Saturday, Oct 29

Saturday, October 29

We wake early to 63 degrees and a stiff breeze.  We stop by the local McDonalds for coffee and a biscuit, knowing this will be the last of “civilization” for a while.  Then we head Northwest on Highway 285 as the sun is just thinking of rising. This road will take us through the Permian Basin (more specifically the Delaware Basin portion) which is a hotbed of oil exploration.  Definitely what is known around Texas as "the oil patch”.  The land is sandy and very flat.

At well sites, the excess gas produced is burned off, so in the dark these flames shine brightly.  We can see 5 or 6 at any given time.  Within minutes the sunrise competes in brightness. 

Other than the small town of Pecos, all we see for miles is oil pumps, wellheads, tanks and workers. You can even smell oil in the air!  Pecos is the town that services all these folks with hotels, a few restaurants, gas stations and such and there is a good bit of traffic as people start their day. 

We cross the miniscule Delaware River – Washington  Crossing the Delaware here would show men lightly leaping across the water!

Gradually the land grows hillier and the oil business dwindles, till we are in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains. The land has a golden glow in the early light!

Some ranchland here, but mostly wide open expanses.  It takes many many acres of this kind of land to support cattle.  We bump over a few cattleguards and see some folks mending fences.

At highway 62, we turn left and about 15 minutes later arrive at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  First stop, the visitor’s center, where we are told the campground is full.  There is some BLM land about 20 miles away, so we plan to go there later.

In the meantime, the ranger recommends the Devil’s Wall hike, which is 4+miles.  It is rated Moderate (though later we see another rating that says Strenuous and I think I'd go with that!), so we set off at about 9:45 (Mountain time now), with the temperature around 70.   The first mile is a rocky but fairly level trail, winding through rough, dry terrain with lots of juniper, soltis,  assorted cacti and occasional wildflowers on the downward side of perky.

Then the trail turns onto a rocky dry wash.  Boulders, large and small, litter the wash and we climb and clamber onward, glad that we are wearing our hiking boots. The elevation rises slowly and we begin to see a few pine and maple trees and a little fall color.

It is obvious when we reach an area called The Stairs,  and continue the climb upward. Though the sun is hot, the temperature remains in the 70's, and the irregular breezes make things pleasant.

And finally, we reach The Devil's Wall.  It is a unique and beautiful  slot canyon, at least that's what I call it.   Here we stop for a short rest and enjoy some water and granola bars.  The trail ends at a sign that says the area beyond is closed for research.

The return is by the same route, though a little more downhill and so a little quicker. We have seen only a few other hikers, and we stop and chat with one couple and take turns snapping photos of each other.  What a beautiful spot!!

Many nice vistas.

 After a few miles, we pass the rv campground and notice one or two empty spots (There are about 30 total but some are no more than a large parking spot on tarmac.) We flag down a camp host making rounds in his truck  and ask if these sites are available to which he responds in the affirmative!  He offers to sit in one till we can hike back to our parking area and bring the trek! When we return, he suggests a nicer small spot that has a picnic table and some trees. We chat with neighbors - one couple (Aggies) from College Station, and on the other side a couple with a dog and a cat from Vermont. 

one view from campsite

 We leave briefly to check out Frijoles Ranch, an old homestead a few miles away, built here because there is a spring. Water is definitely a factor in any settlement. The house has some interesting historical displays and outside we notice a javelina scavenging for acorns from the Chincopin Oaks.

 After a short hike to a spring-fed pond, we talk briefly with the volunteer at the ranch.  The Mescalero Apache lived in this area for years before white settlers arrived.

Back at the campsite, soup and sandwiches make an easy and filling dinner.  Food when we are camping is always simple but usually tastes very good.  At 7:00, we join a ranger lecture at a small amphitheater.  Ranger Patrick Driscoll discusses desert plants, and we sample some cactus, cactus candy (yum!) and mesquite pancakes.

Since the park is rather busy, we decide we'll head north tomorrow to a spot we've heard of in the 

Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, called Sitting Bull Falls.  We can boondock up there, then come back here on Monday when it will be less busy.  Nice night sky but we head to bed early. Quiet and comfortable as there are no hookups here and no generators after 8:00.