14ers in California and Washington state or any other peak in the USA
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The Guadelupe's are a really cool range for being so small. IIRC, it's an ancient ocean reef that survived an uplift. The views along the Guadalupe Peak hike are pretty spectacular.
d_baker wrote:Is it a full day hiking both peaks, at a moderate pace?
We did the peak and El Cap in the morning and made it to Carlsbad to do the cavern in the afternoon. Started just before daybreak and drove about 30 miles to get to Carlsbad in the afternoon, hiked down into the cave and rode the elevator out.
It was a full day to do all of it.
Last edited by highpilgrim on Tue Feb 04, 2014 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
Hunter S Thompson
Walk away from the droning and leave the hive behind.
Dick Derkase
Thanks pilgrim for the additional advise! I dont have all my hiking gear as I wasnt planning doing any serious hiking this trip, but we'll see what I can muster up in the form of protective gear for the vegetation in that area
the hike would be less than half a day doing just Guadalupe Peak. There's no real exposure on the route except the summit block being most exposed to wind, but most of the route is open desert except for a few trees about 2/3 way up so it could be unpleasant if the wind is really ripping. If the wind is really bad, Carlsbad Caverns is right next door. There are also some sheltered canyons in Guadalupe NP (Devil's Staircase, Mckittrick). I also wouldn't expect more than a few inches of snow up higher.
Work gloves are a must for El Capitan. I did it as a side trip (wasn't planning on El Cap). I did it without gaiters but they would have helped. No water source so bring what you need. There is no trail on El Cap. I took the third gulley as far as I could. It involved a little scrambling but was fun.
I led a trip week-long trip to there in February 2011. It was right after a snow storm blew through and dumped about a foot on everything. It can get cold there, and with the wind, expect it to be an "experience." It is still one of my favorite hikes. At a little over 8 miles round trip you should be able to make it up and down by a little after lunch. Phenomenal, phenomenal views.
If you ever get back, the Tejas trail is a great hike, and it connects to quite a few other scenic overlooks. The piney forest that is in the basin above the rim of the initial push up the trail is a completely different ecosystem than what is at the park's visitor center. I can't say enough about this place.
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads...."
Thanks everyone for the awesome advice and ideas! I strained my hamstring playing softball last night (ya, I know...) but I still think I"ll be able to make it with a few days to recover. The Tejas trail sounds awesome too! Maybe I'll have to stretch the trip to a few days
