We arrive at Guadalupe Mountains National Park midday with the wind hot and howling!
Desert dry this campsite...however, its one of the best out of the 20 available to tent campers. (Site #13)
May 13th - our goal...to hike to the top of Texas! Guadalupe peak is the highest point in the Lone Star State measuring in at 8749'.
The first mile and a half of the Guadalupe Peaks Trail is straight up! And mostly unshaded. The total vertical climb is close to 3000 feet and you cover two thirds of that in the first mile!
One of Guadalupe's landmarks is El Capitan. Not quite as spectacular as the El Cap in Yosemite...however, for this barren desert Park, it is something to look at!
A somewhat clear day with a great view of the TX and NM wastelands! Smoke still lingers from the fires creating hazy conditions. Add a bit of 35 mph winds to kick up the dust and you've got visual grief!
Color is a rare find along this trail, however, at the top of the hill, we're treated to several Claret Cup Cacti in bloom.
May 14th - Last night as we finished cooking our meal, the Ranger came by to notify us that all flame has been prohibited in the Park. No campfires. No Matches. No Cigarettes. No Coleman stoves. In other words...no bacon and Hotcakes for this morning's breakfast! These parts are parchment paper ready to explode into flame. No precipitation for many moons.
So what's a hotcake craving camper to do? Drive 55 miles north to the city of Carlsbad and have the best French Toast breakfast ever at the Blue House Cafe!
On our return trip from the Blue House, we stopped off at the northeastern part of the Park to explore McKittrick Canyon. What a surprise! This is a "must do" hike if you should ever visit this Park!
Our original goal was to hike the 6.8 mile round trip trail (rated moderate) that would take us to the Grotto, Hunter Line Cabin and the Pratt Lodge. Along the way, we meet up with a Ranger who suggests we hike up to the "notch". This section of the hike added another 3 miles to the trek...and another 2000' of elevation gain! (Notch rating: strenuous!) The view of the Canyon was great. The hike up was a butt-kicker!
At the end of the first segment of our trek we came to "the Grotto" which appeared to be the inside of a monster's mouth with many uvula's dangling from its ceiling!
The fascinating part of our McKittrick Canyon hike was to discover that water actually flowed down the creek bed creating a lush oasis in this desert landscape.
Even more amazing...we happened upon a small pool of water along the creek that was teaming with tiny trout!
We saw plenty of Mule Deer wandering thru our campsite. And once you've seen a few Mule Deer, you've pretty much seen as many as you need to see. However, its not every day you come across a Centipede sharing the trail!
Once again, the McKittrick Canyon Trail had quickly become one of our most favorite hikes throughout all of the National Park trails we have hiked. I suppose it was because what we saw was so unexpected! Water! A wide variety of trees and shrubs. Texas Madrones. Willows. Walnut. Maple. Ash. Oak. Chokecherry. Juniper. Ponderosa Pine. Trout! Monster uvula's!
This hike would be incredible during the Fall Color season! That would be the time to visit Guadalupe!
After packing up the Hob, Terry and I decided to take one last hike while in Guadalupe before heading up to Carlsbad Caverns. The Devil's Hall Trail seemed inviting so off we go on a relatively flat, 4.2 mile trek up the Pine Springs Canyon.
Hiking together has made us one happy couple! Each trek we take together provides us with the excitement of exploring the unexpected. Around each bend, over each boulder, we've come to appreciate not only the magic of Mother Nature... we've found that our love for one another continues to grow stronger each day!
It's safe to say Mrs. Bink has had a great time trekking the Hall!
Movin' along.
Time to move along to our next Park - #25 - Carlsbad Caverns.
For the insomniacs - the whole enchilada to follow:
Chapter 24 – Guadalupe Mountain
Day 4 – May 12th
Upon exiting Big Bend, we stopped at the Panther Junction Visitor’s Center to mail the Post Cards Terry had written last evening. Much to our pleasant surprise, we spot a couple of Javalina hanging around the Center. Skittish little buggers…they darted off into the sage brush before I could shoot a decent picture of them!
Javalinas are generally thought to be a part of the pig family. Not to be. Although they resemble a pig, Javalinas (or collard peccaries) are genetically different. They are covered with black, bristly hair, weigh between 40 and 60 pounds when fully grown, have very bad eyesight, but a keen sense of smell! Nevertheless, Terry had never seen a Javalina in the flesh. So there you go!
The drive from Big Bend to Guadalupe is about 280 miles of the same drab landscape we’ve now become accustomed to! The two bright spots along the drive are the town of Marathon and the Prada Shop we saw about halfway between Marfa and Valentine!
Prada? In the middle of this dusty, wind-swept landscape? If you ever find yourself traveling along Hwy 90 in Texas…keep your eyes peeled for the Prada Store!
We arrive at Guadalupe Mountains National Park midday. Our first impression – Uggh! Not exactly what we’ve been accustomed to during our tour of our country’s National Parks. What a nasty looking place! Hot. Dry. Barren. Windy.
Time to set up camp. We search the 20 Tent Sites and choose #13. It’s situated quite a distance away from the Shitter (typically Terry’s #1 criteria for a campsite is close proximity to the potty)…however, #13 appears to be the most private of the lot.
It’s too late and too hot to hike, so after setting up camp, we drive 55 miles north to the city of Carlsbad to restock our ice and supplies. By now, you should have a pretty good idea as to what the terrain has to offer between Guadalupe and Carlsbad.
Upon returning to camp, we fire up the Coleman for a dinner consisting of Chicken and Chile. Immediately after dinner the Ranger comes by our camp to notify us that effective immediately…all fire has officially been banned from use in Guadalupe. So dry is this parched Park (and surrounding area) that they put a total ban on all ignition. No campfires. No cigarettes. No striking matches. No Coleman stoves. No flame period! Which meant…no hot meals for these Trekkers! No Mac n Cheese. No bacon and hotcakes for breakfast! No COFFEE! For god’s sake, what sort of place is this? This Park has quickly descended to the bottom of the Binkelian National Park Ranking Report!
With the ever present wind howling and the news that we will be eating cold meals for the next several days, we crawl into the Hop and attempt sleep in this most inhospitable environment!
Day 5 – May 13th
Cold cereal for breakfast. Uggh. I crave crispy thick sliced Bacon and Hotcakes we had come prepared to feast upon this morning! Not to be Smoky! Today we hike the Guadalupe Peak Trail – a strenuous 8.4-mile round trip trek with a vertical climb of close to 3000 feet – up to the tallest point in Texas. Guadalupe Peak measures in at 8749’.
The first mile and a half of this trail is very steep – in fact, two thirds of the elevation gain is covered in the first mile and a half! And most of the first section offers little shade. It’s dry. Windy. Uninspiring. Outside of the exercise, we are beginning to wonder what the heck we’re doing here in the Guadalupe mountains! Trek on Binkele’s!
For the first two miles, we see not another soul on this trail. Half way up, the desert yields to forest. Pines and such now shade the trail. We encounter a couple of college girls who were already descending from the summit. They made it to the top in under two and a half hours. (Young legs!) We meet one other gent also descending. He informs us that there is nobody else on the hill.
The accent up the path has become gentler as we reach the three-mile mark along the trail. Now things are beginning to look like a National Park! The desert landscape yields to forest with a wide assortment of trees consisting of dense stands of Ponderosa Pine, Doug Firs, southwestern white pine and intertwined with aspen. As we continue to climb, both the wind and temperature begin to ease up.
As we near the summit we get a great view of the backside of El Capitan, the predominent geological formation defining the area. It is said that 250 million years ago, this region was covered by the Permian Ocean. On the perimeter of this vast sea, a reef was formed. Not a coral reef as we know them, but an ancient reef comprised of dead plants and animals, lime secreting organisms and calcareous sponges. Over time, the four hundred mile long horseshoe shaped limestone mass called Capitan Reef was formed.
Eventually, the Permian Ocean evaporated and the reef was thrust upward creating what is now the Guadalupe Mountain Range – which is actually an ancient reef!
We summit the Peak in a little under 4 hours and picnic under the watchful eye of a triangular metal monument installed in 1958 to mark the summit and commemorate the overland stage routes as well as air travel. Strange bedfellow – Stage coaches and airplanes. American Airlines provided the monument! Ah ha!
Many a snag fills my camera lens as we descend the trail. Our opinion of Guadalupe has improved a couple of notches. The wind has quieted and tonite we dine on Salad!
Day 6 – May 14th
Up at the crack of dawn, we notice the hot weather is taking its toll on our supply of ice. We decide to make another drive into Carlsbad to reload our ice chest and get a cup of hot coffee (since we were unable to brew our own this morning!) Our visit to Albertsons for ice and coffee provides us with ice…however, this Albertson’s (unlike most civilized supermarkets) does not have a Starbucks or coffee station! Thankfully, the helpful staff is quick to point us in the direction of a local favorite – the Blue House.
Only a block from Alberston’s, we find a very blue house in what appears to be a residential neighborhood-turned-commercial open for business! What a find! The coffee is sensational and the French Toast is the best we’ve ever had! Their secret? The homemade bread.
McKittrick Canyon
After breakfast, we head back down Hwy 180 toward Guadalupe making a stop at the northeastern part of the Park to explore the McKittrick Canyon. What a surprise! This is a "must do" hike if you should ever visit this Park! We come to find water in the creek! Amazing! Where is it coming from? This place has been dehydrated for months!
Our original goal was to hike the 6.8-mile round trip trail (rated moderate) that would take us to the Grotto, Hunter Line Cabin and the Pratt Lodge. Along the way, we meet up with a Ranger who suggests we hike up to the "notch". “Great views of both sides of the Valley,” the Ranger explains. The new section of the hike adds another couple of miles to the trek...and another 2000' of elevation gain! (Notch rating: strenuous!) The view of the Canyon was as advertised. The hike up - a very steep butt-kicker – and worth every drop of perspiration!
After reaching the “notch”, we eat our lunch and head back down the trail to Pratt Cabin.
The Grotto
Prior to climbing the steeps up to the Notch, we took a side trail and visited the Grotto and the Hunter Line Cabin. The Grotto is an unusual geologic formation which appears to be the inside of a monster's mouth with many uvula's dangling from its ceiling! A few hundred paces from the Grotto, you’ll find the historic Hunter Line Cabin - the well preserved albeit vacant former cabin of Judge J.C. Hunter.
The Pratt Cabin
In 1921, Wallace Pratt made a hundred mile journey to the mouth of the McKittrick Canyon to see what he had been told was “the most beautiful spot in Texas.” He instantly fell in love with the area and soon bought16,000 acres and built a stone cabin inside this desert oasis!
Pratt and his wife Iris lived in the cabin on and off until they retired in 1945. In 1957, Pratt gifted 5600 acres of his property to the U.S. government which served as the beginnings of Guadalupe Mountain National Park. Thank you, Wallace, for sharing this amazing environment with all of us!
Like Pratt, Terry and I were astounded by the stark contrast between the dry desert landscape which represents much of the Guadalupe Mountains and surrounding area and this incredible oasis of a canyon! The spring fed creek runs year around in spite of the drought and has helped perpetuate a wide variety of vegetation including Texas Madrones, Willows. Walnut, Maple, Ash, Oak, Chokecherry, Juniper and Ponderosa Pine. Also prevalent are the desert varieties. Yucca and sotol along with prickly pear and cholla are found along the Canyon’s trails.
While the creek breathes life to the vegetation in the area, much to our surprise, we were fascinated to find a small pool of water nestled amongst the trees housing a half dozen or so tiny trout! Trout in the middle of the desert? Incredible!
We saw plenty of Mule Deer wandering thru our campsite. And once you've seen a few Mule Deer, you've pretty much seen as many as you need to see. However, its not every day you come across a Centipede sharing the trail! As we concluded our trek thru McKittrick Canyon, we were delighted to happen upon a colorful centipede scampering across the rocky path. It seems this fellow was in a bit of a hurry to find a large rock to hide under as overhead lurked a couple of low flying birds!
When comparing this hike to all the others we’ve taken during our Trek thru the Parks, McKittrick Canyon Trail has become one of our most favorites. I suppose it was because what we experienced was so unexpected! Water! A wide variety of trees and shrubs. Trout! Monster uvula's! This hike would be incredible during the Fall Color season! That would be the time to visit Guadalupe!
I’ve got to say, this hike really cranked up the opinion meter regarding Guadalupe! Originally, I couldn’t wait to vacate this place. However, now after hiking up Guadalupe Peak and trekking thru McKittrick Canyon, I would definitely come back to experience it once again.
May 15th - Devil's Hall Trek
After packing up the Hob, Terry and I decided to take one last hike while in Guadalupe before heading up to Carlsbad Caverns. The Devil's Hall Trail seemed inviting so off we go on a relatively flat, 4.2-mile trek up the Pine Springs Canyon.
The first mile of the trail is well defined. However, once you pass the Guadalupe Peak Horse Trail, the path dips down into the bottom of the dry canyon creek bed. From there, you’ll follow the canyon upstream keeping an eye out for the cairns which help mark the way.
As you approach Devil’s Hall, you’ll come to the Hiker’s Staircase – a natural rock stairway that you might think is the end of the trail. It is not! Climb the stairs and continue upstream! Soon thereafter, you will reach the Hall and at the north end of it a sign that reads “End of Trail.”
This is a great spot to break out your picnic lunch and enjoy the company of your hiking mate! For Terry and me, hiking together has made us one happy couple! Each trek we take together provides us with the excitement of exploring the unexpected. Around each bend, over each boulder, we've come to appreciate not only the magic of Mother Nature... we've found that our love for one another continues to grow stronger each day!
Strange as it may sound…but Guadalupe has become one of our favorite Parks…which goes to say you cannot tell the character of the Park by its inhospitable Campground!
Off we go to Park #25 – Carlsbad Caverns.
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