.

Lisa sitting in the arch:

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Lighthouse Trail

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Texas

April 2008

Our goal: The Lighthouse, is barely visible (upper center) from a roadside overlook:

Trailhead:

Views along the trail:

On Kellisa's Spring Break, we visited Palo Duro Canyon with our Primo Matt, the day after visiting Black Mesa in Oklahoma. 

Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin

Lowest Point in North America

282 ft. Below Sea Level

Death Valley National Park

November 2010

Four Corners

Four Corners

Arizona-Utah-Colorado-New Mexico

June 2007

4 wheels - 4 states

The only place in the United States where four states border each other. Besides standing in four states, you are also standing in the Navajo Nation.

Southernmost Point

Southernmost Point

Continental U.S.A.

Key West, FL

November 8, 2003

White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument

New Mexico

March 2012

The Organ Mountains rise between Las Cruces and White Sands National Monument:

Our last training hike (7 miles) before the 2012 Bataan Memorial Death March:

Sierra Blanca rises to 11,981ft. above the sand dunes. After talking to a family from Albuquerque, we learned that Ski Apache on the slopes of Sierra Blanca Peak offers skiing for the disabled. Look for pictures of Kellisa snow skiing next year... 

Kellisa is all smiles after our hike as we drive back to the hotel: