Two New Mexico weekend trips
I received the March (??) issue of Backpacker Magazine yesterday in the mail. A Featured article titled Ultimate Rockies by Steve Howe highlights 14 Rocky Mountain weekend and weeklong trips in the heart of the country. Two specific trips caught my eye due to their close proximity (relative) to West Texas.
The first was Wheeler Peak, the highest in NM at 13,161 feet. Wheeler has a 16 mile out and back summit with an elevation gain of 3,800 feet. The trailhead is located just east of Taos Ski Valley at the Twining Campground. The “A” on the map marks the trailhead’s approximate location.
The other NM trial the Steve Howe highlighted is one he calls the Truchas Traverse. This trail hits three 13,000 foot peaks in 14 miles. Summit West Truchas, Middle Truchas, and the highest point in the range, Truchas Peak at 13,102 feet. According to Howe permission is required from the Truchas Land Grant (505-351-4250) and a high clearance vehicle to access the trailhead. I could not mark the trail head on the map but I am sure the people at Truchas Land Grant can give you directions. This is one I hope to do sometime this year or next.
On another note…some people have asked about the Mt. Livermoore and Baldy Peak summit I had planned back in november. Well we had some schedule conflicts and Mr. Barnett and I couldn’t find a good day to summit on. I told him I would call him after the first of the year to reschedule and just havent had the chance to. I still hope to summit Mt. Livermoore sometime soon. I will post a report when I do.