mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217 
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Post by mk on Apr 14, 2021 7:11:29 GMT -8
We have a trip scheduled to Big Bend NP the last weekend of April, but the wildfire currently burning there will likely force us to alter our plans. We are meeting up with friends from Denver (we are in Fort Worth), and are considering Plan B trips somewhere in between where we can meet up. Albuquerque is a possibility, as is Santa Fe. (Also looking at Guadalupe NP)
Doe anyone have any suggestions for a moderate backpack trip in those areas? We have 3 nights/4 days with which to play. My attempt to search the board for past posts was unsuccessful - and I am googling in the meantime.
Thanks!
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Post by cweston on Apr 14, 2021 7:31:47 GMT -8
The mountains near Santa Fe will still be holding way too much snow at that time.
I'd suggest the Gila Wilderness in SW NM. It's an incredible hiking destination, and April is literally the perfect time for a trip up the middle or west fork canyon.
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Post by absarokanaut on Apr 14, 2021 12:19:38 GMT -8
CW's suggestion is AWESOME!
If you just wanted an overnight or luxurious and easy multi nighter near both 'Burque and Santa Fe is San Antonio Hot Springs in the Jemez Mountains. I believe [make certain] they did finally close the road so all the dangerous deviants would have to walk the 5 miles too.I spent an awesome night at McCauley Warm Springs too. Not sure what the water or lingering snow situation would be like in the Manzanos?
Could be an early summer down there so check conditions for the San Francisco River Canyon between Glenwood/Pleasanton, NM and Clifton, AZ.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Apr 15, 2021 11:54:26 GMT -8
Thanks, guys! I appreciate the ideas and will look into them and run them by the team.
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Post by trinity on Apr 16, 2021 15:20:14 GMT -8
mk , I feel your pain. This past fall, my wife made reservations for the Basin campground for this past week. Then, less than a week before our trip, we learned that the whole area had been closed down. A major disappointment for us; but I am heartbroken for this beautiful area, and concerned for the firefighters who have been risking their lives under very challenging circumstances. Long story short, we went to the Davis Mountains instead. Not nearly as nice, but still pretty great. The only backpacking option is a 4 mile hike into the primitive camping area. Not particularly challenging, but it really is a beautiful and under-utilized place. Here is a report from my most recent trip to the Guads: link. By far my favorite backpacking destination in Texas, and late April should be a nice time to be there. I would probably recommend a similar itinerary as mine on this outing. If you do a search, you should turn up a few more TRs of mine from the Guads. The only drawback is the lack of water in the back country. McKittrick Canyon is spectacular, but the hike up to the McKittrick Ridge camping area is a beast. All that said, if I were in your shoes, I'd follow cweston 's advice and go to the Gila, one of my favorite places on the planet. As I always like to say, the best backpacking in Texas is in New Mexico.... Here's a TR from a few years back: link.
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Post by trinity on Apr 17, 2021 13:37:31 GMT -8
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Apr 19, 2021 10:36:40 GMT -8
Thanks for the links trinity. I will give them a look when I have some time later. I didn't even think of the Davis Mountains, although I did check out the Gila Wilderness (even bought a book!). I couldn't drum up much interest from the rest of the group, but it is on my list now for the future. I, too, am heartbroken by the fire. All of them make me sad, but this one is the most personal I've "experienced." I waited until the last possible minute, and finally canceled the reservations today. We had a night in Terlingua, then 3 nights in the backcountry, and a night at The Gage Hotel in Marathon for our hike-out day. We will be back, I know. Maybe the Fall. Plan B is now Guadalupe Mountains NP. We've been there a couple of times, but haven't explored much beyond Guadalupe Peak and McKittrick Canyon. (A November trip a few years ago -- it was gorgeous!). The nights will probably be chilly, but boy am I ready to get out into nature and explore a little. |
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Post by trinity on Apr 21, 2021 14:55:04 GMT -8
That's really a bummer, mk , sounds like y'all had a great plan. On a happy note, they are reopening much of the closed area, though it sounds like the South Rim, Boot Spring, and Pinnacles area are closed, making Big Bend a much less attractive backpacking destination. I hope the damage isn't too bad. The Guads, though, are a pretty good consolation prize. I am jealous of you having gotten to hike McKittrick Canyon in the fall, that must have been amazing. If you still want to spend 3 nights in the backcountry, I would probably go in at Pine Springs and spend night 1 at Mescalero, night 2 at Marcus (watering up at Dog Canyon), and night 3 at Pine Top. Then you can either head out the way you came, or down Bear Canyon. But the area is small enough that there are lots of good loop options. Though it is not in the back country, Dog Canyon is a really nice place to camp as well. I hope y'all have a great trip. |
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Post by trinity on Apr 21, 2021 17:28:34 GMT -8
Also, if you haven't been there, Tortilleria Lizy is a great little off-the-beaten-path Mexican restaurant in Van Horn. And if you drive through Fort Stockton, OJ's Tacos is off the charts, some of the best Mexican food north or the border.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Apr 27, 2021 17:14:18 GMT -8
McKittrick Canyon in the fall, that must have been amazing. It really was -- and it's easily one of our most-talked-about hikes ever. We didn't realize that we would see so much color and it was a thrill. So now we are back, and you are right, trinity -- Guadalupe was a great consolation prize. We actually decided that it was probably better than our original plan. We ended up camping in Pine Springs for two nights and hiking McKittrick again to the Grotto (a nice hike, but not nearly as pretty as in the Fall) and Devils Hall, which our group of 5 all enjoyed immensely. We then drove up to Dog Canyon and hiked the Tejas Trail to Mescalero and spent one night there before hiking back out the way we came. So we ended up backpacking only for one night, but loved the campsite. We never saw another person on the trail on either day, which was pretty wonderful. I really enjoyed the drive to Dog Canyon and seeing the park from that side. It is so beautiful -- it was tough to take in the scenery while driving, though. I just love this park, and it's always wonderful to be there. You drive through the Midland/Odessa wasteland and then drive some more, seeing nothing but pump jacks, gas wells and wind turbines, and then -- mountains! It's such a nice surprise. The water issue will always be my stopping point for multiple backpack nights, though. (I hate to admit this!) I just can't carry the weight. On the next trip, though, I think some nights at Dog Canyon and day hikes would be the way to go. Pine Springs campground was full and too busy for my tastes. Some college kids singing until late (10 p.m.! Oh my gosh, I'm getting old.) and the guys behind us smoking cigars (breaking the rules!) were small annoyances. And then I remind myself that they were enjoying their friends and the beautiful mountains, just as we were. There was some excitement in camp -- In the middle of the first night, I woke up to the smell of fresh skunk. In the morning, we learned that a pair visited a neighboring tent. They had their door open, so one skunk joined the occupants for a short while. The other animal apparently got nervous and let loose with the stink. For awhile, I thought I must have dreamt it, because there was no screaming or commotion. We did have a javelina check out our friends' vestibules, but if they came to see me, I wasn't aware. Thanks, too, trinity for your recommendations. We did stay in Van Horn (we like the El Capitan and its restaurant) -- I had a hankering for Mexican food, but our friend is extremely picky about his food so we have to stick to plain chicken, plain burgers, and steak. But I'm keeping your suggestions in mind for the next time. |
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Post by trinity on May 1, 2021 9:32:03 GMT -8
Glad y'all had a good time, and thanks for the report! Really sounds like a great trip. I've hiked through Dog Canyon numerous times, but never driven there, I bet that must be a really nice drive. And I love Mescalero too--though all the back country campsites in the Guads are pretty awesome. Well done, making the best of a disappointing situation.
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