Hikes this steep through exposed mountainsides demanded early starts. We would attempt Guadalupe Peak, Texas’ highest point. Four of the state’s highest peaks, all 8,700 feet above sea level, sit within the park. Starting out, the trail wound past the mostly dry Pine Springs. A mule deer grazed a few hundred feet away.
Desert terrain seen from an unexpected forest |
Just as the desert switchbacks seemed to push against our limits, we hit a false summit – Guadalupe Peak has many – and stood in a pine forest. The air felt 20 degrees cooler here, reviving us instantly after the tough initial ascent.
A relic from a time when the Chihuahuan Desert was cooler, the forest felt out of place but was still welcome relief. Because it does not receive the same levels of sunshine as other faces of the mountain, the forest remains despite brutally dry surrounding conditions.
Unseen beneath its branches sat an ecosystem out of place, where elk, turkeys, deer, mountain lions and other mountain fauna wander. The forest stretches out into the deep canyons, striking deep contrasts with the desert plants one thousand vertical feet on either side.
Frequently along the path we encountered a heavy stench of ammonia not unlike a used litter box. It would not be hard to imagine the region’s mountain lions wandering the forested mountainsides at night, doing their best to mark territory and remove traces of human visitors.
Nancy on the bridge |
As for Willie, try looking down from those West Texas heights and not imagining his desert-ready guitar work. We passed the campground site and crossed a small wooden bridge on a tough section of the mountain. From there, the path looped back into the later morning sunshine, and there was little shade as the vegetation returned to yucca and cacti.
As we neared the peak, the switchbacks jogged between the desert crags and the northern forest. Not that any step became easier.I felt a little gassed after all the high steps. Our stops grew more frequent. Some corners required a brief scramble across the rocks. One of stops brought us out above El Capitan, the rocky peak we admired from the desert floor a day earlier.
El Capitan is not so imposing here |
Before I did anything, I signed the log book secured in a metal box at the pyramid base; if a heart attack were about to strike, I was not getting robbed of recording our summit visit. I’m pretty sure the metal latch got damaged from my attempt at opening the box, but no matter – the log book was almost full and for all we know, NPS just tosses them in the garbage went they replace them.
The summit was rather spacious. During our time there, three other parties milled around, picnicked and took their own pictures with the American Airlines-funded pyramid. We spent about 30 minutes on the summit.
Caves in the rock wall |
Soaring birds ruled the skies of Guadalupe Peak, where many crows looped among other species. The most regal was a golden eagle drifting in the crosswinds until abrupt entering a sharp, focused dive for prey.
Looking down on Pine Springs, many switchbacks later |
Just before 2 p.m., I tripped my way into the parking lot. Seriously, after eight 8.2 rough miles, with all sorts of broken rock on the path, my foot snagged a curb and nearly sent me sprawling. Nancy arrived minutes after me, and we roared away from the mountain. We just got in the car and left. All I could do was follow El Capitan in the rearview and know that I looked down upon that imposing peak.
After a brief rest, we adjourned to Carsbad’s Trinity Hotel, a restore bank building that housed a nice restaurant and bar. Trinity primarily poured wine from two New Mexico wineries, Balzano and Luna Rossa (owners of the former also owned the hotel). The food was tasty, the dessert was better. They also had Marble Brewery IPA, a luxury for those of us who lack regular access to New Mexico’s premier craft brewer. Before leaving Carlsbad, we stopped at Albertsons for a six-pack. A dam swells the Pecos River and the city wisely built a series of paths along the banks.
Soon we left Carlsbad, the aching in our muscles and bones too strong to ignore. Again the sun set below the Capitan Reef as we burned down the desert highway. Tonight there would be no encore at the bat cave. Well, the bats would be there, but we would rest soundly before the last daylight faded.
Jotting out a few postcards, we readied for well-earned sleep. As I walked to the White’s City post office to mail my mad scribbles, a number of free-tailed bats nabbed insects draw to the general store’s flood lights. I could no longer see the shadow of El Capitan, but after so many hours in its presence, I didn't need to.
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