To the top of Texas: Guadalupe Peak Hike

On the way to Guadalupe Mountains NP

As the long weekend was approaching, we started searching the map for some places we could drive to from Austin. We had heard about Carlsbad Caverns National Park and it looked like a reasonable drive of about 7 hours. On zooming in, we saw that Guadalupe Mountains National Park was quite close to it. Until recently, we had not even heard about such a national park. The park was primarily for hiking. Out of all the hikes, Guadalupe peak hike was rated the best by many sites. It was also rated strenuous, totaling 8.4 miles round trip, ascending 3000 ft and averaging 6-8 hours.

Guadalupe Peak Trail Details

Would it be okay for a person like me who is not so physically active? This required some thinking. 
Over the last couple of weeks, I had completed a few moderate hikes and broken out of my sedentary lifestyle. The fact that the kids were staying with grandparents for their summer break also made me think this is the best time to venture on this type of a hike. We didn't think the hike was safe for young kids. Standing at 8749 ft, Guadalupe peak is the highest in Texas. Wouldn't it be cool to hike to the top of Texas? Well, that sealed the deal.

Welcome to Texas !

View of mountains from east side

Knowing that the area was prone to afternoon thunderstorms, we planned to head out as early as possible. "Early" turned out to be 8:30 am! It was an hour long drive from the hotel (Comfort Suites) in Carlsbad. We drove through the Chihuahuan desert with nothing but a few yuccas and century plants to break the vastness surrounding the road. The road was as straight as can be and seemed to stretched out to infinity. A few miles after crossing the state line from New Mexico to Texas, the road started to wind and ascend into the Guadalupe mountain ranges.  El Capitan stood out as the most prominent.  No wonder it was used as a guidepost by cross-country travelers in days when there were no road signs. 

El Capitan as seen from west side of park

At the Pine Springs visitor center, we got information about the hike, paid the $10 registration fee ($5 per person), and headed out to Pine Springs campground area where the trail started.

Trailhead at Pine Springs campground

It was 10:00 am when we started the hike. The first part was a steady steep ascent with wooden trail steps. There was no shade like the ranger had told us. However, it wasn't too hot that day. Even at the base of the trail, the temperature was almost 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding desert. We passed the trail marker that showed the directions to other trails and came to a point where it said "No more stock beyond this point". I assumed that was the Stock Trail junction.

Steep ascent in first section of trail

The next point I looked forward to was "Around the Bend". To me, each bend in the trail seemed liked it. I was getting impatient but the beautiful views at each of the switchbacks kept me moving forward. We could see the parking lot and the highway and also hear the sound of vehicles. Even from this height, the steepness felt when looking down would make anyone with a fear of heights faint.

Views from first section of trail

The steep climb was making me quite tired and I kept stopping every few yards to sip water. As an excuse to rest for a while, I also sat down to eat a few chunks of peanut bar. I hoped we would at least reach the next trail mark soon. Little did I know, there would be no further trail marks, no further mileage information, till almost the very end of the trail. My husband thought it was good to not have trail mileage posts. With trails that ascend, the mileage increases quite slowly and mile posts along the way would likely cause frustration.

Changing flora in second section

Tree covered slopes at higher elevation

After what seemed like a long time, the parking lot and road disappeared from view and I realized that we crossed the "Around the Bend" mark. This was like one-third of the trail. Just as my resolve weakened thinking about the long way ahead, I sensed the changing environment. It was getting a lot cooler and pleasant. From the rocky bare landscape, the trail was now surrounded by green meadows filled with a variety of wildflowers. The sound of vehicles had drowned away and I could only hear the soft chirping of birds. The cool breeze was filled with scents from the pine trees that lined the path. Yay!, we were on the Northern tree covered slope. One would not expect such scenery in a place in the middle of a desert. What great changes a little elevation could bring!


Though there was still no sign of the peak nor any indication of how much more to get to it, I stopped worrying about it. The alpine climate and flora were very soothing. If visiting in the fall, it would be a colorful treat to the eyes.

View of surrounding mountains

A bridge along the trail

My legs also seemed to have adjusted to the hike. They got into a cruise mode, steadily climbing and easily passing through the rocky sections of the trail. In fact, this section of the hike was not as steep as the first section and even had an area for back-country camping. As we continued, we reached a wooden bridge and were now surrounded by tall mountains.

Black clouds approaching

After this point, we could see more people way above us. Suddenly, the switchbacks on the trail seemed to be longer and greater in number. My husband had said that he would eat after getting to the end of the trail. Though I wasn't feeling hungry, I felt like we had to eat something to make it through the rest of the hike. So I forced him to eat a few chunks of peanut bar while I finished the rest. Seeing black clouds approaching from the east, we were also worried about thunderstorms. We did not waste time and continued to walk as we ate.

Sign for Guadalupe Peak!

At last, we reached a sign that said "Guadalupe peak". Even at that point, I was not sure which of the tall points was the peak. Maybe, I was expecting to see the triangular monument from down below. It was not visible and that made me think we had more to climb. Oh well! At least that sign indicated we had not lost our way and were on the right trail!





The last stretch was quite rocky and needed some maneuvering over huge boulders. We saw a family with two young kids on their way down. The father was carrying the younger one on his shoulders. I could hardly climb myself and wondered about how they must have managed.

Rocky section of the trail

We passed a few trees fully covered with ladybugs. The ladybugs,which we had initially thought to be orange seeds, seemed to be everywhere now.

Ladybugs

The trail did maintain it's surprise till the very end. Only as I turned the last but one bend, I realized that I had finally made it to the top.

The monument at the top of the peak

At the Top, Texas

It was indeed a great feeling to see the monument and stand at the top of Texas. It was time to take a few deep breaths, take in the views and of course, take lots of pictures. A lady surprised us by offering to take our picture. And, she got surprised by her man who approached her with a ring and proposed to her. It added to the surreal feeling we had standing in this cool place in Texas known for it's hot summers.

Island of mountains in a sea of desert

I would say the views were not spectacular but they were stunning.
In other words, unbelievable.
Other than the few mountains close by, all I could see was the vast desert. It was hard to believe that this place was in the middle of a desert. Like the description in the park slideshow shown at the visitor center, it was indeed an island in the desert.

Stay hydrated, stay safe

After eating our energy bars, we started the descent which turned out to be way more taxing than the ascent. Without good hiking boots, the rocky slopes were sure to twist ankles. So, we had to be extra careful. The slopes put pressure on knees and toes. The good thing was the weather was still pleasant. Despite the ranger asking to take a gallon of water per person, we had only carried a half gallon for two people. It may not have worked out well if the weather had made a turn for the worse. And in mountain areas, there is a high probability for that.

Century plant at "Around the Bend"

During the descent, the interest level had diminished as the scenery and views were the same. The only thing that we had not noticed on the hike up was the century plant hiding behind the bend. I have been fascinated by this unique plant which looked like a gigantic cupcake stand. As we continued the descent, the slopes seemed rockier than before. Though the parking lot seemed to get closer, we could see the long winding path and wished there were shortcuts across the switchbacks. We continued along the winding trail and made it to the bottom without any major setbacks. We had completed the loop in 6.5 hours including the half hour rest at the top. Other than the few snacks, we had not eaten anything else since breakfast. But hunger was never an issue.

The picnic area at the campground was cool and breezy.  My leg muscles were quite sore and we needed some time to relax. We sat there for a while enjoying the good meal we had packed and talking about the long, tiring yet rewarding day. We reached back the hotel by 6:00 pm. After a good night's sleep, I was relieved that the soreness in my legs was no longer there. It felt great to have visited one more national park and to have experienced "At the Top", Texas.