Backpacking the Peak
Ever since my first summit of Guadalupe Peak in January 2007 I had been wanting to backpack it and camp near the top. My time came in April 2007. This was my first backpacking trip since I was in the Boy Scouts many years ago. At the time I didn't have a lot of quality gear so my pack weighed in at 53 lbs. I was using an old ALICE pack and an old marine mummy bag that weighed a ton. Thankfully I have some quality lightweight gear now which makes this sport much more enjoyable. Anyways my friend and I got started a little earlier this time. We made it to the camp site in about three hours. We set up our tents, made lunch, rested a little and then hit the trail again towards the peak. About an hour later we were on the top of Texas! The views from the Peak were beautiful once again. The weather was perfect and made for and great day. The hike was a lot easer this time, even with the extra weight, because the snow we had encountered back in January had all melted. No more fearing a little slip and a quick slide off a cliff. At first the plan was to wait at the top 'til sunset but It was hours away and hunger was setting in so we turned-tail and headed back to camp. Once there we whipped up some delicious camp chow, downed some hot chocolate and retired to our tents. The next morning we woke up early, had breakfast, broke camp and packed back down everything. It was a fun trip and I'm proud of myself for making it with all the weight. Now that I've got the right gear and a lot more practice I'm ready for some longer treks. Happy Hiking! Live Life, Pass it on.
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
