December 27, 2002 - January 1, 2003 Guadalupe Mountains National Park Backpack

Friday December 27, 2002

Grady Giles pulled his wife Carissa's Expedition into my driveway. I
had my pack and overnight bag ready, leaning against the garage
door. We loaded my stuff into the back of the Expedition, and drove to
his new property a few miles to the west off Bell Springs Road. He
gave me a beer, and showed me around his new property, and we waited
for Joe Amaya and Mark Boyer to arrive. They arrived soon thereafter
in Joe's Chevrolet S71. They each had a beer, and looked around
Grady's new place also. We loaded all the gear into the back of the
Expedition, and drove west on Fitzhugh to Johnson City, where we
filled the Expedition with gas, then continued west on the usual
route, following US 290 to IH-10, following that to Fort Stockton,
then proceeding up US 285 to Pecos. In Pecos, we went to Alfredo's and
had some delicious Mexican Food for supper, and proceeded north to
Carlsbad, where we got a motel room at the Continental Inn. 

Saturday December 28, 2002

Early the next morning we woke and had breakfast at a small restaurant
south of town off the National Parks Highway, and continued south to
the park headquarters on US 62-180. We got a permit to park at the
McKittrick Canyon Ranger Station, then drove there, and did the final
packing and arranging of our backpacks. Unfortunately, when I opened
the back door of the Expedition, the cooler fell out and some cans of
beer fell onto the pavement, leaking out onto the parking lot. We
began hiking up the McKittrick Canyon Trail, arriving eventually at
the Pratt Canyon. Here we regrouped, and proceeded up North McKittrick
Canyon, following it to the Texas-New Mexico State Line. A short
distance north, Mark and I scrambled up the canyon wall to the
Grotto. We began setting up Mark and Joe's Eureka tent. Soon, Grady
and Joe arrived, and Grady and I set up his The North Face VE-24. I
went down to North McKittrick Creek and drew some water for the
evening, which I treated with some iodine tablets. Grady got some bad
blisters from his new boots. We enjoyed a campfire in the evening.

Sunday December 29, 2002

Sunday morning, Joe, Mark, and I hiked further up North McKittrick
Canyon. Grady gathered some firewood and tended to his damaged
feet. We admired some pictographs(?)  on a canyon wall, and admired
some of the beautiful pools along the stream. We again enjoyed a
campfire in the evening.

Monday December 30, 2002

It was snowing Monday morning when we woke, with a breeze blowing a
few flakes up under the roof of the grotto. The snow give the canyon
walls a beautiful white dusting. We were careful to cover the packs
with trash can liner bags to keep all our gear dry. As the sun came
out, it quickly melted off most of the snow, except in sheltered
areas. Mark and Joe hiked up to the top of the hill over the grotto,
while Grady and I collected some firewood. Later, Mark and Joe
returned, and in the evening we again enjoyed a campfire.

Tuesday December 31, 2002

Tuesday morning, we woke, had breakfast, and commenced packing. Mark
and I began hiking down, and enjoyed sitting in the sun in the
streambed while Grady and Joe came down. We continued hiking down
North McKittrick, with Mark far in the lead. I enjoyed a solitary hike
in the middle, and Grady and Joe brought up the rear. I enjoyed having
my new Motorola Talkabout radio, to communicate with Mark, Grady, and
Joe. We gathered at Pratt Cabin, and hiked the rest of the way back to
the trailhead at the McKittrick Canyon Ranger station, where we each
enjoyed a little beer. We drove up US 62-180 to 652, which we followed
to Orla, then followed US 285 down to Pecos. Alfredo's our favorite
Mexican restaurant in Pecos, was closed for New Year's eve. We stopped
at a drive through liquor store, and I bought a six pack of Dos Equis
to replace the beer I damaged in the McKittrick Canyon parking lot. We
drove around Pecos a bit and managed to find a Mexican restaurant
open, Terrazas Restaurant, which had great food. We stayed at the
Motel 6 in Pecos, and had some beer before turning in for the night.

Wednesday January 1, 2003

New Year's day dawned, and we got up, packed, and had a quick
breakfast at McDonald's, and bought gas at the Flying J Truck Stop in
Pecos. We continued down US 285 to Fort Stockton, then IH-10 to it's
intersection with US 290 east of Junction. We followed US 290 to
Johnson City, and stopped at the Dairy Queen for lunch, then drove on
Fitzhugh Road to Grady's property. He we reimbursed each other to
balance the expenses incurred. Joe and Mark gave me a ride back to my
house in Joe's truck. What a great trip!