"Do you think those passengers back there really trust this crew to get this thing off the ground?"
The night before this picture was taken, Pat III and Pat IV climbed the highest sand dune in the park...with flashlights in the dark!
Why are all these people leaning over?
Troop 77 at the Pine Springs trailhead for the Guadalupe Peak Trail.
At The Top of Texas - Guadalupe Peak Summit - Elev. 2667 meters. This is the highest point in Texas. The obelisk was placed there by American Airlines to commemorate the Pony Express which went around the base of Guadalupe Peak for a brief time in the mid-1800's.
Standing above El Capitan!
Troop 77 celebrates reaching the summit.
This 120-degree panorama is looking from west to north to northeast . On the horizon to the northwest, we could see the snow-covered crest of 12,000 foot Sierra Blanca near Ruidoso, New Mexico, even though it's approximately 100 miles away. However, the (too cheap) 35mm camera is not sensitive enough to pick up what the human eye can, as Sierra Blanca does not seem to be visible in any of the photos.
We just weighed our packs as we start out. Paul - 20 lbs; Pat IV - 49 lbs; Pat III - 60 lbs. Why is he grimacing instead of smiling like everyone else? The packs are so heavy because there's no water in the high country, so we must carry enough to last 2 days in the dry climate.
Pat IV hiking up Dog Canyon.
We spent the night at the Tejas backcountry campsite.
"I don't think you guys are even carrying real backpacks."
"Oh yeah?"
"What about these?"
Guadalupe Peak is truly an awe-inspiring sight in God's creation.
Recharging batteries, aka catching Z's. Who is that masked man, anyway?
At the junction of the Juniper Trail and the Bowl Trail.
It may not look like it in these photos, but up here on the top of Hunter Peak (elev. 8368 feet) the wind is gusting over 50 mph. We feel like we're about to be blown off of here any second!
Looking west toward Bush Mountain.
El Capitan is in the background.
Looking down toward Pine Springs. This is where we'll soon be headed, 4 miles down the Tejas Trail and 2500 feet below.
Troop 77's intrepid backpackers just before starting the descent down the Tejas Trail from the Guadalupe Mountains high country to the Pine Springs visitor center.
"C'mon Paul, don't just sit there. Let's go!" :-)
"We're going down THERE?"
