GUADALUPE
The
wind finally eased late Friday night, and Saturday dawned clear. There was a fresh blanket of snow on the
mountains, promising a beautiful hike up Guadalupe Peak.
Breakfast
was once again a challenge. I kept my
canister of stove fuel in my sleeping bag with me all night, but it froze up
when I put it on the icy picnic table. I
started the mini-van, put the canister on the dash, and cranked up the defrost. The fuel
thawed after a few minutes and I was able to make my breakfast burritos and
coffee.
I
broke camp and made the 100 yard drive up to the trailhead. Although it was still below freezing and
there was snow on the ground I started out under-dressed. I knew I’d be going uphill, and I didn’t want
to overheat. I had a 3,000’ climb ahead
of me, in a little less than 4 ˝ miles.
The
hike was a steady climb on a well-graded trail.
The first half of the climb had a couple of inches of snow, but no
ice. I brought my Yaktrax in my pack,
but I never needed them. I did encounter
some ice on the descent, but I was able to work around it.
The
last couple of miles were in a winter wonderland, where every plant was covered
in rime ice. The snow was deeper,
too. There were a couple of spots where
it was knee deep, but for the most part the snow was 4-6”. There were fantastic views throughout the
ascent, primarily of Mount Hunter and the desert to the east. On a couple of occasions I saw the frosty
summit of Guadalupe Peak ahead. However,
billowing clouds rising up from the northwest would periodically obscure the
peak. I was hopeful that they would
clear off by the time I reached the top.
The rest of the sky was clear.
There
were actually quite a few hikers on the mountain. When I finally reached the summit there were
two guys there. They didn’t stick around
for long though. It was still below freezing
despite the sunshine, and while the wind had eased considerably, it was still
biting. I can’t imagine what it would’ve
been like up there with 70mph winds!
When
I arrived the summit was partially obscured by clouds. Those clouds began breaking up shortly after
the other hikers started down. First
they revealed Shumard Peak to the north, and then the
desert to the west. I explored the
summit and its marker. At 8,749’,
Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas.
I
had a snack and stayed on the summit as long as I could. Conditions were rapidly improving, but
sitting in the snow wasn’t appealing and it was too cold to stand there for
long. I held out for 30 minutes. Shortly before I left, the sheer cliffs of El
Capitan began to emerge from the fog. El
Capitan was due south, and almost directly below
me. I’d read about a route to the top of
El Capitan from Guadalupe Peak, but it requires a long bushwhack and
scramble. I decided against it due to
the snow. I also had some time
constraints, since I still had to drive to Terlingua
on the edge of Big Bend National Park that night.
Two
other hikers arrived just as I was leaving.
I was glad to let them have the summit to themselves. I was eager to warm back up! I enjoyed the hike back down, as the rime ice
was sparkling in the sun. The descent
was largely uneventful, and the snow had melted from the last ˝ mile of
trail.
Once
back at the mini-van I changed clothes and checked on my stowaway field
mouse. I decided to name him Guadalupe,
or ‘lupe, for short.
I hoped that ‘lupe wanted to go to Big Bend
National Park, because that was where we were heading.
The
drive south was actually pleasant. On
the way out of the park I stopped twice to take in the view of the massive
cliffs of El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak.
After that it was miles and miles of desert, with only the occasional
small town to interrupt the endless expanse.
I arrived at the Big Bend Resort (a hotel / RV park) at 9pm. The tent camping area certainly isn’t
anything special, but it was an adequate place to crash for one night. I took a shower (8 quarters for 6 minutes)
and then drove into Terlingua for dinner. I arrived at the Starlight Theater at 9:45,
which was 15 minutes before they closed the kitchen. My timing had been exceptional throughout the
day.
The
Starlight was pretty quiet – there were just a handful of locals at the
bar. I had 4 fish tacos, a salad, a huge
basket of chips and salsa, and 2 locally-brewed draft beers for $21 (plus
tip). How can you beat that?
Back to Texas
Back to Hiking and Backpacking Trip Reports
Please remember to Leave No Trace!