Guadalupe Mountains Natl' Forest, TX

April 15 - 17, 2010 -Nestled in the Chihuahuan Desert & ancestral home to the Mescalero Apache, we stayed at Pine Springs campground at the breathtaking Guadalupe Mountains National Forest for 2 nights.  During this stay, we day tripped 40 miles north back to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, met a researcher at our camp that discovered a new pine tree, and took in the surrounding nature.

We enjoyed a day hike on the El Capitan Trail, which goes for 11.3 miles.  Tired from the bike ride to and from the caverns, we barely did less than half!  We walked a well worn trail with desert flora & fauna eye candy, snapped El Capitan Peak at sunset, viewed wild flowers, saw a mule deer & watched a duo of golden eagles fly.  Our thunderstorm weather made for great shots of the Guadalupe mountain peaks (once an ancient growing reef) and endless crazy shaped cloud formations in the wide Texas sky.  Even with strong winds, the weather was a mild 55 in the evenings.  On the 17th, we packed and left on a rainy day, fully suited for our next stop.

Clouds rolling through the Guadalupe Mountains

The Chihuahuan Desert in the background

Charlie and I at camp

Pine Springs camp at daytime

Sky and mountains

Tree and mountains

El Capitan trail

Charlie checking out the cholla cactus

 Insect on the cactus

Golden Eagle (small speck in center) flying on the El Capitan trail

Purple wild flower on the trail

El Capitan in the background

El Capitan nearing sunset

 Aww, loving the nature hike