Highpoint #16: Texas

Cross-Country Highpointing Trip, Stop #9

The highpoint of Texas is Guadalupe Peak located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in west Texas.  I can’t say that I have ever heard of this national park before, which is a shame as it is definitely worth a visit.  The park is remotely located with no services in the vicinity.  It is near the Texas / New Mexico border, about a one hour drive to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and more than a two hour drive to El Paso.  There is not much to offer along a good part of those lonely stretches either, except wind.

"Top of Texas" -- Definitely in the Right Place!

Seriously, the wind was intense on my approach, my visit to the park, and upon leaving the park.  It just would not let up.  It was quite strong, and there were many signs along the roadside warning of its danger.  For much of the time it was not even safe to drive the speed limit, because the wind was pushing my car around so much on the road.  In portions of the trip, the windstorm turned into a dust storm reducing the overall visibility considerably.  All told, it was a god-forsaken part of the country that I would be happy to leave.  I just had to get a moderate length hike out of the way first. 

Der be Mountain Lions in Dem Der Hills!

I pulled into the park at night and camped.  Despite it being winter, many others had the same idea.  Nearly all of the campsites were taken on my visit.  I couldn’t believe it!  For a park I never heard of, it sure was a popular place to be. 

The Trailhead has 4 Overlapping Trails

I woke up pretty early the next morning, and I was impatiently waiting for the sun to rise.  I logged my name on the register, paid my fee on the honor system, and read all of the information at the trailhead.  There was, like Oklahoma, a warning about rattlesnakes with the added admonition that they were protected meaning that killing one is considered a crime.  That was novel.  Better yet, there was a warning about mountain lions as well!  Cool.  I was definitely getting off the beaten track a little bit.  I suspected that I would be in for a prettier hike as a result, and I was right. 

Early (Alpine) Start on the Trail

Even with all of these preliminaries, the sun still had yet to rise.  I decided to just head off on the trail anyway with my trusty headlamp.  There was a smidgen of light, so I figured it couldn’t be long.  I was very anxious to get started, and I knew that there would be a long drive ahead of me afterwards; so in my mind, there was simply no time to spare. 

Sunrise Over the Park

The trail to the peak is pretty obvious.  It is 8.4 miles in length, round-trip.  It is billed as “strenuous”, but I would put it at moderate.  There is no scrambling or anything technical about the terrain.  Route finding is fairly obvious, too.  Indeed, there were a couple of signs just off the trailhead to distinguish the Guadalupe Peak Trail from the other overlapping trails (Devil’s Hall, El Capitan, and The Bowl).  After that, there is only one trail to follow.  It is wide and easily distinguishable, so there was no need for blazes. 

The Sun is Finally Making an Appearance!

The trail spends a long time over a series of switchbacks so as to gain elevation quickly.  From the trailhead, there are clearly two mountains that are visible.  I assumed the mountain that I was climbing was home to Guadalupe Peak.  It was not.  This became apparent, when I nearly approached the top of the mountain, and the trail had me swing around to the other side of it. 

Shot of the Trail Near the Summit of the First Mountain

From the other side of the mountain, I could see yet another mountain off in the distance.  The trail changed its character a bit, and followed a ridgeline.  I began hiking along the backside of the mountain and connecting over to the other mountain.  At one point, I even crossed a small bridge. 

Another Shot of the Trail along the Ridgeline

The views were becoming grander.  The sun was rising, and I could see the highway off in the distance becoming thinner, longer, and less noticeable.  The view into the distance became longer and more feature-filled.  Shortly after I crossed over to Guadalupe Mountain, I was above the tree line.  Now the wind was howling!  It was strong and freezing!  I really had to adjust my posture to get a better footing.  There were certain areas with some modest exposure, so I wanted to make sure I did not misstep. 

The Only Bridge on the Trail

As I worked my way around the other side of Guadalupe Mountain, I saw a sign pointing to the summit.  I was really close now, and I could make out the summit.  It looked precariously high though from my vantage point.  Soon enough however, I found myself upon the highest point in Texas.

Shot of the Trail as it Winds Around the Mountain

Amazing View and a Good Indication of the Exposure!

Surprisingly, the highpoint is not just a lonely mountaintop.  There is actually a fairly large monument in place to mark the spot.  It is a huge metallic, tetrahedron nearly the height of a man.  It’s kind of amazing, really, that a group of people lugged this massive object all the way to 8,749 feet!  That’s nearly 3000 feet of elevation gain from the parking lot.  I clearly had a much easier go at things carrying only a modest daypack. 

Finally, the Summit is Coming into View

The monument was emplaced by American Airlines.  Their logo is clearly emblazoned on one of the sides of the monument.  On another side, they explain:

“Dedicated to the airmen who, like the stage drivers before them, challenged the elements through this pass with the pioneer spirit and courage which resulted in a vast system of airline transport known as “American Airlines” “

View is Becoming more Dramatic!

American Airlines doubled down on this tribute by filling the third side of the monument with a logo for the “Post Office Department”. 

Close to the Summit Now!

The tribute was a bit unexpected and perhaps a bit dubious, but I could not resist the appeal of the monument.  It gleamed from a distance, and it was the perfect capstone for such an engaging hike.  It weathered the wind effortlessly.  When I touched the top of the monument, I truly felt like I was touching the top of Texas.

The Summit, Fully in View

Speaking of the wind, I should have been more mindful of it.  Just after I posed for a self-taken vanity shot in front of the monument, I nearly fell on my ass as the wind gusted and I lost my footing.  Yikes!  I really need to be more careful. 

Detail of Summit Marker

I opted to crouch down, and have a seat by the summit register.  I signed the record, had a deep sigh and a period of reflection, and, finally, resolved to make my way back down. 

Summit Register

I had yet to see anyone by this point, and going down was as quick as could be.  I had thousands of feet of elevation to lose in a hurry.  At times I was even bounding.  Eventually, half way down the mountain, I came across a couple of hikers making their way up.  Continuing on, I encountered a few more.  Eventually, I made my way back to the parking lot, and I signed the trailhead register to indicate that I had safely returned.  Surprisingly, I was the only person who signed the register that morning.  I am not sure why anyone would not sign the register; it seems like an unnecessary risk to take if you get injured on the hike as no one associated with the park would know to look for you.  Oh, well.

Vanity Shot at the Summit

After I put away my gear, I descended down to the visitor’s center.  It was pretty modest, offering up information on the park and a few items for sale.  I was shocked that they did not have any coffee mugs for sale (seems like the most common keepsake to buy), so I left with just a t-shirt to commemorate the occasion. 

View from the Top!

I continued on to California, but this was my last highpoint on the way out.  Fortunately, I managed to visit a few more on the return journey.  Stay tuned for the details.  

Parting Shot of the Entrance Sign