Guadalupe Mountains Park - Devils Hall

Well, I'm way behind schedule so I'm going to pick up the pace a little. I got back to Whites City yesterday, bought supplies and got settled. Today I decided to scope out the trail options at Guadalupe Mountains Park and maybe even hike one.

Guadalupe Peak is an 8.5 mile round trip from the trail head to the peak, with a 3000 foot elevation gain. The trailhead is at about 5850 feet (higher than Denver CO). If you're used to living at sea level or thereabouts, this matters. All physical exertion is harder.

Since I didn't arrive at the park until about noon, I decided a 4+ hour hike at high noon was probably a bad idea, so I checked out Devils Hall. In spring and fall, this place is normally packed. In mid-summer, though, it's nearly empty. I assume because most people don't see joy in difficult hikes...in the desert..in 90 degree heat.

Devil's Hall is about a 4 mile hike. You ascend from 5850 to 6400 feet, so if you're not acclimated to the altitude, it can be challenging to keep a good pace. The national park service says this is a 2-4 hour hike. The trail head is at the same spot as Guadalupe Peak. It didn't look too hard and I figured I could average a 16-20 minute mile even with some rough terrain. Little did I know that for over half of this hike you walk through "wash". Wash is basically an old riverbed comprised of large stones and boulders. This slows your pace to a 40+ minute mile, if you're luck. I don't recommend doing this one alone because if you get hurt, you're screwed. No cell signal anywhere in here.

The hike is worth it though. It's physically challenging and Devil's Hall is a rewarding sight. I managed to hike this in 1:43.

Pictures (or at least MY pictures) don't do the scenery justice. The hike in is absolutely gorgeous and about .75 miles in you can look out over the plains.

Next up... Guadalupe Peak.