Guadalupe Mountains National Park and McKittrick Canyon, Texas

Sunday, March 2 to Monday, March 3, 2014

After groceries in Deming and a 212 mile drive, we made our way to Pine Springs Campground in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Not much to the camp, mainly in one large parking lot, but we had a fine spot. The mountains rose around us with the valley behind. A cold evening walkabout. The next morning woke to a winter wonderland with everything covered in frost. What a surprise! Put on an extra layer and set off to record the beauty all around. Came back chilled and needed a hot coffee to thaw out. Totally worth it. We hiked up a steep climb to view the valley and desert below. Then off for a short drive to do the McKittrick Canyon Trail. It led us to the Pratt Lodge about 2.3 miles in. Walked the dried riverbed back. There were some pools of water, since it does have water flowing beneath the surface. A fine day which ended at a BLM site in the boonies, just north of Carlsbad Caverns which were on the next day's agenda. Had a quiet night on our own.

Love the long stretches of desert driving.

The Guadalupe mountains are cloud covered.

They only hung over the mountains

El Capitan

Coming into the park area

Our view

We're in here somewhere to the left.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Wow, what a surprise. Everything was in white. Thought we left it far behind. 

A very cold, moist wind coming up the valley, covered everything in frost.

Not quite the same as the night before.

Waking up to this couldn't have been much fun.

The frost didn't stay too long after the sun burned off the morning cold.

Getting higher; looking back.

Another big eared critter.

The trail followed a dried riverbed and then through trees to the Fratt Lodge. 

Totally yellow rock in the riverbed

(another name to find)

Feeling right at home in the abandoned but park maintained Pratt Lodge

A handsome place even now.

Artwork created by the fast waterflow from a flash flood after a heavy rain.

Grace tries her hand at trail maintenance.

Etched by years of flood waters.

Almost back to trailhead.