Hey, where IS that!?!?

Ron Coleman Trail
Franklin Mountains State Park
photo: Adrianna Weickhardt

Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso recently organized a National Trails Day hike on the Ron Coleman Trail.  It is hard to believe--but you should--that adventure of this magnitude is possible in our largest city of the Texas Mountain Trail region.

Our friends at GeoBetty.com say this about the trail:
"This very difficult hike along the spine of the Franklin Mountains is not for the faint of heart. It starts in McKelligon Canyon and goes up to the ridge before following the ridgeline all the way to Transmountain Road. It is a difficult and dangerous hike that should only be attempted by prepared and experienced hikers who are ready to deal with heights. That said, have fun and take photos."

Ron Coleman Trail
National Trails Day hike, Franklin Mountains State Park
Photo: Adrianna Weickhardt

Photo from Franklin Mountains State Park
by Dan Baeza

 

photo: Texas Mountain Trail

First Day Hikes AND The Best of 2013: Beauty of November's ice storm

Our last "Best of 2013" posts, a rare icy day from November.  We're happy to say this happens only once in a blue moon out here in our Texas Mountains, and just an hour or so after these photos were taken, the melt was nearly complete.  But it was beautiful, right?

The ice that turned much of our region completely white this weekend has all melted, including this beautiful scene along Hwy 90 between Marfa and Alpine.  But it is so pretty, we wanted to share some images from the ice storm...since we rarely have winter weather like it!  Most of the time our winter is clear, bright, sunny and warm!

 

FIRST DAY Hikes!

Tomorrow, celebrate the start of 2014 with our friends at Texas Parks and Wildlife with your choice of THREE First Day Hikes!

Hiking group at Franklin Mountains State Park

 Our friends at three regional state parks are offering guided hikes for the New Year:  Check out the options by clicking at the links: Big Bend Ranch State Park, Franklin Mountains State Park and Wyler Tramway!  Or visit our region-wide events calendar at:  www.texasmountaintrail.com/events

Wyler Tramway...the hike goes to the top of Ranger Peak!

Franklin Mountains State Park...a moderate-difficult hike, to the top of Mundy's Gap.

Big Bend Ranch State Park...a 1.5 mile round trip hike with spectacular vistas to Cinco Tinajas.

Big Bend Ranch State Park Cinco Tinajas

Moderate-difficult. Begin with a gradual incline over scree, or rubble, proving to be challenging for some; the trail transitions to well maintained terrain with a continuous, yet gradual incline, to the top at Mundy’s Gap. Elevation gain of 1,000 feet.
- See more at: http://texasmountaintrail.com/events/franklin-mountains-state-park-first-day-hike#sthash.coS5boBm.dpuf

Two Pet-Happy Events in the Mountains!

Kitty on the trail in Franklin Mountains
State Park, photo: Adrianna Weickhardt

Grand Companions Annual Collectibles, Antiques and Fun Stuff Sale in Fort Davis-Saturday, October 26th
Grand Companions Humane Society's Annual Tent Sale
Cool Stuff, Music, Pets, Snacks, Raffles and more
All proceeds benefit Grand Companions Humane Society

This event on our Texas Mountain Trail calendar, here.

2nd Annual Happy Tails and Happy Trails Event at Franklin Mountains State Park-Saturday morning, November 2nd
Franklin Mountains State Park is partnering with the Animal Rescue League of El Paso to bring you this very special event for a second year! Some of the shelter's adoptable (adorable) dogs will be brought to the park. Participants can walk the dogs and get to know them while hiking some of our great trails. We’ll have information and talks on healthy and safe hiking with your pooches while out in the park. Even if you aren’t looking to adopt, come out for a chance to brighten a dog’s day or bring your pooch for a fun outing and a chance to socialize your dogs at your state park.

The event is on our Texas Mountain Trail calendar, here.

Franklin Mountains State Park is partnering with the Animal Rescue League of El Paso to bring you this very special event for a second year! Some of the shelter's adoptable (adorable) dogs will be brought to the park. Participants can walk the dogs and get to know them while hiking some of our great trails. We’ll have information and talks on healthy and safe hiking with your pooches while out in the park. Even if you aren’t looking to adopt, come out for a chance to brighten a dog’s day or bring your pooch for a fun outing and a chance to socialize your dogs at your state park.
The focus for the event includes three main goals: 1) Adopting out some deserving animals to loving homes, 2) Encouraging folks from our southwest region to get outdoors and get healthy all the while sharing that time with their pets, and 3) Promoting yet another way people can recreate in their beloved Texas State Parks.
The very first Happy Tails n’ Happy Trails event last year brought a surprisingly large number of people out: Over 50 participants along with over 50 dogs! It was a tail waggin’ good time, with barks and yaps filling the park; we are hoping to have a bigger turn out this year with a goal of connecting all of the adoptable dogs to their new companions and sharing local pet-friendly organizations and businesses with them.
- See more at: http://texasmountaintrail.com/events/el-paso-2nd-annual-happy-tails-n-happy-trails#sthash.6Ligv9ky.dpuf

Celebration of our Mountains...a great outdoor festival in El Paso taking place ALL fall!

Franklin Mountain Prickly Pear by Dan Baeza

Photo from the Celebration of our Mountains website
The Window, Ron Coleman Trail, Franklin Mountains
State Park, by Michael L. Lewis

For more than 19 years, El Paso's Celebration of our Mountains has been encouraging hiking, biking, birding, climbing, photographing, geocaching, studying and celebrating the natural wonders of the Borderland.  And again, all fall, there are some great opportunities for anyone in or visiting El Paso!

From their website:

"Begun in 1994 by Dr. Phil Goodell and other professors and students from the Geology department at the University of Texas at El Paso, the Celebration was later spearheaded by Randy Limbird, editor and publisher of El Paso Scene. Today, with event leaders from Texas Parks & Wildlife, the Texas Master Naturalists, El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society, El Paso Ridgewalkers and many other groups, Celebration of Our Mountains has grown to encompass dozens of events each fall that get people in West Texas and Southern New Mexico outdoors to enjoy the natural wonders of the Borderland.

The Celebration of Our Mountains is a labor of love for those of us who see our mountains as the focal point of a unique and very special ecosystem. Our environment continues to define our region, and we’re excited to continially explore and share it with the rest of the world.

Celebration of Our Mountains is always looking for experts in hiking, biking, climbing, birding, history, archaeology, geology, botany and other subjects to lead events throughout the region. We hope you’ll join us and consider volunteering your knowledge and expertise next year!"

This year, we've added two Texas Mountain Trail events to their calendar, tonight's presentation at Reliance Outdoor Supply (see yesterday's entry below!) and a special program for military families at Fort Bliss on October 3rd.  Click here to reach the festival's event calendar to find a program or hike or outdoor opportunity especially for YOU!

One of El Paso's Great Hike/Bike Trails

The winding, but relatively flat Lazy Cow Trail in Northeast El Paso in Franklin Mountains State Park begins at the trailhead at Chuck Heinrich Park to the roundhouse at Bowen Ranch and then returns along the same route. There are nice views of the Franklin Mountains to your west and the Organ Mountains to the north. This is a great beginner trip, but if it's too much for you, you can always turn around early to shorten the distance.

The trail is rated "easy" and while the full out-and-back distance is 7.4 miles, the elevation gain is only 280 feet.  Read more about the trail here! Are you a beginning mountain biker, and want a guided experience?  There's a PERFECT opportunity for you on Saturday, September 14th (click here for the info!) and Sunday, September 15th (click here for the info!)

Perseid Meteor Shower Parties at Hueco Tanks and Franklin Mountains State Park!

Join us for a Perseid Meteor Shower Party from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, August 11 at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. #1, El Paso, Texas 79938.
Rangers from Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site and Franklin Mountains State Park will lead presentations and activities about the Perseid meteor shower, constellation folklore, and our vanishing dark skies. Then, view the cosmos through two provided telescopes or sit back and enjoy the meteor shower! Participants should bring a flashlight, folding chair or blanket, and water.

Reservations are required, and will be taken until the program is full. Call 915-857-1135 or 915-849-6684 for information and reservations. $2 ages 5 and up.

A Perseid Meteor Shower Party is also scheduled for 8:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, August 9 at Franklin Mountains State Park’s Tom Mays Unit.
- See more at: http://texasmountaintrail.com/events/perseid-meteor-shower-party#sthash.v41F0yq9.dpuf

Hikers at Hueco Tanks have a full view of
the sky for the Perseid Meteor Shower,
they're just there a little early in the day!

Join us for a Perseid Meteor Shower Party from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, August 11 at Hueco Tanks State Park &Historic Site.

Rangers from Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site and Franklin Mountains State Park will lead presentations and activities about the Perseid meteor shower, constellation folklore, and our vanishing dark skies. Then, view the cosmos through two provided telescopes or sit back and enjoy the meteor shower! Participants should bring a flashlight, folding chair or blanket, and water.

Reservations are required, and will be taken until the program is full. Call 915-857-1135 or 915-849-6684 for information and reservations. $2 ages 5 and up.

A Perseid Meteor Shower Party is also scheduled for 8:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, August 9 at Franklin Mountains StatePark’s Tom Mays Unit.

The listing for the event on our calendar is here.

Join us for a Perseid Meteor Shower Party from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, August 11 at Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, 6900 Hueco Tanks Rd. #1, El Paso, Texas 79938.
Rangers from Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site and Franklin Mountains State Park will lead presentations and activities about the Perseid meteor shower, constellation folklore, and our vanishing dark skies. Then, view the cosmos through two provided telescopes or sit back and enjoy the meteor shower! Participants should bring a flashlight, folding chair or blanket, and water.

Reservations are required, and will be taken until the program is full. Call 915-857-1135 or 915-849-6684 for information and reservations. $2 ages 5 and up.

A Perseid Meteor Shower Party is also scheduled for 8:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, August 9 at Franklin Mountains State Park’s Tom Mays Unit.
- See more at: http://texasmountaintrail.com/events/perseid-meteor-shower-party#sthash.v41F0yq9.dpuf

Shaffer Shuffle Hike tomorrow at Franklin Mountains State Park/Peak Fitness Challenge!

Tomorrow, Franklin Mountains State Park is offering a guided hike on one of our Peak Fitness Challenge trails, the Shaffer Shuffle.  Sign up for the Peak Fitness Challenge, here; then hike the trail and come back and log your miles online.  Once you complete a hike, your name goes into a file...and every month we pick out a few names and send those folks prizes! 

Sunday, June 16-  ($8.00 – this is the entrance fee + activity fee)

Schaeffer Shuffle Trail

Start: 7:00 a.m.

Length: about 2.5 miles / 1.5 - 2 hours

Trail Difficulty:  Steep initial descent down old jeep road; transition to relatively well maintained trail with technical sections into the canyon, leveling out along the ridgeline, then another steep and technical descent down the backside before becoming an easy leisurely stroll down the trail. We’ll reconnect with the old jeep road and have one final steep ascent back up to the start of the trail.

 

BRING:

For Hikes:  Water, snacks, flashlight/headlamp for mine tour, sturdy hiking shoes/boots, hiking stick, camera, and binoculars!  

Heritage Hikes!

Porch of historic Pratt Cabin
on the McKittrick Canyon trail
Guadalupe Mountains National Park

As part of our Peak Fitness Challenge, we've identified special hiking trails that tell something about our history...our Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes!  The Challenge is centered in Franklin Mountains State Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park (though we're looking at adding new trails in other parts of the region in the future), and there's PLENTY to learn about Texas by experiencing these designated trails.

The Peak Fitness Challenge is a FREE, FUN program designed to introduce new parks and new trails to folks of all fitness levels.  The Challenge website has terrific information, including topo maps, of the trails, plus great information about the location of the trailheads, elevation change and trail length.

We send prizes out on a random basis to hikers...you never know when something neat might hit your mailbox!

The Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes take you to the site of a murder of a Texas Ranger, plane crashes, historic ranch houses, old tin mines, stagecoach stops, and other neat places! 

Want to learn more?  We also have a rundown of the Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes on our website:

Learn more about hiking opportunities in the Texas Mountains and the Peak Fitness Challenge, by visiting THIS page!

Cool Smith Spring

Natural spring and shade on
the Smith Spring Trail, Guadalupe
Mountains National Park

 

One of our favorite places to escape summer heat is in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  There's a short, relatively easy 2.3 mile looped trail through desert and arroyo at the base of the mountains, that also takes hikers to the this cool oasis at Smith Spring.  Click here to see more photos on our Flickr page.

More on natural springs in the Guadalupes, here.

This is what the park's website says about this hike:

"Smith Spring Trail
Begin this hike at the trailhead sign. Look for birds, mule deer, and elk as you walk this loop trail to the shady oasis of Smith Spring. Take a break here and enjoy the gurgling sounds of the tiny waterfall before continuing around to sunny Manzanita Spring. Scars from wildland fires of 1990 and 1993 are evident along the trail. The trail is rated moderate, with a round-trip distance of 2.3 miles. Allow one to two hours.
Manzanita Spring (only)
Begin this hike by turning right behind the ranch house at Frijole Ranch and follow the short, paved trail to Manzanita Spring (.2 mile). Return to Frijole Ranch on the same route. The trail is wheelchair accessible. Manzanita Spring is an excellent desert watering hole for park wildlife and a great birding location.
Please: Water is precious for park flora and wildlife species. Do not disturb the water in any way."

This trail is also part of our Peak Fitness Challenge, a joint program of our Texas Mountain Trail and our partners (Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Franklin Mountains State Park, GeoBetty.com and PhiDev, Inc. of El Paso.  What is the Challenge?  Pick a trail you want to hike, record your miles online, and you might win prizes for your effort?  It is free, it is fun, and you get to explore our beautiful Texas Mountains AND be healthier for it!  This trail is also a Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hike! 

Peak Fitness Challenge!

Sign up for the free, fun hiking and trail running challenge
www.GeoBetty.com/Peak

We're lucky to have two TERRIFIC parks participating in our Peak Fitness Challenge, a fun and FREE challenge for all you hikers and trail runners of all fitness levels.  Our friends at Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Franklin Mountains State Park teamed up last year with GeoBetty/PhiDev, Inc. to launch the challenge, with us, the Texas Mountain Trail www.texasmountaintrail.com.  Head on out on the trails for fun and you may win some prizes as you log your miles!  

McKittrick Canyon Trail,
Guadalupe Mountains National Park

First step?  Go to www.GeoBetty.com/Peak and create an account. 
Then?  Browse the site for a hike you'd like to take, or create your own route.
Then?  Head on out for your hike or trailrun, and when you return, log your miles on the site.
Watch your miles add up...we send prizes out to participants at random!

HAVE FUN!!

Hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains

One of the jewels in our region is our own Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  Some national parks are great to drive through...but not this one.  This is a TERRIFIC hiking park, for folks who like to tackle long or short trails.

And through our association with the national park, it is our pleasure to offer a free, fun program to all hikers heading to the Guadalupes.  Join the Peak Fitness Challenge, hike the trails in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and/or El Paso's Franklin Mountains State Park, and the miles you log qualify you for regular prize drawings! 



Our Peak Fitness Challenge participants
 have run or hiked
a combined 1,048 miles!

Challenge participants have
come from all over!

 

Many of the trails are Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes, meaning they were the location of an historic event, or offer historic scenic vistas. 

Join the Challenge today!

Hiking to the Top of Texas, Guadalupe Peak by Sarah Clark

Sarah Clark is a Community Outreach SCA AmeriCorps Intern serving at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  She's helping us promote the Peak Fitness Challenge, a free hiking challenge in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Franklin Mountains State Park

 

 

Mountain tops seem to hold a special place in men’s minds. Moses came down from the mountain top with the moral code that has shaped the lives of millions of people for thousands of years. Native Americans seek their visions among the mountain tops, while Buddhist monks remain to find nirvana. The mountain top is a symbol of clarity, knowledge, and enlightenment. The effort and struggles of gaining the peak are integral to the significance of gaining the summit. No one would say they had conquered a mountain by flying to the top in a helicopter. No, each step on the way to the top has its own place and meaning.

The hike to the top of Guadalupe Peak is no different. As you work your way up the trail the desert floor falls away; the sounds of the highway gradually fade. Valleys and hills unfold before you, curving away to join ridge upon ridge, knitted together by rock and tree. Rounding a corner opens new worlds, as barren hillsides and sheer cliff faces become mountain slopes covered in pines, only to give way to the grassy shoulders of the peak. The air, thin enough to give pause as you switchback your way through the steepest sections of the trail, fills with the scent of pine. Even with your eyes closed, the air near the peak would tell you that you are far from the rest of the world. The last scramble to the summit, full of white fossil rich rocks of a long vanished reef, brings you face to face with the goal of your long climb. The mountain top is yours. Away below is the work-a-day world. But here, on the top, the press of everyday affairs is far away. Whether the first or the hundredth time to the top, the summit brings its own sense of time and scale to your perspective. As you gradually make your way back down the trail the headiness of the summit will remain. Distances seem changed, perspectives reframed. The memory of the view from the top is contrasted with where you are. Once returned to the base, the moments of clarity on the mountain top, with only the sky above you, the winds around you, and all the world below, remain.

Sarah Clark

 

Adventure Spotlight: JOIN the Peak Fitness Challenge!

This free, fun challenge is designed to entice you to try new parks and new trails and new challenges!  How does it work?
1) Sign up at www.geobetty.com/peak  (This is FREE!)
2) Browse the challenge site to find trails you'd like to try
3) Get out on the trail, complete your hike, and log it on your profile on the Peak Fitness Challenge website
4) Once you log a hike, your name is entered in a monthly drawing for neat prizes!

Way to go El Paso!!

El Paso's Museum of Art

The largest city in our region has been getting TERRIFIC (and well-deserved) press lately. 

Take a look at the New York Times, 36 Hours in El Paso article! (Printed just last week)

And this one, distributed this week in Albuquerque and Santa Fe!  This one focuses on the nightlife and the advantages to exploring the downtown area...great places to dine, listen to music,

Tiffany Dome in the Hotel El Camino Real in
downtown El Paso

The New York Times article mentions the wonderful resources of Franklin Mountains State Park, home to our own Peak Fitness Challenge, where hikers can log their miles online and become eligible for prizes!  So far, over 1,000 hiking miles have been recorded online!

Inside the restored, historic
Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso

We agree that El Paso is a city of surprising charm...the trick is to get off I-10 and explore! 

Hike the Peak Fitness Challenge!

Hikers in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Franklin Mountains State Park!  Join the Peak Fitness Challenge and all the miles you hike qualify you for prize drawings EVERY month!  Sign in, log your miles now, it is FREE and fun! 

Click here to learn more about the "Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes," which are a part of the challenge!

Big big thanks to our friends at PhiDev, Inc. and GeoBetty.com in El Paso, along with the park's superintendents, interpretive and other staff members.  Y'all are terrific partners and we're so very grateful for your enthusiastic support of our Texas Mountain Trail! 

 

Now you can JOIN the Texas Mountain Trail and help suppport some terrific projects including the Peak Fitness Challenge.  CLICK HERE to join!

Catch the fall color while you can!

Our friends at Guadalupe Mountains National Park tell us that wind has taken the leaves off the trees in exposed areas, but there's still plenty of fall color in the sheltered areas of the park's trails.  Plan to take a trip there SOON, to catch the color! 

While you're at it, take on the Peak Fitness Challenge, a free and fun program to encourage folks to get out on the trail.  Hike, log your miles online and you'll be eligible for some prize drawings!  Learn more and sign up at:  www.geobetty.com/peak! 

Hikers, Join the Peak Fitness Challenge!

Early hiking photo from the collection of the
Clark Hotel Museum, Van Horn

Now you can get better prepared for the big peaks, by joining the free Peak Fitness Challenge.  All the trails in the Challenge--in both Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Franklin Mountains State Park--are coded according to difficulty...so you can start at the easier trails and gain experience and confidence for the highest peaks in both parks.  That includes the highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak! 

Once you sign up and hike the trails, you're eligible for free prizes...simple as that! 

On the way to Guadalupe Peak!
 

From the top, looking down at El Capitan
 

El Paso's Lovely Franklin Mountains

Pink light of dawn on the Franklin Mountains as seeen from I-10

From what we can gather, most visitors heading to or through El Paso miss the charm of the city because they rarely get off the freeway.  I-10 directs travelers efficiently through the city, but that route never gives you a clue as to the charm or adventure available RIGHT THERE.

 Case in point:  Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest urban wilderness park in the continental US....offers terrific hiking, mountain biking and wildlife watching IN the city!

From the park's website:

"The Franklins are the largest sustained mountain range in Texas, with the summit of North Franklin Peak rising to an elevation of 7,192 feet, approximately 3,000 feet above the city below. On the eastern flank of North Franklin Mountain lie the remnants of our nation's only tin mining, milling and smelting operation, which was active from 1910 through 1915.
Two hiking trails are currently accessible off of Loop 375/Trans-Mountain Road. Work is underway for a trail network that will ultimately offer a system of more than 100 miles of trails. Rock climbing is one of the park's newest recreational activities, with established climbing areas in McKelligon Canyon.
A limited number of primitive tent-camping sites are available in the Tom Mays Unit. Traditional sites allow for tents placed on the ground. Five self-contained RV sites have also been added. All potential campers should be forewarned: there are no ground fires allowed within park boundaries and no water or electricity supplies. Those desiring camping reservations may contact the park office. Reservations are recommended."

We've partnered with Franklin Mountains State Park (and Guadalupe Mountains National Park and our friends at GeoBetty.com) to bring you a free, fun hiking challenge, called the Peak Fitness Challenge!  (The challenge website is here, the facebook page is here!)  Sign up, create a log page, hike your miles, record them online and your name is entered into prize drawings...simple as that!  In the meantime, you'll be outside, getting sunshine and exercise, having fun, and seeing a new side to El Paso!  And the challenge is for EVERYONE, including walkers, hikers, runners and trail runners...even YOU!

Mountain biking is one of the favorite activities in the Franklins, and many trails have dual use--hiking and biking.  For mountain biking information, check out www.geobetty.com