A Toast To Texas

I learned a great deal about Texas, while experiencing the beauty and hospitality of the Texans I met.  Now I am toasting y'all with a special bottle of wine and a wine glass I was given by Dan and Lee, whom I met on the trail up Guadalupe Peak.  More on that in a moment.

Ron and I finished our last round of golf on Friday.  We talked about making it an annual event so I may get a chance to see more of Texas.  Thanks again to Ron.  We had a great time and saw glimmers of hope for the future of our golf game.

Early Saturday morning I drove off through west Texas.  If I had any doubts, I now know that Texas is BIG!  I drove 1017 miles during my round trip from the Dallas/Fort Worth Area to Guadalupe Mountain Nation Park and back.  In total, during the three days between leaving Ron's Ranch and flying home I drove for 17 1/2 hours.  The roads are long and flat, but I really got a feel for the land and what a major role cattle, oil, natural gas, wind energy and cotton play in the economy of west Texas.  These are some of the images I saw repeatedly along the 500 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Just before sundown on Saturday I stopped in Carlsbad, NM and stayed in a hotel for the night with the faint smell of natural gas hanging in the air.  I was anxious to get to the trail head and was up at dawn to drive the last 60 mile to Guadalupe Peak.

My pack was ready, so after a brief visit to the Ranger Station, I was at the trailhead ready to go.

Winds were gusting during the day between 30, and in places 60 miles per hour.  I climbed the trail by myself for about forty minutes before I met Dan and Lee, from Midland, Texas.  Dan sells commercial real estate and Lee teaches school.  They were great.  We struck up a friendship and they stayed with me, regardless of my pace until they broke off to follow a ridge to attempt El Capitan and I made the last 500 feet to the summit of Guadalupe Peak.  I heard later that they faced winds on the ridge of El Capitan of over 60 miles per hour before retreating in the dark to try it another day.

Dan Rush and Lee Summers

The Guadalupe Mountains are filled with cactus and brush in an arid rocky landscape filled with a unique and rugged beauty.  The cactus really caught my eye.

The trail is especially steep at the beginning, but even after gaining a couple of thousand feet of elevation it continues upward, unabated for the entire 4.2 miles to the summit.

Because I was unfamiliar with the area, I erred on the side of safety, carrying a 30 lb pack filled with food, rain gear, a  gallon plus of water, flashlight etc.

Let's just say I am in better shape now as a result of this climb.....  While it was strenuous, it was worth the effort for the incredible views, and the weather, wind aside, was magnificent.

Dan and Lee broke off the Trail here to follow the Ridge to El Capitan

Just before they broke off my trail, Dan shared one of his traditions with me.  He gave me a portable wine glass and a small bottle of Spanish sangria to celebrate when I reached the summit.  This is the origin of my Toast To Texas.  To be honest, I was so excited when I actually reached the summit that I forgot to take the wine out of my pack and drink it.  So, I guess I coined my own tradition.  I celebrated my successful trip to the summit and back home by using his gift to toast at my kitchen table in NYC.  Thanks Dan, I plan to carry on the tradition in my way for whatever remains of my climbing career, and next time I will open the bottle at the top!

Dan Passes On His Tradition To Me of Celebrating Successful Summit Attempts

Success, 8749 feet atop Guadalupe Peak at about 2:00 pm

After reaching the summit I had a beautiful and solitary retreat to camp, not seeing anyone for nearly three hours as I enjoyed the mountains and the setting sun.   I spent a night camping under a full moon, enjoyed the deer in my camp at sunrise, and then hit the road back east to Fort Worth to make it home in time for Thanksgiving.