I could have titled this blog: Ass Kicking in Bear Canyon, or How I got my butt kicked in Bear Canyon, but Google may have thought it was about a UFC fight.
Hunter Peak from the trailhead
Tuesday was a beautiful day here at Guadalupe Mountain National Park. I arrived on Sunday as sort of a last minute thought because the weather was predicted to be pretty nice. Anyway, Tuesday morning, I headed out on the lower Tejas trail to Bear Canyon Trail to do the 8.8 mile, 2561 elevation gain, loop to Hunter Peak (8368 ft) and then back to the campground (5807 ft). I got a late start because I met my neighbors from Syracuse, NY, in a Lance truck camper and we had coffee and chatted for a while. Finally, at 9:15 am, I took off. I’ve done the lower Tejas trail before and it’s pretty gentle, that changes dramatically once you reach the Bear Canyon Trail. The Bear Canyon Trail rises approximately 2000 feet in 1.8 miles, with very few switchbacks. It is quite the ass kicker. The only thing that kept me hiking up was that fact that I didn’t want to hike down this thing. Sometimes trails are so steep, with high steps, that ascending is much easier than descending, at least in my opinion. I think I should bill Medicare for a Stress Test, all I need is a provider number. At least I know my four coronary stents are open. LOL
I finally topped out of the canyon around 1pm, but I still had another mile and 0.6 mile and 368 feet in elevation to go before getting to the summit. One of the interesting things about hiking in GUMO, is the fact that the lower areas are desert and as you climb and approach 7,000 feet elevation, you leave the desert behind and enter a conifer forest.
Hunter Peak is the sixth highest peak in Texas, sitting at 8,368 feet, just across the drainage from the highest peak, Guadalupe Peak (8749 ft). Both trails are ranked strenuous, but I have done Guadalupe Peak twice, and it is accessible on horse back. The only hint that Bear Canyon might be an ass kicker is that it is not open to stock animals and the description says it is very steep. What an understatement, that’s like saying getting into the ring with Muhammad Ali is a slight risk.
Summit of Hunter Peak
Bear Canyon Trail has been added to my very short list of DO NOT REPEAT hikes. No way, for love or money will I hike it again. I know a number of you have hiked Guadalupe Peak, and I’d do that hike again, anytime, in a heart beat, but don’t ask me to do Bear Canyon again.
I was amazed by this 4-6 inch metal pipe that also climbed the entire length of the canyon. It was broken or cut in a number of places, so I assume it is pre National Park and was probably installed by ranch hands in the 1800s. I don’t know how they did it, but even considering that mules may have carried the 12 foot pipe sections up the trail, the men still had to jockey them into position, some places were quite a distance away from the trail, in a very steep canyon.
I summited about 1:30 pm, the view from the summit was incredible. There is barely enough room for two people to social distance on it. The wind was blowing at least 30 mph, with much stronger gusts. I literally crawled onto the tiny summit and then stood up, but didn’t stay standing for very long and sat back down. It was quite a bit cooler, especially with the wind chill, so I put on all my layers, as you can see in the photos.
From the summit, I headed down the western, upper Tejas Trail, passing the spot where I took a nap on my first summit attempt in November. I thought about another nap, but it was 2 pm and I was afraid a nap might turn into an overnight, unplanned bivy, so I continued on. The Tejas Trail is open to stock animals, so it has lots of switch backs and a much gentler slope, albeit longer. I finally reach the campground at 4:15pm.
I didn’t see anyone the entire day. For those of you that have done Guadalupe Peak, you know there is a steady stream of hikers up and down all day long. I was pretty tired and my quads were really talking to me, so tomorrow will be a rest day. I will admit, I felt better after a double scotch on the rocks. I prepared a very simple dinner and then sat down to write this blog. All in all I am very grateful that I’m able to do these hikes and still push myself further than I expect.
Not sure when I’m heading back to the Ranch, but I maybe Thursday or Friday.
Tight lines and safe travels
Hope you get your money from Medicare LOL! That’s a lot of feet in a very short amount of time. You should be very proud of yourself. I tried something less than that in the fall, re-assessed the situation a couple miles in and turned around!
ReplyDeleteAwesome write-up and pics, as usual, Larry! You in low cut, lightweight hikers, or heavier boots these days? Logging some serious miles and elevation!
ReplyDeleteLight weight, mid height. Need to give the old ankles a little help. They don’t weight anymore than my low cut trail shoes
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing, Larry! I enjoy reading about your adventures and seeing the pictures as I know that is the only way I will know about these areas. That pipe is amazing! We were on horseback up above Estes Park, CO many years ago and ran across an old stage route on a steep hill. There were huge logs that they chained to the back of the stage to use as brakes as it went down the hill. A team of mules would pull the logs back up the hill after the stage passed. It was amazing that those logs were still there!
ReplyDelete(This is showing me as "unknown" but this is Sue) :-)