Mystery Event 3: Winter is Coming

By the time Mystery Adventure 3 rolls around, winter will be here.

But we live in New Mexico, and winter doesn't mean the adventures have to stop.
Where are we going?

We may be headed to Nome, Alaska to run the Iditarod. We may end up building an igloo and calling it home for the night. Or maybe we're heading to Antarctica to join an emperor penguin huddle and help keep the eggs warm. You know, staying all warm and cuddly.

At this point, you shouldn't rule anything out.

What I can tell you is that this will be an all-day adventure, but the majority of our day won't be spent sitting in the car. We'll have plenty of time to get out, explore, hike, take pictures, and see what we find along the way.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

🚙 Road Trip: We're leaving Albuquerque, but we're not spending half the day just trying to reach our destination. Expect a reasonable amount of driving with plenty of time outside the vehicles.

🥾 Hiking: Expect approximately 5 miles of hiking and exploring throughout the day.

⛰️ Elevation Gain: Less than 400 feet.

🟨 Difficulty: Moderate.

🏜️ Terrain: Expect rocky and uneven terrain, loose surfaces, arroyos, and some areas where there may not be a traditional developed trail.

🌄 Scenery: I'm keeping my mouth shut about this one. You'll understand when we get there.

🌦️ Weather: Winter in New Mexico can be unpredictable, and with some unusual weather patterns potentially coming our way this year, we're going to have to be flexible and prepared for just about anything.

It could be cold. It could be surprisingly nice. It could be New Mexico doing that thing where you experience three seasons before lunch.

As we get closer, I'll keep an eye on the forecast and update everyone on what to expect.

🎒 Bring: Plenty of water, layers, a warm hat, gloves, hiking boots, sunscreen, sunglasses, and snacks for the day.

You should also bring snacks for your organizer. He prefers savory. I'm not saying better snacks will result in a more fun adventure, but I'm also not saying they won't.

🍴 Food: Bring money for food, along with any additional snacks and drinks you want for the day.

🚗 Transportation: Carpooling will be available. Because some of our exploring may take us onto unpaved roads, I'll coordinate vehicles once we know who's attending.

🐕 Dogs: No dogs on this Mystery Adventure.
SO WHERE ARE WE ACTUALLY GOING?

Come on. This is number three.

You know I'm not telling you.

I've learned something from doing these: some of you are disturbingly good at figuring out where we're going from very little information.
So I'm going to be careful.

I'll release clues sporadically as we get closer. Some will help. Some might make you question your original guess.

Think you know where we're going?
Put your guess in the comments.

But there's still one rule:
Don't explain how you got there.
No evidence. No maps. No detective boards. No trying to convince everyone else that you've cracked the case.

And don't ask me if you're right because I will neither confirm nor deny anything.

For now, all you need to know is this:

Winter is coming.

We're not staying home.

Mystery Adventure 3 is officially on.

See you on the trails... wherever they may be.