Great Historical Site
Fort Richardson State Park & Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway
- 4/13/2008
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Distance: 17.21 Miles
Duration: 5 hours, 22 minutes
Great historical site with historical markers/boards detailing events in history and specific areas of this old fort (i.e. community garden, flour mill, sudsville, etc.). The trail is mostly rocky and flat with a few slight inclines in stair-step fashion. We hiked the multi-use trail that follows the Lost Creek and Lost Creek Reservoir. This trail leads to the other side of the reservoir to a picnic area. Along the way, we saw a flock of golden eagles flying at tree top level and 3 wild turkeys. We were told we might see deers along the way.... sadly, we did not.
McKittrick Canyon and Historic Pratt Cabin
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- 3/30/2008
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Distance: 5.10 Miles
Duration: 2 hours, 34 minutes
Before leaving Guadalupe Mountains, we hike the McKittrick Canyon trail to the Pratt Cabin... it was like a hike in the desert canyons with tall mountain walls surrounding us and desert plants ... the landscape was beautiful .... the hike takes you through two natural streambeds (the waters were clear and cold.... in one of the streams, we even saw a fish)... The Pratt Cabin is surrounded by mountain walls and lies deep in the woods... while we could not go inside the cabin, we were able to look inside the windows at the furnishings and architect. What a beautiful escape from the city!!!
Frijole Trail, Frijole Ranch, Smith Spring Trail
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- 3/29/2008
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Distance: 9.09 Miles
Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
We started at Pine Springs Campsite and hike the Frijole Trail for 3.1 miles... starting elevation of 5,750 and climbed to 6,000 feet. Along the way we saw golden eagles and red-tail hawks flying above us... the trail was a mixture of dirt/grass, rocks and step-like rocks that ascended and descended and a few switchbacks. The trail led to the Frijoles Ranch History Museum which includes a springhouse, milkhouse, schoolhouse, bunkhouse and a barn. From the Ranch, we hiked to the Smith and Manzanita Springs (another 1.88 miles)...The Smith Spring sits back against the mountain and hidden under the canopy of trees.... clear spring water with the soothing sound of the water flowing downstream along the streambed and rocks. From the Smith Spring trail, we hiked along the Foothills trail back to the Pine Springs campsite (another 2.57 miles) that was mostly dirt/grass with few rocky trail.... and few uphill/downhill hikes.... during the entire hike, we saw only a handful of hikers, but very sporadic....
Guadalupe Peak
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- 3/28/2008
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Distance: 9.45 Miles
Duration: 8 hours, 34 minutes
We started at an elevation of 5,870 feet and hiked to the peak (8,762 feet). The trail starts at the Pine Springs Campsite. The trail started off dirt/grass and eventually becomes dirt/grass, rocky, and stair-step layers of rock with many switchbacks and occassional shady trees.... the day we hike, the temperature was in the 70s and the winds were mild (we were told the winds topped 100 mph the previous weeks). The view from the top of the peak was absolutely breathtaking. At the summit, there is a small monument honoring the 100th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental mail route... don't forget to sign the visitors book!!
Devils Hall Trail
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- 3/27/2008
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Distance: 4.27 Miles
Duration: 1 hour, 52 minutes
The Devil's Hall trail follows the Guadalupe Peak horse trail for about a mile and then follows the rocky streambed leading to the dry streambed of Pine Canyon. The trail is dirt/grass and rocky with stair-step layers of rock. We only saw one couple at Devil's Hall, but were the only ones on the trail.