*An open letter to our hiking buddies
(i.e.: you're not eavesdropping)

Dear Scott, Memo & Terence,

You would have LOVED the hike we took today! We got up to one of the highest points in the mountain range between the valleys of Mexico City and Toluca, so high that we could see the 2nd, 3d, 4th and 10th tallest mountains in the country.

----------------------------(Click here for the BIG panoramic version - 560 kb)

For years we have driven through and around these mountains but had always just hiked around the edges because we couldn't find a road that would take us in very far. A few weeks ago we took a long hike up from one of the highest roads we know (above the spring where we started hiking, Terence) that gave us a clear view of the surrounding landscape. What particularly interested us were the dirt roads we saw winding around the hills because as much as we love hiking we just can't get deep enough on foot. Looking at the roads we resolved to find our way back in there.

This morning we set off for the other road we know that goes into the mountains(the one we took once with you Memo that is south of the Marquesa, off the road to Chalma.) It is a long way up (we always forget just how long it takes and then after we do it we don't feel like doing it again for a while because the road is grueling, both for the car and for my neck) and once we got well into the highlands we weren't sure which unmarked, dirt road to follow. We knew where we didn't want to end up: Las Cruces, a place where pilgrims stop on their way from Mexico City to Chalma, the second most important pilgrimage destination in the country where devotees venerate a black image of Christ. At Las Cruces pilgrims drive 3 foot tall metal crosses into the rocks to commemorate their trip.

Living here has turned us into detectives; we're always trying to figure out the why of things that strike us as unusual. A hundred crosses on a rock in the middle of nowhere struck us as unusual when we first came across them. At first we were a bit freaked out but then we realized that "Gomez Taller Automotriz" (Gomez Body Shop) wasn't buried beneath the cross with its name on it, so we came up with our pilgrimage commemoration hypotheses. This was confirmed today when we passed a group walking down the road near Las Cruces with "Chalma '05" patches on their photographer's vests (not your ordinary pilgrim attire, but Chalma, or at least a lovely hike through the mountains, attracts all kinds.)

We were disappointed to be on the Las Cruces road because we'd already been there and knew where it ended. We hadn't seen many alternative routes so we decided to get out and walk. There was a pretty high hilltop not too far away and we decided it would be a good place to scout out the roads for the next time. A good decision. The going was pretty easy even though there were only a few cow paths to follow. The hilltop we had chosen had almost no trees so we had great views of the valley of Toluca behind us as we neared the top. I don't think we were technically above the tree line, as there were trees at what seemed to be the same altitude on surrounding hills, but we were definitely close. It was a clear day in the mountains but unfortunately the Nevado volcano across the Toluca valley wasn't too visible. We saw numerous fires in the valley so I guess that's why (Tim adds: "Yeah, that and tons of smog.")

click image for the biggie version

When we got to the high point on the hill we were aiming for, we saw that the next hilltop, only about a half a kilometer away was even higher, so we kept going. Ahead of us we could clearly see Mexico City, especially the dark glass of the World Trade Center. There were a series of mountains between us and Toluca, four rolling mounds, each one taller than the before it. We decided we had probably been on the shortest, most northern one a few weeks ago.

My descriptive powers aren't up to helping you see the grandeur of the place and of course the pictures don't do it justice either. So you'll just have to trust me that you would love it!

We thought of each one of you, wishing, wishing, wishing that you were there with us. So just remember next time you're in town, have we got a treat for you! (especially if its both clear and green J) And on that hike, unlike today's, we'll take water, power bars, and sunscreen so we can keep going further up and further in.

Love,              

Annette & Tim