Sunday, October 7, 2012

nice, nice, very nice

Thursday after work we started for the guadalupe mountains. We got there a little before midnight and slept in the shadows of towering monsters. The visitor's center didn't open til 8, so we had to wait for it to open to register and pay for access. We started out around 10am on the tejas trail and went from 5800 ft to 8000 ft then we headed west on the bush mountain trail. We reached bush mountain campsite @ 8300 ft around 3 pm, I'd say. That first day really took it out of me. we only had two liters per day when it was recommended to have at least a gallon-I could feel it in the form of migraines, who knows, it could've been the altitude.
bush mountain campsite 8300 ft
bush mountain campsite 8300 ft
bush mountain campsite 8300 ft
bush mountain trail 8400 ft
bush mountain trail 8400 ft

Saturday morning we started out at 8am for the peak and then north around the mountain to start the blue ridge trail to the east. Blue ridge was quite easy and uneventful, but had an awesome view of the clouds pouring out over frijole ridge.
bush mountain peak 8600 ft
bush mountain trail 8400 ft

Saturday night we spent at mescalero @ 7400ft, which probably was a bad idea because of its altitude.... early in the morning the clouds came in and we were right in the middle of them. It was around 34 degrees fahrenheit and you couldn't see more than three feet infront of you. The water vapor in the air was unbearable-I thought I was gonna freeze. We left at 6am, no longer being able to stand our sleeping conditions.
tejas trail 7300 ft

Starting back for the car on the tejas trail, we went up to 8000 ft and back down to 5700 ft. Talk about struggle, but it was worth it. I just wish I got to stand at the top of guadalupe peak and el capitan. maybe next time.
tejas trail 7200 ft
tejas trail 7000 ft

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