John Wise

Happy New Year from the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge just south of Socorro, New Mexico. The first day of the new year began for us at 4:30 a.m. on a very cold 22-degree (-7c) windy morning for some bird watching and shivering.

It was five years ago that we made our first visit to these lands next to the Rio Grande River, but it was March, and we’d learned that we missed the prime viewing season, so later that year, in the closing days of 2002, we returned and witnessed a phenomenon that struck at our heart and tear ducts.

Now, here we are, sharing this experience with my mother-in-law, who was incredulous that we had to wake up so early to arrive at the refuge while it was still dark and oh-so-cold. But as the snow geese flew in from surrounding areas to congregate at this large frozen pond, she began to understand why the timing of being here was key.

While her face is obscured in her scarf, I can assure you that she’s as thrilled as her daughter. Her exclamations and gasps let me know that this was one of the greatest starts to a new year she’d ever experienced.

And then sunrise happened and things just got better and better.

Just the day before, this was a rippling pond, but overnight, a layer of ice formed, leaving the entire surface a slippery, frosty skating rink. This sure-footed sandhill crane made its way back and forth between small flocks of fellow cranes; maybe it was determining the warmer of the two groups.

How are we so fortunate to be offered so much beauty in such a short amount of time in the first hours of the new year?

This canal channels water from the nearby Rio Grande River into the wetlands of the wildlife refuge to maintain a healthy habitat for the wintering birds who have migrated to these southerly environs. For us lucky visitors, they reflect the beautiful light of the New Mexican early morning. The steam that arises here forms delicate ice patterns on plants, and little waterfalls spill from locks while birds float along their waters amongst the overhanging grass. All this works to enchant those who brave the cold to visit this refuge on an early winter morning.

The aforementioned Rio Grande is the lifeline of these lands and the signal that we are leaving the area.

Never content to leave perfect alone, we have other plans further down the road as we point the car towards Arizona.

The further west we go, the closer to home we get.

We are in the Gila Wilderness Area and are already on a trail along Whitewater Creek. Of course, we need to stop and smell the flowers or plants, whatever presents itself for inspection.

Can we really ever have too many reminders of those we’ve shared great adventures with? Ten years ago, I would have said my mother-in-law was offering up a half-hearted fake smile; today, I believe it is coming from genuine enthusiasm and the knowledge that she knows she is going to explore the extraordinary with us.

This is the attraction we are visiting in this small corner of New Mexico, the Catwalk Recreation Area, which allows us to walk right over Whitewater Creek, running just below our feet. From here, we’ll focus on our return to Phoenix but what a great way of closing out one year and bringing on another.