W5SMD

Guadalupe Peak SOTA Expedition

September 8, 2012

After checking in at the visitor's center and paying the backcountry fee ($5), I hiked up the Devil’s Hall trail and then took the horse trail up to the Guadalupe Peak Trail. This added an extra mile to my trip, but it was a less steep climb. It took about 4 hours to carry my 80 lb pack to the camping area, which was still a mile from the top. I set up camp just as the clouds were rolling in and I could hear thunder in the distance.

Weighing my pack at the trailhead

Prickly pear fruit was in season

Clouds coming in over the mountains

The next morning was windy and cold, but I packed my radio, batteries, antennas, and some water into my backpack and started the hike up the peak. It was a good thing that I brought my jacket and tuque to keep warm. Others on the peak didn’t bring enough clothes and were definitely paying for it. I planned to set up on Guadalupe peak, work for about a half hour, and then make my way toward Shumard peak. I made it to the peak after about an hour of hiking, and found a place to set up where the wind wasn’t as bad, but it was still enough that I had to guy the antenna. My antenna tuner was having a hard time coping with the whip continually flexing on the summit, but it eventually settled down.

Antenna bending in the wind

Shumard Peak from Guadalupe Peak

I got cold quick sitting by the radio. I packed up and started back to my tent, but felt warmer while hiking, so I decided to try to get to Shumard. I left one of my batteries, my camera tripod, and my VHF Yagi antenna near the summit where I planned to pick them up on the way back. I hiked off-trail for several hours until I got to the southeast slope of Shumard. At this point I was tired of hiking through the desert scrub, which had ripped off both cargo pockets on my hiking pants (may they rest in pieces), and didn’t feel like climbing up the slope covered in scrub. I stopped for about a half hour, studied my map and said a prayer for help. I decided that the best way to get back was to hike down the stream bed through Devil’s Hall and back to the car where I could drop off my radio equipment and refill my water bottles. It was much easier hiking downhill without all the scrub catching on my pants, but there were several places where the streambed dropped off a cliff which had to be carefully navigated.

I made it to the car without any incident, although I did run out of water about a mile from the parking lot. I dropped my equipment, refilled my water, changed my socks and rested for about a half hour before hiking back up to my tent on the Guadalupe Peak trail. This time it only took a little over 2 hours with a 10 pound pack.

The next morning, I climbed back up to Guadalupe Peak to retrieve the tripod, battery and antenna that I left up there. It took me nearly a half hour to find where I had left them, but I was able to retrieve my equipment. I took some pictures of the sunrise, hiked back to my campsite, packed everything up and hiked back down to the car.

Devil’s Hall

Sunrise over Texas

This was my first successful attempt at Guadalupe Peak, and the first failed attempt at Shumard. Next year, I’m going to try to do all 4 summits in the valley, but I will try to approach Shumard from the Bush mountain side.

Last Updated: September 23, 2012