Vermejo Charcoal Burner

I headed down to New Mexico with teammate Matt Wright for my first gravel race of 2025. The race was just over the border, and a few miles west of Raton, on a private ranch called Vermejo. The property is one of the reserves owned by Ted Turner and is a working ranch and outdoor getaway vacation spot for adventure seekers.

Unfortunately, it snowed a lot earlier in the week in this part of the country. The result was that things got really muddy, and then torn up by cattle, trucks, ATVs and whatever else made its way through the course. It dried out just in time, but it made the race really rough and rutted out the entire way. I also lost count how many times I had to cross a small stream during the race, I think there were around 5 - 7, but they were shallow enough to be able to ride through.

I ended up taking second overall to a teenage phenom, but won the overall Masters category. The course was so rough that I ended up with some blisters on my hands from the non-stop pounding. Overall it was a great event and fun. I will definitely do it again if the conditions are better, since it's a small race and a good one to start off the season.

Student Council Induction

Tonight was the Pine Creek Student Council Awards and Induction Ceremony. As the incoming Freshman Class President, Jonathan had to speak in front of everyone and introduce himself and the incoming Freshman Council. He did a great job speaking. He also looked really good in my dress shoes!

Junior Prom Photo Op

Easter 2025

Anglers FC Spring 2025

This spring was the first season for Jonathan playing with Anglers FC. This club was a much better fit for him and us. Practices and games were almost all during the week after school, and there was very minimal travel and cost involved. Jonathan played on their middle school aged team, but ended up taking a break later in the fall since there was no fall season due to high school soccer.

Junior Prom Surprise

PCHS Freshman Class President

At the end of 8th grade Chinook Trail and Challenger Middle School made an announcement about running for Student Council for the following school year at Pine Creek. 

It required gathering 50 signatures from fellow students, as well as 3 teacher recommendations to apply. Jonathan made short work of the 50 signature and letters (I recall it only took him a day or two for the signatures).

All of the applications were reviewed by the current Student Council at Pine Creek. In addition, middle school GPA was a big factor. In the end Jonathan was elected class president! 

Jungle Tour and Snorkeling

The other activity we chose to do was speed boats along the water out to a snorkeling point (and back). I had a lot of fun driving a boat for the first time.

We took the local bus from the hotel to Aqua World a few miles away. I think it was $1 a person and a pretty short ride. The bus was either filled with local hotel workers or tourists.

The group of us were taken along the waterways by a guide. It was simply follow the leader after learning a few common hand signals such as slow down and speed up. We got to go past a lot of other hotels, a really peaceful lagoon, followed by a James Bond-esque high speed chase out to the snorkel point.

The snorkeling was fun, but average, if you happen to have lived in Hawaii and done a lot of snorkeling. But I think this might have been the first time for the kids. I ended up buying the professional photo and video they made of our trip and us. It was a little pricey, but these guys had a boat and a drone out there taking footage of us and I couldn't pass that up as my souvenir from the trip.

Parasailing in Cancun

One of the activities we did on site (or on beach) was parasailing. 

Jonathan and I did it together while the girls preferred to stay on the soft sand. It was a little nerve racking, and seemed pretty short, but it was a good time. I didn't have the courage to take pictures of the views for fear of accidentally dropping my phone. I wonder how many phones are at the bottom of this ocean?

We had an exciting ride through the waves on a jet ski just to get out to the boat. Sometimes at the start the bench we were sitting in tilted left or right just enough to make you feel uncomfortable that it might tip hundreds of feet above the ocean. Otherwise it was a blast. Included: a few other pictures in portrait mode.

Cancun Mexico

Spring Break! This year we decided to do something very different and book an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. We stayed at the Wyndham Alltra in the Hotel Zone for about a week.

The sunrises were amazing and the food was pretty good. Although we talked about the possibility of doing some activities elsewhere, and/or renting a car, we mostly just stayed at the hotel and played in the pool, sat on the beach, and took advantage of what we had available close by.

I'll make a few posts with pictures grouped by type. Here are the pictures of the sunrises, which were great to wake up to, along with coffee from the in house coffee shop.