Days 4-6 of Lupe’s 1st Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to New Mexico!
5-11-21, before noon, I-25 in Colorado – After leaving Hotel Dusty, SPHP found the drive S from Denver in heavy traffic rather nerve-wracking. Not Lupe! The American Dingo considered it a smashing bore. Nothing but city – not a cow or horse to bark at anywhere! Meanwhile, low dark clouds blanketed the plains, obscuring the Rockies. The sun hadn’t put in an appearance in 3 days.
Well into May already, yet the temperature barely budged, remaining chilly in a tight range between 37-41ºF for many miles. S of Colorado Springs, the traffic finally started to thin out as open country began to predominate. Approaching Walsenburg, vapor rising from several inches of heavy, wet, new snow created a foggy winter wonderland.
Looks like we’re on our way to Canada, SPHP! I thought we were going to the desert? How much farther is it, anyway?
Yeah, kind of nuts, isn’t it, Loop? Have to admit I didn’t expect to see any snow! We’re less than an hour from the border now. Just think! Your first new state since Alaska way back in 2016! Are you excited?
Actually, I’m not so sure about this, SPHP. Are they going to shave me at the border? I like my fur, and don’t want to lose it, especially if it’s going to be so cold!
Shave you at the border? What on earth are you talking about?
I’m talking about Nude Mexico, SPHP! That’s where we’re going, right? I’ve heard about those Mexican Hairless dogs. Not having any fur might be fine for them, but we Carolina Dogs like the way we are, fur and all! You always told me that I look beautiful in my fur, and now you want me to let them shave it all off? Are you going to let them confiscate all your removable fur, too? Not so sure you’ll be such a grand spectacle, either, if they do! Maybe we should go to some other state?
Nude Mexico! I never said we were going to Nude Mexico. You need to clean out your ears, Looper! We’re going to New Mexico! N-E-W … NEW!
Clean out my ears! Nothing wrong with my ears, SPHP! I hear all kinds of things you’re completely oblivious to. Learn to enunciate! You’ve been mumbling again. Anyway, I’m glad it’s New Mexico. So they’re not going to shave me, right?
Of course not, silly Dingo! Not even if you’re dying of the heat.
The snow and fog were gone before Lupe even got to New Mexico. After going over Raton Pass, two mountains were visible in the distance. An expanse of lowlands before them glowed yellow in sunlight, although no blue sky could be seen from here.
The promised land, Loopster! New Mexico, your 13th state! We crossed the border a few miles back.
This is more like it, SPHP! Is that the desert down there?
To be sure! We’ll soon be crossing it.
Down in the desert, vegetation was sparse as the RAV4 rolled S toward Las Vegas, NM, but every now and then Lupe saw a few horses to bark at. Far to the W, thick clouds hung over deep blue ridges. Stormy! SPHP began to realize heading for the mountains of northern New Mexico wasn’t going to work, at least not yet.
Between Las Vegas and Santa Fe, SPHP left I-25, turning S on Hwy 3. The drive was scenic, especially after crossing the Pecos River at Villanueva. Skies cleared, and the temperature soared to 77ºF at one point as the miles clicked away. By evening, Sierra Blanca (11,973 ft.) was in sight.
5-12-21, 7:14 AM, 41ºF, Hwy 37 S of Nogal – Lupe stood on a little rise at the high point of a picnic ground. The Carolina Dog was ready to climb mountains! However, it had been windy all night and gotten much colder than expected. Now, light mist rode a chill breeze. A raw, gray day. All the high peaks were lost in the clouds.
What happened? Can you believe this weather, Loop? We’re in southern New Mexico for pity sake! I thought it would be like summer!
We aren’t going to climb Sierra Blanca, SPHP?
Not in this soup! No telling how cold and miserable it might be way up there! Wouldn’t be able to see anything, anyway.
So, what’s Plan B?
Actually, Sierra Blanca was plan B.
Plan C, then!
Ya got me, Loopster. Going to have to take a look at the map.
Light rain fell beneath sullen skies practically all the way to Roswell. Plan C consisted of a couple of long shots. Probably wouldn’t turn out to be much more than a long joy ride in the brand new RAV4, but being on the move seemed better than sitting around doing nothing all day. At least Lupe would get to see a lot of new territory.
Even before entering Carlsbad Caverns National Park, SPHP knew Loop wouldn’t be allowed to tour the cave.
A 7 mile drive up a scenic desert canyon ended at a fancy visitor center way up on a high plateau. The view would have been spectacular on a clear day, but was murky and indistinct today. Since it was still quite cool and gray, the plan was to let Lupe snooze in the RAV4 for an hour with plenty of water available and the windows partially open while SPHP toured the cave.
Nope. Signs forbid leaving Dingos in vehicles. Not all that surprising. Probably good policy considering how hot it might get much of the year. Kennels were available, but SPHP wasn’t too keen on that idea. Caged and alone in a strange place? Lupe would hate that!
Turned out that proof of a current rabies vaccination was required, and SPHP hadn’t brought any such documentation along, anyway.
Dingos weren’t allowed on any surface trails, either, so that was that.
Returning to Hwy 62/180, it wasn’t far to the only certain highlight of the day. One day after entering New Mexico, her 13th state, Lupe made it to her 14th, the great state of Texas!
Plan C’s real prize was just ahead, Guadalupe Peak (8,749 ft.), highest mountain in Texas! Climbing Guadalupe Peak would be awesome!
Hopes ran high entering Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but were quickly dashed. A trail went 3,000 feet clear up to the top of the mountain, but no Dingos allowed!
Abandoning the park, skies cleared on the way down to the Salt Basin desert. Lupe might not have gotten to visit Guadalupe Peak, but she did get to see it.
N of El Paso, Lupe returned to New Mexico. As the evening sun sank in the W, Sierra Blanca was in sight again on the horizon. The huge loop the American Dingo had traveled today had been scenic, but otherwise hadn’t accomplished much. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day?
5-13-21, 8:38 AM, 50ºF – Cold, almost foggy, and in the low 40’s ºF again earlier this morning, but skies were blue now! 12 miles from Alto at the W end of Hwy 532, SPHP parked the RAV4 at a trailhead just before the entrance gate to Ski Apache.
The last half of the drive in had been spectacular as the narrow highway, hemmed in by guard rails of dubious strength, wound ever higher up the steep-sided slopes of Buck Mountain (10,769 ft.). Much of the old forest had burned, revealing a dizzying expanse of the Sacramento Mountains.
The trailhead itself was tucked down in a bowl, away from the views. Several pickup trucks could be seen down at Ski Apache, but the RAV4 was the only vehicle at the trailhead. Two signs warned of the dangers of entering the burn area. A permanent metal sign painted yellow with black lettering said to proceed at your own risk. Paperwork stapled to a plywood plaque seemed to indicate the area was closed.
Closed! But we’ve come so far, SPHP!
Heh. Yeah. If anyone asks, Looper, we’re going by the yellow sign!
Great minds think alike, SPHP! C’mon, let’s go!
Trail No. 15 headed NW up the side of a ravine toward a short stretch of unburned forest. Once past the trees, it continued through a meadow to a switchback that traversed a steeper grassy slope. Upon reaching a flat spot, Lupe arrived a junction with Crest Trail No. 25. From this junction, Sierra Blanca (11,973 ft.) was visible beyond Lookout Mountain (11,580 ft.).
Proceeding W on Crest Trail No. 25, it slowly lost elevation traversing a slope. Lupe entered a forest of dead trees. Many had fallen. Fortunately, most had been cleared from the trail. A chairlift and other Ski Apache facilities were visible down in the valley to the S. Loopster didn’t see anyone, but the whine of a chainsaw filled the air.
Crest Trail No. 25 curved NW. Lupe entered a big meadow that swept up toward HP10595. A Trail No. 25 sign stood over by the edge of another burnt forest on the opposite side of the meadow. Scratched into the sign, an arrow pointed S (L), but the trail itself seemed to have vanished.
Starting up the slope to the S, Lupe found Crest Trail No. 25 again shortly after reaching the trees. It switchbacked NW almost right away. At first, the trail was easy to follow, but the deadfall hadn’t been cleared in this region. Before long, so much blocked the trail that climbing directly up the steep slope to the W seemed easier than facing all the obstacles.
This shortcut worked out well. The forest was fairly open. After gaining several hundred feet of elevation, Lupe came across Crest Trail No. 25 on its way back S. The trail was in better shape up here. Less deadfall!
As Crest Trail No. 25 began curving W again, there was movement above. Two wild dogs stared down on Lupe!
The trail climbed slowly as Lupe continued W. Burnt forest gave way to more open slopes. Ski runs were visible over on Lookout Mountain. Part of the forest that hadn’t burned appeared ahead. Shortly after Lupe entered the live forest, SPHP noticed a side trail taking off to the N (R).
Looper hadn’t reached Ice Spring yet, but had to be getting close. The White Mountain Wilderness High Point (11,300 ft.) was only 0.33 mile away. A quick check of the topo map showed Crest Trail No. 25 veering off to the N at a junction with Lookout Trail No. 78A somewhere in this region. No signage here, though. Was this the junction?
The side trail looked much less used, but that might make sense. Crest Trail No. 25 doesn’t go all the way to Sierra Blanca, instead passing S of the White Mountain Wilderness High Point before turning N to follow the crest of the ridge it’s named after to White Horse Hill (10,255 ft.) and points beyond. Perhaps less popular destinations?
The plan all along was to visit both the White Mountain Wilderness High Point and Lookout Mountain, since they were more or less on the way to Sierra Blanca. Maybe Buck Mountain, too, if there was time during the return. Lupe took the side trail.
SPHP expected it to turn NW almost immediately, but it didn’t. Instead Loop wandered among a maze of faint use trails that soon disappeared. Apparently this wasn’t Crest Trail No. 25 after all. Shucks! Might as well keep climbing N, though! 200 feet higher and the Carolina Dog would be on the White Mountain Wilderness High Point’s E ridge.
The top of the E ridge was broad, forested, and almost flat where Lupe reached it. Not much to see except trees. The American Dingo sniffed W in search of the summit. Before long, she came to a meadow. The high point was just ahead.
Although there were good views of both Lookout Mountain and Sierra Blanca while crossing the meadow, the White Mountain Wilderness High Point summit was buried in trees, and views were much more limited. The actual high point appeared to be at the base of a large spruce tree. Immediately to the W was a blackened area which had apparently been involved in a very recent fire. More could be seen from over there, but the views were still tree-broken.
A 20 minute break was taken up on the White Mountains Wilderness High Point. Lupe then traveled S through mostly open territory down to a saddle where she reached Crest Trail No. 25 again at an intersection with Lookout Trail No. 78. Continuing S to a nearby gently sloped ridge, it proved to have a great view of Lookout Mountain and Sierra Blanca.
Following the rounded ridge toward Lookout Mountain, Lupe picked up Lookout Trail No. 78. After taking her back into the forest, No. 78 led down to an opening where Trails No. 78 & 78A converged. This opening provided a nice look at Buck Mountain (10,769 ft.) back to the ENE.
A wide grassy lane continued S to a saddle, where it linked up with the Ambush Run of Ski Apache. Ascending along the edge of the run, Lupe soon reached the upper end of a chairlift next to a large metal building. Staying W of these facilities, the American Dingo passed several picnic tables with big views to the W, and came to a broad path.
The top of Lookout Mountain (11,580 ft.) was just S of the ski facilities and about 150 feet higher. Since it was quickly evident that the path was going to bypass the summit, Lupe left it. Climbing a slope of small rocks and grass, she reached a thick circular concrete pad supporting a rock wall around most of the perimeter.
Concrete benches incorporated along the interior of the wall provided a nice spot to relax. The panoramic views were impressive, but Lupe took only a short break. Sierra Blanca was higher yet, and now beckoning from only a little more than a mile away!
Another Ski Apache chairlift came into sight as soon as Lupe started for Sierra Blanca. After passing it, Loop returned to the broad path. When the path went through an opening in a zig-zaggy log fence, she deserted it again, following a use trail along the W side of a minor hill.
The trek from Lookout Mountain to the saddle N of Sierra Blanca was easy. However, Lupe now faced a fairly steep 500 foot climb up an open slope of grass and smallish rocks. SPHP did a big bad wolf impression, huffing and puffing slowly higher while the Carolina Dog roamed at will.
The 500 foot climb led to a short, level ridge that jutted out to the W. SPHP insisted upon taking a somewhat extended breather here. Ahead, a rockier and somewhat higher ridge led straight toward the summit.
The E side of this next section was very steep, almost a cliff. Continuing onward, Lupe stayed high on the W side, sometimes even right up on the ridgeline. The terrain became rough, forcing her to downclimb a bit just before reaching a notch.
The notch provided a narrow opening to the E just past the cliffy region. A use trail went through it, then turned S back up to the ridgeline, which soon became so bouldery Lupe had to abandon it. Returning to the W side again, the Carolina Dog kept working her way higher. This whole region was plenty steep.
5-13-21, 2:43 PM, Sierra Blanca (11,793 ft.) – By the time Lupe reached the top, clouds that had been building earlier on had largely dissipated. Loop came up just S of the true summit boulder, located along the W rim of a region roughly 75 feet long N/S and 25 feet wide E/W. Only distant haziness obstructed otherwise commanding views in all directions.
Ready for a prolonged rest break, Lupe headed to the N end first, where she could relax while contemplating the region she had just journeyed through to get here.
Nearly an hour shot by blissfully hanging out at the N end. SPHP finally felt sufficiently recovered to explore the rest of the summit region. Lupe took this opportunity to enjoy the views in other directions, too.
Two survey markers with arrows pointed toward a main “Sierra Blanca” benchmark located E of the true summit. A spacious cavity below the true summit boulder harbored a mailbox. It proved to be packed full of old registries. SPHP added Lupe’s name to the most recent one, a red notebook that started with a 2020 entry.
After SPHP signed her into the registry, Loopster got up on true summit, striking a dramatic pose.
Sierra Blanca was awesome! Hadn’t been hard to get here, either. The Carolina Dog lingered an hour and 40 minutes, so long that she wasn’t going to have time to climb Buck Mountain on the way back. Oh, well! Time spent here was well worth it. No regrets.
5-13-21, 4:22 PM – SPHP started down first. The return, mostly along the same route, went well. After passing through the notch again, Lupe took advantage of a use trail lower down on the W side of the rocky ridge that led back to the first ridge above the 500 foot grassy slope. This use trail was easier than staying high, and definitely the way to go.
Lupe returned to Lookout Mountain (11,580 ft.), going over the hill she had skirted earlier. During another short break, SPHP had a look at a couple of plaques attached to the rock wall. The most interesting one pointed out the Carrizozo Malpais Lava Beds, site of the first atomic bomb explosion.
Lupe did not revisit the White Mountain Wilderness High Point (11,300 ft.), instead taking the Lookout Trail No. 78A shortcut to Ice Spring (which she saw no sign of) and back to Crest Trail No. 25.
Now that it was about over, the most exciting part of the entire day was about to begin! Lupe never saw the coyotes again, but the burned forest turned out to be full of giant deers emerging to graze!
Oh, it was a thrilling time on a great day, the day Lupe climbed her first peaks in New Mexico! Reaching the RAV4 at dusk, the Carolina Dog was tired, famished, and perhaps more than a little sad that it was all over and done. (5-13-21, 8:35 PM)
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