The Highest Peak in Texas

Our first full day in Guadalupe National Park presented us with the opportunity to hike to the highest point in Texas. This involved about a 15 km hike on a quite decent trail and about 1000 m of elevation gain. The views were quite impressive from the top of the Guadalupe Mountains. We had sunshine and nice, cool hiking weather. The return was fast enough that we had time to check e-mail at the Visitor Centre and wander about looking for birds.

Speaking of birds, we found the best place in the Park for seeing birds was in the "campground", where a water tap had created a bit of a puddle. First thing in the morning, everything we wanted to see was there and we could sit on the median in the parking lot and watch them.

We decided to spend a second full day in Guadalupe National Park and explore McKittrick canyon just a bit to the north. The canyon was originally privately owned, fortunately by people who believed the area needed to be preserved.

It was a warm, windy day, and the canyon was a good place to be. There was intermittent running water in the streambed and a surprising variety of tree and other plant species. Odd to be just a few miles from the creosote bush desert, hiking instead in a forest of oaks, maples, pines, large juniper trees and the like. It was very pleasant, even though many trees were without leaves, given the season. One can easily imagine the shaded oasis in this canyon once all the tree’s leaves are out.

Tomorrow we’re moving on to the Big Bend area of Texas.