Highpoint #38 TX Guadalupe Peak 8,749 ft. Rank #14

Friday December 1st.

We departed Atlanta, GA. Our destination, The Base of Guadalupe Peak, TX. However, we had a few hurdles to jump along the way.

#1 we had to drive 2.5 hours from Atlanta to Birmingham, AL (the flight was half the price).

#2 A slight delay in Houston.

#3 Jess and Kent's (our climbing partners) bags did not make the connection to El Paso and the bags weren't going to be in until 8pm.

#4 Driving to the mountain we needed fuel and matches and promptly forgot them both, until that is we were in the middle of NOWHERE. (See a previous post).

#5 Kent forgot his tent poles. This made for an interesting looking tent which we now refer to as the puppet tent. Other than that we were well on our way to climbing this mountain.

Saturday December 2nd.

On this day climbing The Mountain proved to be an easier task than getting to The Mountain. With a high 47 degrees, sunny, no wind, a great 4.3 mile trail, and views... GREAT VIEWS. After breaking camp at 9:15 and at the trailhead, we were on our way. Girls in the front guys in the back. The girls were setting a great pace, and I took many pictures. This hike is a good trail with many switchbacks. We were climbing! At every stop I asked Kent for an altitude and distance check using his Rhino. I don't have one of these (hint hint) so having this device handy was a great gauge of how the hike was going. Up up and up we went. For the last 3/10 of a mile the sky opened up, and after a quick stop near the top, I asked everyone if it would be okay if I summited first. After all, Texas is the state of my birth, and 30 years and 3 weeks after being born in a downtown Dallas hospital, I was going to be the highest Texan in the state! Even higher than W. himself! We drove on for a few minutes, and there we were THE TOP! After numerous pictures, congratulations and PB&J sandwiches, I chewed Beef Jerky, a Texas Staple. Then it was time to head down. Only 12 left!

The way down was fairly straight-forward, with the exception of the sun being blocked by Guadalupe. As 3pm hit we had descended back to the car. Thanks to my partners on the mountain, Mary Ruth, Jess, and Kent. We could have tackled a much higher peak on this day, but the Lone Star State was a great time with our newest friends.

Been there, done that and afterward I felt compelled to "Buy the T-shirt"



Next up.... Who knows?

Photos Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hambrick/sets/72157594405135462/