The best view in Texas

Left from the Pine Springs Campground bright and early with 2 friends at 6:00 to catch a glimpse of the sunrise from higher up on the Tejas Trail. Despite the clouds, the sunrise was worth it. We met up with the Bowl Trail to make the short easy hike around the Bowl to Hunter by 9. Even with knowing about the relative lushness of the Bowl and having seen it in the Basin in Big Bend NP, i was still amazed at the change once we summited the ridge and were surrounded by all the trees. The "ascent" to Hunter Peak itself is very easy after the hike up Tejas, or even easier if you've gone up Bear Canyon. The views from the top make the hike completely worth it, despite the winds you will be battered with. While not as strong as they are on Guadalupe Peak, don't take them lightly. Sustained winds most certainly exceeded 35mph. After a few freezing minutes on the peak to get enough pictures, we scrambled out of the wind to begin our descent. We had decided to end our loop going down the Bear Canyon Trail. If i had been wearing a full pack this trail would have done horrid things to my knees, so if that is a big issue when you climb, ascending the very steep Bear Canyon may be a better course of action. We made the loop in about 5 hours, so it does make for a very nice, not too difficult day trip. As always, be prepared and bring lots of water. Not bad to see the best view in Texas.