guadalupe peak

8749 feet

December 2006

On my trip from Monterey to Texas I attempted to climb Humphreys Peak in Arizona and Guadalupe Peak in Texas.  The gate at the bottom of Humphreys Peak was closed because the road wasn't plowed.  I rode my cyclocross bike up to the trailhead but it was too late in the day to start up into the falling snow.  I considered waiting till morning, but it was early in the day and it would have put me two days later in my trip home, so I moved on.

I got to Guadalupe Peak in West Texas late in the day as well, and considered getting a permit to stay overnight on the mountain because it was reported to be a six or seven hour hike, round-trip, but the rangers said it was expected to freeze overnight and the road from the park would be closed, and I would be stuck.  So I set off in the late afternoon with a light load.  I hiked fast and ran whenever I got a flat or a downhill section of trail.  There were only a few other people on the trail, including one guy with an army backpack.  I asked if he was in the army as I sped past him.  He said he was, so I mentioned that he shouldn't let Marines out-hike him.  Then I felt bad about it until I stopped and talked with him again on my way down (he was still on his way up).

I made it down just at dusk, for about a 3 hour round trip, having neither seen nor enjoyed much of the climb because of the need for speed.  Then I drove all the way to Houston, arriving around 6 the next morning.