...After visiting Houston, getting my hubcaps stolen in San Antonio (i will now surely remember the %@#! Alamo), getting a speeding ticket in Loving, New Mexico (and all this time i've been paying a therapist big bucks to tell me i go too fast in loving), i spent 12/22 seeing Carlsbad Caverns. Pretty amazing. The 2 self-guided trails are both wonderous. The King's Palace tour was a little less wonderous, and i think i would recommend planning ahead and reserving one of the more "natural" cave tours instead of King's Palace.
In the pre-dawn of 12/23 i drove to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The area had received about 2 inches of fresh snow overnight. The trail up to the peak was a little steep, but very easy. Snow depths reached about 4 inches by the top, there were some very light flurries along the way, temps were in the 20s and 30s, and winds were uncharacteristically moderate. Fog limited visibility, but El Capitan was spectacularily eerie enshrouded in the fog. Seeing all the juniper and cactus coated with new snow was breathtaking. I wish i were a good photographer. I resolved to buy a good lightweight tracks-and-scat guide before my next trip. There were so many tracks in the snow, and other than deer and rabbit, i'm just not sure what they were. None were big enough to be mountain lion or bear, i'm 99% sure. Probably fox or coyote or bobcat...? I don't remember how long it took me to get to the top...3 hours or something like that. I was first up, and 4 others came behind me that day. HP #6! I camped at Pine Springs. It was cold. upper teens. I had all the right equipment except a winter tent. So i was warm in my bag with my family of water bottles and fuel canisters, but the wind just seeped through my 3 season tent. With this in mind, i ditched my backpacking plans for 12/24-25 (2000 ft. colder and windier...no thanks), and instead stayed camped at Pine Springs. I dayhiked McKittrick Canyon, part of the Tejas trail, and the Foothills trail. Really neat country. By the way, this whisper-light MSR stove i bought surprised me with how fast it heated things up...
My friend and frequent climbing partner Andy Coppola and I flew down to El Paso Saturday January 4th to climb Guadalupe Peak. With only two days in the area, we certainly chose the better day to make the climb. Sunday the 5th presented us with excellent conditions to climb and tremendous views from the summit. The next day saw more clouds and harsher winds. Driving back to El Paso from Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, we faced dust storms that reduced visibility at times to as little as 40-50 yards. The weather did, however, provide for an unforgettable scene of thick clouds approaching Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan from the east, being pushed up by the mountain range and cascading over and down the west side in waterfall fashion, all in the span of a few minutes. That same time on Sunday we would have been making our way down the east side of the range, into the teeth of the weather system.
Anyway, on with the actual trip report. After a big breakfast at an International House of Pancakes in El Paso, we headed east on Route 62/180 towards the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We were on the trail by 10:15 a.m. Interestingly, about 25-30 miles east of El Paso we encountered a Border Patrol roadblock that remained there on the way back the next day. They were only checking cars heading away from El Paso.
El Capitan forms the southern tip of a wedge-shaped range that extends well into New Mexico. Guadalupe Peak sits north of El Capitan, and just about everyone (myself included) takes a picture of the topside of this massive wall from the summit of Guadalupe Peak. The trailhead for Guadalupe is located on the east side of the range, with views of your goal blocked by the range itself. After leaving the parking area, you soon come to a set of switchbacks making your way up the range. For a sense of what lies ahead, look up and to your right to 8,368-foot Hunter Peak. Your goal is almost 400 feet higher.
After ascending the east side of the mountain range, you will find yourself approaching the north side of Guadalupe Peak. That’s where we began to encounter the snow patches. I had read one report indicating that instep crampons might be helpful in this area, as well as several reports and e-mails saying not to bother. Not wanting to have traveled thousands of miles and not make the summit, the instep crampons were stashed in the pack. I must say both reports were correct. There were stretches where they would have been nice, but these sections were short enough that the hassle of putting them on and taking them off would have greatly outweighed their benefits. They remained in my pack for the entire trip.
We found the snow in this area to be limited to the north-facing sections of the trail that get little, if any, direct sunlight. It has been packed down, presumably by foot traffic, leaving a somewhat icy surface. Usually, however, the dirt on the downslope side of the trail or the non-packed snow on the upslope side made for better footing. At any rate, in most places where snow was present, a fall would have been broken by sizable tree trunks or vegetation, boulders or a gentler slope. There were, of course, exceptions. If anyone is planning an attempt in the near future and wants a better idea of the conditions, I have photos that I would be happy to e-mail to you.
From reading other trip reports, I think we lucked out in the wind category. It was sporadic and probably not much more than 15-20 mph. I’ve faced much worse on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, for comparison. On the way down we did round a particularly windy curve that I nicknamed “Windy Corner” in honor of a future assault on Denali’s West Buttress route.
The area near the 8,000-foot campground was relatively flat. Those reports that divide this climb into three sections are quite accurate. You begin climbing the east face of the range, traverse an almost flat section and end up with a final push towards the summit. The summit itself sneaks up on you. It took a “we’re here” from Andy, then only about 10-15 feet ahead of me, to get me to look up and to my right and see Guadalupe Peak’s trademark stainless steel pyramid summit marker.
The views from the summit are tremendous. I took the classic photo of the topside of El Capitan and was happy to have left myself quite a few pictures to take from the summit. While I was snacking, Andy was explaining this crazy highpointing thing of mine to another group of climbers who arrived after we did. One of them approached me holding his own copy of “Highpoint Adventures.” Although I’m terrible with names, I believe his last name was Stewart. We swapped highpointing stories for a while, did photo duty for each other and soon Andy and I began to make our way down.
The way down gave us a perfect example of how not to climb. We met up with a slow-moving couple heading up at a point in the day where they would certainly be coming back in the dark. It gets dark in the area at about 5:00 at this time of year. I mentioned this to them. Later, Mr. Stewart’s group passed us on the way down. They had also warned this couple about the impending darkness. Here’s hoping they made it down safely.
Finally, a couple of notes on other local attractions. Carlsbad Caverns is a must-see. Take the “Natural Entrance” route. If you can climb Guadalupe Peak, you’ll have no problem with it and it will give you a much better idea of the scale of the caverns than descending in the elevator. Allow for at least a half day, and don’t worry about getting there at dusk to see the bats at this time of year; they migrate south for the winter. We also walked across one of the bridges from El Paso to Juarez, Mexico on Monday night. The food and drink at the Kentucky Club, on Avenue Juarez (a couple of blocks down on your right after taking the bridge at the end of Santa Fe [street?] in El Paso) was good and cheap. The excursion, though, will make you feel grateful for what you have.
Well, 15 down, 35 to go. If anyone wants trail condition photos, feel free to e-mail me, and “Keep Klimbin!”
Climbed Guadalupe on May 6 as part of a "SW Safari" visiting points from Spanish Peaks which I've climbed before (road to saddle trail still snowed in) to ranges in Oklahoma (climbed Black Mesa a few years ago) & Monument Rocks in Kansas. Of course I also visited Carlsbad Caverns which I last visited in 1962. The natural-entrance route was excellent; so was the Bat Flight which was on by then. The climb to the radio towers behind White's City was worth while for the view including G'pe and El Capitan in the distance; and acres of prickly-pear in bloom.
G'pe was my 14th HP, plus many abroad including 2 continents. It was excellent, in mild sunny weather, v. windy. The scenic climb took 5 hours with the famous summmit obelisk appearing by surprise, close by, shortly after you pass some hitching rails. It was rather hazy and I couldn't see the Franklin Mts. by El Paso, or the big dome behind Juarez; they may be over the horizon. There was also a register in an old ammunition box, like Black Mesa; it was full already but I got my name in. I enjoyed the views, the changes in vegetation and the trip up McKittrick Canyon and the steep nature trail as well. I continued to Pecos, Odessa Crater and some low but colorful ranges in Oklahoma.
I enjoyed a sunny, warm, breezy hike of Guadalupe Peak on Monday, 12-29-03. The trail and hike to the summit was as easy as I had remembered on a hot August day a few years ago. This hike offered great views, clarity of many miles (>60 miles?). I'm not a summit sitter however I enjoyed watching the people come and go that day. The summit weather was brisk: >10 mph wind with gusts >20 mph and a summit temp of 27 degrees. Most hikers enjoyed the summit experience for 10 minutes then headed back down the mountain. So much for southern winter hikers.
Actually, I enjoyed a week of southern winter hikes and runs, in Petrified NP, Guadalupe NP, Chiriachua NM, Saguaro NP, and Organ Pipe Cactus NM. The winter weather there reminded me of northeast autumn hiking weather - yahoo! I'll be scheduling another trip next year for west Texas locations; for now it's back to winter in the northeast.
I climbed Guadalupe Peak, the Highpoint of Texas at 8,749 feet, on Tuesday September 2nd, 2003 the day after Labor Day. It was my 7th state highpoint.
I left my timeshare condo in Ruidoso, NM at 6:20AM. I started noticing a brown smoky haze before reaching Roswell and the air pollution was apparent during my entire drive south. It was depressing to see smog so far from any large metropolitan areas. Is no place safe anymore? The signs at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park visitor’s center said the smog comes mostly from plants in Mexico and also from as far away as Los Angeles.
I first saw the Guadalupe Mountains as I was driving south between Roswell and Carlsbad but couldn’t actually distinguish Guadalupe Peak itself, and El Capitan, until I crossed the New Mexico - Texas border.
I arrived at the visitor center at 10:20AM, checked in with the Ranger and watched the 12-minute slide show. I drove to the trailhead parking area and signed the register. The National Park Service recently started charging a small fee of $2 or $3.00, which should be placed in an envelope at the register. Since I have a National Park Pass, which is a great deal, at $50.00 per year, if you like to visit National Parks and Monuments as I do, I simply wrote my Park Pass number on the envelope and began my hike at 10:50AM. Be sure to be alert and read the signs at the beginning of your hike. Although the trails are well marked it would be easy for an enthusiastic hiker to hurry past the signs and miss the turn for the Guadalupe Peak Trail. Within the first hundred yards there are signs showing that you have to turn left. If you miss the turn and walk straight down the trail you will not be going to Guadalupe Peak. According to the register there were already three other hikers on the trail. I met them, as I was about 2/3 of the way to the top as they were coming down. The first was a man in his 50’s who worked for American Airlines in Tucson, AZ. He was apparently making his pilgrimage to the American Airlines shrine at the summit of Guadalupe Peak. Shortly afterward I met a middle-aged couple that sounded like they might have been from Europe.
I reached the summit at 1:40PM. Although this climb is rated as a Class 1 – Moderate or Strenuous hike, depending on which guidebook you read, the trail was good and not too difficult by my standards, I’ll admit that I was tired and my legs were fatigued causing me to use my hands to scramble up a couple spots during the last hundred yards. The view from the summit was spectacular. The smog was still evident but was not as bad as I expected. I could clearly see Sierra Blanca, a 12003-foot peak near Ruidoso, NM, where I had hiked just two days before, which is over 100 miles to the north as the vulture flies.
It was an overall perfect day. Clear, 75 degrees, which I understand is cooler than usual for this time of year, and not very windy as is often the case. I had the mountain all to myself. I ate lunch and signed the register. As I looked through the register I counted over 80 entries for the past three days. I was glad I waited until after Labor Day to avoid the crowds. The three people that I had met on my way up had not signed the register. If that is any indication of the average percentage of people that actually sign the registers at Highpoints then there may have been over 200 people on the mountain over the holiday weekend. I hate traffic jams.
On my way back down I met Blake Murphy, from Georgia, who was on his way to a late afternoon summit. I told him that the skies were clear and there were no T-Storms in sight. He was on a two-week road trip doing as many state highpoints as he could. Although he was not yet a member of the Highpointers Club he did have the pocket edition of Charlie and Diane Winger’s book Highpoint Adventures.
I reached the trailhead parking lot at 4:20PM and drove to the Pinery Butterfield Stage Station ruins and the Frijole Ranch, which are part of the National Park, and did a brief walking tour of both areas. I then headed back north and stopped at Carlsbad Caverns National Park to watch thousands of bats leave the cave at sunset. I arrived at least an hour before sunset. During that time a Park Ranger gave a presentation to the fairly small crowd. She was assisted by a baby rattlesnake and a tarantula that just happened to be in the amphitheatre at the time. The Ranger admitted she was afraid of snakes but everyone wanted to get close and take pictures of both critters. The Ranger also told us about the time someone was filming a video of one of the other Rangers giving the presentation while a Mountain Lion was very slowly moving across the cliffs above the cave. Neither the person taking the video or anyone else in the amphitheatre, including the Ranger, ever noticed the Mountain Lion until they saw it while watching the video. I guess that explains why very few people have ever seen Mountain Lions while hiking in the wild. I’m sure the Mountain Lions have seen many of us.
The bats started leaving the cave at approximately 7:30PM. I watched thousands of bats darkening the sky until about 8:00PM. From where I was sitting I also had a great view of the planet Mars beyond the cave to the southeast and most of the bats seemed to be flying off in that direction. The bats were still coming out when I left but it was getting too dark to see them. I headed north and got back to my condo just before midnight.
I climbed Guadalupe Peak the morning of 9/4. I flew into El Paso Thursday night, then spend Friday checking out Carlsbad Caverns (well worth the trip, and a lot better than Mammoth Cave, Kentucky IMO.)
I got on the trail a bit before 7AM, a little more than 3 hours later I was standing on top. Pretty clear day, warm but not hot, light breeze - great day to be on top of Texas.
But the real story was my hiking shoes - they are a few years old and a bit worn in. As it turned out, they were TOO worn in, because about 1/2way up the sole of my right shoe came off! In retrospect, I should have turned around & left the hiking for another day. Instead, I thought "I can make it up & back down" and kept going. When I got to the top I mentioned to a couple people what had happened. "We know, we saw your sole down on the trail" was the response I got - but wait, didn't I pick that up? Then I checked my other shoe and realized the sole had come off of IT, too. Yikes!!
Long story short, it took longer to get back down than it had taken to come up. I finally limped back into the parking lot at about 3:00PM, the only thing holding the bottom of my shoes intact was my shoelaces which I had rigged to wrap around the plastic insole so it wouldn't come flying off on the trail (which happened a few times, anyway.)
On Sunday I checked out White Sands and the Gila Cliff Dwellings, which is well worth seeing if you are near Deming/Silver City.
“Once you are in Texas it seems to take forever to get out, and some people never make it....Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word....Texas is the only state that came into the Union by treaty. It retains the right to secede at will....It is a mystique closely approximating a religion....Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans.”
John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley
It was appropriate that my first trip to Texas should involve the bagging of its highest point. I had been contemplating this journey for the past eight years and my main concern was not the altitude of the peak but the weather patterns around the area. Last year it had been my intention to climb Guadalupe Peak in October 2005 but when checking the weather patterns around Guadalupe Peak I saw that it had been uncommonly rainy and stormy with massive flooding. Then I read a travel article in my local newspaper that said that one of the best times to visit Guadalupe Peak and the West Texas area is November. I decided to take a chance and move my trip back a month and pray for good luck. My prayers were rewarded when I got to spend ten lovely days visiting El Paso, Big Bend National Park, the Davis Mountains, and topping it off by bagging my 19th high point when I climbed Guadalupe Peak.
My base camp for climbing Guadalupe Peak was a dusty whistle-stop along the I-10 and the Southern Pacific Railway named Van Horn, Texas. Van Horn is a town that seems to be slowly dying as testament to the number of abandoned or burned out businesses that dot its main drag. Van Horn is an overnight haven for truckers or RVers who are on their way to somewhere else. I was unique. I actually spent three nights in Van Horn. I got into Van Horn on the 16th and checked the weather report via the computer at my hotel. The weather channel predicted perfect weather for the 17th and not so perfect weather for the 18th. Armed with this knowledge I loaded up on supplies for the journey. I was bringing five liters of water and six candy bars for the hike. I had my usual hiking equipment courtesy of L.L. Bean. I intended to get started at 6:00AM Van Horn time. (Van Horn is in the Central Time zone but Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in the Mountain Time zone. That factor alone caused me some problems getting some sleep during my trip).
As always I slept poorly that night. Even though I had a wake-up call at 6:00AM I was too anxious to sleep properly. I was up about 5:00AM waiting for the show to begin. When the call came I was out the door and having breakfast at the Sands Restaurant on the edge of town. Sunrise was at 7:30AM Central Time so I was eating French toast, sausage patties, and scrambled eggs in the pre-dawn darkness. I was back at the hotel at 6:25AM and quickly packed my equipment into the car (a silver Ford Focus). I left the hotel at 6:30AM and immediately got on Route 54 going due north towards the park. I needed something to keep me awake after a poor night’s sleep so I decided to play the disc one of the Who’s 1970 Isle of Wight concert CD. Within seconds the car’s interior reverberated with Pete Townsend’s jagged power chords and Keith Moon’s manic drumming.
I was doing 70 MPH so it took me an hour to get to the park. While I was driving I was treated to some interesting and dazzling vistas along the way. Route 54 takes you through some desolate mountain country. The atmosphere is one of isolation but here and there I could see some distant ranches tucked into the folds of the mountainous terrain. How those ranches maintained themselves is beyond my comprehension because the adjective that best describes this area is parched. To the West I could see the moon looking full and bright in its grayness. To the East I could see the faint glow of the pre-dawn sunlight slowly filtering its way through the gaps and declivities of the mountains. I spied various shades of orange and red light forming a colorful backdrop behind the eastern peaks. I encountered no other vehicles on the road during my drive. One time, near the end, I had to stop to make a pit stop along the road side. One thing that strikes me about the desert is how silent it is.
Finishing my ablutions, I made tracks for the park. As soon as I reached Route 62/180 I switched into the Mountain Time Zone (henceforth all times will be Mountain Time unless otherwise noted). It’s seven miles to Guadalupe Mountains National Park from the junction. It was 7:00AM when I reached the entrance and made my way to the Pine Springs Campground parking lot. One should note that the roadyway to the campground has now been completely paved whereas before it was a dirt road. There was as ample parking at the campground and I found a spot near the restrooms. It took me nearly thirty minutes to get my equipment together and to put on my hiking outfit. There were a few RVs parked at the lot and there was one nice gentleman sitting on a lawn chair enjoying the sunrise while preparing his breakfast (I asked him to take a picture of me at the trailhead before I began my journey—which he gladly did).
My main worry about the hike had been about the weather and not the hike itself. The greatest miracle in life is always a prayer that is answered. God answered my prayer and then some. I was treated to perfect, optimum conditions for hiking. The entire day was sunny, cool, clear, and very little wind at the lower elevations. Visibility was limitless in the morning hours although there was some haze later on as the day got warmer. There were no clouds at all. Never in my highpointing career was I granted such perfect weather.
At the trailhead there is a bulletin board containing relevant information as to hiking conditions plus the register is kept there. I was the first person up the trail for the 17th and I left my spoor before setting off. It was 7:27AM. The trail branches off from the other trails instantly and you start switchbacking almost right from the start. The trail in the beginning is more rock than earth. You are exposed at the start. When you reach the first mountain proper the trail winds back and forth from sunlight to shadow; from windward to leeward. The higher up you go on the first mountain the narrower the trail becomes. Obviously people ride horses on this trail though I can’t see how because it got very narrow at certain points. (Periodically I would see signs instructing horse-riders to dismount). Throughout the ascent I was completely alone. I had not had a chance to get acclimatised therefore I adopted a slow, leisurely pace to conserve energy. I chose a policy of hiking fifty minutes with ten minute restbreaks for water and food. I had enough supplies to get the job done. I never lacked for anything. I took breaks at 8:15AM and 9:15AM. The first break was just around the bend from the first mountain. I was in the leeward side but could see the parking lot from my position. Upon resuming the hike I entered the timberzone of the mountain. This portion of the trail was my favorite part of the hike. You are covered by moderate stands of ponderosa pine and the trail becomes softer and level as it traverses the first mountain and the second mountain along the way.
After my second rest break I was surprised to encounter a middle-aged male hiker descending the trail. Interestingly he had summitted the day before and had spent the night at the campsite below the summit. (I would later pass it on the ascent). When he told me that he had spent the night I was amazed because the weather the night before had been very cold in the mid-twenties). I asked him if he had seen anyone else on the trail above and he said no. I asked him how much I had to go and he said I was about halfway there. (I was a little disappointed. I thought I was closer because I saw a high mountain ahead of me but the guy told me that was a false summit. The true summit lay beyond).
When you reach the third elevation you switchback some more along an exposed ledge until you round a corner. There you find a small bridge over a gap in the trail. (Once you’ve crossed the bridge that’s when you know you are making the final approach to the summit). When I got there I could see hitching posts higher up and the metallic glint and gleam of the monument atop the summit of Guadalupe Peak. I knew I was close. I took a deep breath and began the final approach. After the relative ease and comfort of the middle part of the hike, the task of reaching the summit became tougher. The final switchbacks are narrower and steeper. The trail contains more loose scree and the footings are a touch trickier. After switching back a few times I rounded a corner into a sun-bleached trail. I looked down a few times and knew it would be a long drop if I made a false step. As I got closer it got cooler. The winds picked up a touch (although they were not intolerable). Just before you reach the summit you see a small sign telling you that the summit is this way (apparently that is to warn the horse-riders because the hitching posts are in the opposite direction of the final trail to the summit).
I made the turn and kept walking up and then, suddenly, like a a punch in the face, there it is: the monument. For a second I did a doubletake and then I hugged and kissed the monument, knowing I had reached my goal. It was 9:57AM. The ascent had taken me 2.5 hours. I did the now familiar rituals: the trinity of prayers, the photos of me with the U.S. and Texas state flags, the panoramic shots from the summit, the exploration of the summit region, and making my entry into the summit register (as I expected I was the first person on the summit that day).
As expected the views were magnificent. Visibility was limitless. I could see from horizon to horizon. No clouds obscured the view. Although there was haze on the outer limits of the horizon, I was struck by the crystal clarity of the autumn atmosphere of the summit. This was the signal moment of my trip and I felt shriven from my past sins because of this.
I spent an hour atop the summit. No one else came up during that time. I sat atop the summit like a penitent sentinel observing life rotate around me. Actually my mind slowly became blank. I had no major thoughts. In a way I was going through an emotional and spiritual purging of the past three months where I had endured a great deal of emotional pain. I was experiencing a Zen-like disconnection from myself. Yes, I was atop the summit but I might as well be elsewhere as well. That is not a criticism of the summit or the park itself. Actually I say this as praise because I felt that the summit (and the journey itself) had healed me for the time being of the pain of being myself in a strange home that seemed cold, hostile, and alien to me. If you ever meet me, you will find that I am at my best when I am on the road; when I am away from home because that is when I am free of the baggage I am fleeing from; that is why I am a packaged tourist on the Magical Mystery Tour called life. What I experienced was not unique. I’ve felt this before. When I climbed Bear Butte in South Dakota, I experienced a similar emptying of my internal burdens and felt healed for the moment by some Greater Power.
Even in my reverie, I kept myself occupied. I tried to find the survey marker without success (underneath the monument?). I noticed the rocks are white in color (limestone?) The rocks were tucked between tufts of what could have been tundra grass or stunted trees. I couldn’t tell. I finished my water bottle and ate a candy bar. My main thoughts were on the descent. Going down the final steps on the summit trail were going to be hairy. I needed to be gentle with my movements and show caution.
It was 10:57AM when I started the descent. I adopted a tortoise like pace, making sure my center of gravity was low and my footholds were firm. When I rounded the bend and was taking the switchbacks downward I ran into another hiker, a young guy. I told him he would be at the summit in 17 minutes. (The guy was a fast hiker. Soon after I made it back to the trailhead, he returned as well). Then, before I reached the bridge, I encountered a British couple from Newcastle in the North Country of England. We said hello and goodbye. After I crossed the bridge I encountered a couple wearing National Park Service volunteer uniforms. Whether they worked in the park, I didn’t know. They were the only people I encountered during my descent.
Once I reached the bridge, I relaxed a bit in my hiking. The trail had broadened and flattened out and it was a matter of walking the remaining distance. Again I took two rest breaks at 11:46AM and 12:45PM. My body was saturated with sweat. At the lower elevations I was a bit over-dressed (but atop the summit my warm clothing was a blessing. It was cold and I needed to wear my gloves as well).
It was 1:28PM when I reached the car. The Pine Springs Campground has excellent facilities. There is a restroom, picnic ground, information kiosks, and a payphone, all within easy access. I called my parents, used the facilities to clean up, changed my clothes, and loaded my equipment into the car. I stopped by the Visitor’s Center to buy two postcards to send to friends and loved ones and left the Park at 2:12PM. I didn’t return to Van Horn until 4:12PM Central Time.
I must say that the Guadalupe Peak trail is one of the most sparsely used trails I’ve ever encountered. Quite an interesting experience to say the least!
And now for the obligatory ‘thank yous’. First and foremost: to God, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen; to the Quality Inn and Suites in El Paso for letting me stay at their lovely hotel; to the Best Western Hotel in Alpine for the same reasons: to Thrifty Car rental in El Paso for the silver Ford Focus that took me 1346 miles in ten days; to La Casita restaurant in Alpine for the delicious Mexican food; to the Longhorn Steakhouse in Alpine for the great Tex-Mex food as well; to Big Bend National Park for all the wonderful, glorious scenic wonders. Big Bend is one of the best kept secrets in the National Park system. Please give it a visit some day. You won’t be disappointed; to all personnel working at the Sul Ross University and the Culberson County libraries in Alpine and Van Horn, Texas, respectively for letting me use their computers to keep up to date with my email and my personal projects during my vacation. Sul Ross is a quiet, friendly university nestled in the hills overlooking Alpine. It was named after Sul Ross, a famous Texas Ranger who helped protect white settlers from Comanche raids during the mid-19th century; to Cappetto’s Italian restaurant in El Paso. If you have a hankering for great Italian food give Cappetto’s a try. The veal, the garlic bread, and the pasta were delicious!; to Monsignor Arturo Banuelas, pastor of Saint Pius X church in El Paso, for celebrating a great Mass the night before I returned home and for giving a rousing, magnificent, loving sermon that reaffirmed my faith (when it badly needed reaffirming). Monsignor Banuelas is a true man of God. Vaya con Dios!
Next year’s objective will be Mount Elbert in Colorado next September. It will be my first attempt past 14,000 feet. See you at the highpoints!
I know it's not really a visit when you fly over. But it was awesome to see from the sky I wanted to mention it. We were flying from DFW to LAX. I always bring my road atlas even when flying because I love trying to figure out the towns and places we're flying over.
After seeing what I thought was the Pecos River and what might be it's Red Bluff Resevoir, I soon saw El Capitan lit up from the morning sun. Being that we've done Guadalupe before, there was no mistake what El Capitan looked like when you were above it. We also saw what we think was McKintrick Canyon and the salt flats to the west. We were not able to see the surrounding roads though.
I hiked Guadalupe on Aug. 27, 2007. Left the trailhead at 9 am and got back down at 8:30 pm. The weather was perfect, I was feeling good, and so what was the problem? Why over eleven hours to make a supposedly 7 hour hike. No.1, I twisted my knee about 2 hours into the climb but kept on going. That was a mistake. No. 2 , the entire trail is limestone rubble, making every step an adventure. I was lucky to get down, in fact the park ranger stayed at the trailhead and waited for me to finally hobble into the parking area. My only reason for posting this is to let hikers know that the entire trail is really treacherous due to the loose rubble, so be sure you have plenty of time and good solid boots. Other than that , the hike was great and the hospitality of the rangers and the park volunteers was surely appreciated.
I climbed Guadalupe Peak on Sunday morning, 04 May 2008. I spent the previous night at a motel in Carlsbad, N.M., about an hour or so away. Unless you're camping, there is no place to stay in the immediate vicinity.
I started out from the Pine Springs Campground trailhead at 7:25a MDT. It was a nice cool morning with some high clouds and very little wind. It's about 4.25 miles to the summit with 3000+ feet of vertical gain, so the trail is pretty steep in places, especially at the beginning and the end. For the first two miles or so there are frequent switchbacks as you gain elevation pretty rapidly. At 9:30a I crossed the bridge and passed the spur trail to the primitive campground. Soon after that you can see the summit pinnacle, but it's about a half mile of steep trail to get there. I reached the summit and its curious aluminum pyramid at 10:25a MDT, three hours after starting out. Some campers had signed the summit register earlier, but I appear to have been the first hiker from the trailhead to have reached the top. In the half hour I spent at the summit about a half dozen more hikers arrived. It was cool but, fortunately, not very breezy at the Top o' Texas. The view was a little hazy but still quite nice.
I started down at 10:55a MDT. It was only going down that I really noticed some fairly severe downside exposure in three or four places along the trail. Most of the trail consists of loose limestone chat, so it's easy to slip and slide, and caution is recommended in the exposed areas. I reached the trailhead at 1:25p MDT, so 2.5 hours on the descent and six hours total elapsed time. I carried 2.5 liters of water and a quart of PowerAde Option with me, along with a few granola bars. I consumed all of the liquid en route, and could have used more. If it had been a hot day I would have gotten very dehydrated, so I recommend taking a generous about of fluid with you.
The National Park Service maintains the entire area, so access is not a problem. There is a $5.00 access fee, or you can use your Parks Pass. This is a strenuous hike, certainly the most difficult of my 26 state highpoints to date, but it is worth the effort.
(just a note - glad to see the trip report forum still here. thought it was gone forever when americas roof shut down)
This was an instance where it was better than the first time. We climbed this peak ten years ago and it was awesome to savor this park a second time in the summertime. When we were here 10 years ago, we missed out on the summer flowers and flora. Heed the warnings about hiking in the heat. By noon it was already 93 degrees.
We started out at 6:10am and it took 3h 19m 50s (10 seconds short of 200 minutes)to summit. We got back to the trailhead at 12:41pm. Took us longer to get back since I developed some serious blisters from some ill fitting boots. Despite the discomfort, we thoroughly loved every minute of our adventure. Returning to GMNP was something we wanted to do again.
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