Reality Show and a Beginners Hike

Click on image to enlarge.

Okay male El Paso Hikers (Bicyclers, Mountain Bikers, Climbers, Etc.) here’s an opportunity to be part of a new competitive reality series. Janet Martinez, a Casting Assistant with Real People Casting, Inc., contacted moi (of course) to help get the word out about the casting that they are doing for a new series tentatively called Bounty.  Janet told me that “from now until June 15th, we will be conducting a nationwide search for men in their 20's and 30's, and I think El Paso Hiker could be a great resource to scout for our series. I was hoping you could help get the word out by forwarding this email to members of your organization. The grand prize for the winner of this competition will be $100,000!”  You can learn more here.

If you are interested, email your contact info and 2 recent photos of yourself to ocbountycasting@gmail.com or feel free to call 818-762-6199. This seems to be a legitimate offer but do your own due diligence before signing on any dotted line.

This has nothing to do with hiking, walking , birding or biking.  However, we all need to eat so why not eat fresh farm food.  It’s Farmers Market time again at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing. Opening day is tomorrow, May 26, 2012. The market will be open every Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. until Noon through mid-October. You might consider taking an ice chest to keep food fresh while you eat brunch. It’s the best brunch menu this side of the Atlantic and just an easy drive across the mighty Rio Grande in a spot nestled on the other side of Mount Cristo Rey.

On Saturday, June 9^th, there will be a beginners hike at 7 a.m. We will do the Upper Sunset Trail at the Tom Mays Unit of the FMSP the easy way. Meet at the gate to the Park (map). We will take some cars to the parking lot at the end of the trail and ride together to the north end, top of the trail. This really is a beginners hike with a good trail, not a great elevation gain. It is only a 1.5 mile hike one-way in the easy direction. We will plan to do the Upper Sunset from south to north another time. But for now this is perfect for those of you who have been wanting a beginning hike on a weekend. Also, this will give us all time to get to Ardovino’s Farmers Market for a brunch or a breakfast burrito. Remember your canvas shopping bags for your vegetables, herbs, eggs and such.

Do check out the June schedule of hikes in the Franklin Mountains State Park.

Also see the upcoming hikes posted at El Paso Hiking Group including a cherry-picking hike to La Luz and Cloudcroft tomorrow morning and an evening sunset on the ridge hike this coming Wednesday led by veteran hiker, Karl Putnam.

The Las Cruces hiking meet-up group are planning an excursion to Baylor Pass and possibly a moonlight hike at White Sands – both on June 3.

Finally, if you use a smart phone, check out some geocaching apps. They’re a good way to get started and will work around our area. The only downside is that they won’t work in areas where you can’t get phone service. Mountain Bikers can now do a geocache virtual race. Check it out at GeoBetty.  Another great app for Androids is Google Sky Map. If you are ever out at night and want to know what you are seeing in the night sky, this is a great app. I’m not sure that it will identify ET but it can tell you that you are looking at Venus or Jupiter, Regulus, Vega or Arcturus and name the constellations.