with Dobbs
Here are just a few pictures from my backyard from the snow we received here in El Paso earlier this month:
It is not much, but this definitely qualifies as a big snow storm by El Paso standards:
Fortunately my fish in my pond survived yet another snow storm this year. I have in fact only had one fish so far die this year from the cold.
Prior Posting: Hueco Tanks State Park – Part 1
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From the graffiti rock art area in the middle of the Hueco Tanks State Park my wife and I turned around and headed back towards the visitor and followed this trail along the north side of the park:
The north side of the park is an area littered with a variety of very nice picnic areas:
We continued to walk along the northern end of the park and enjoyed the surround Chihuahuan Desert scenery:
The scenery included many cactus:
To include this one that looked just like a heart:
Walking along the northern edge of the park also meant some pretty nice views of the surrounding Hueco Mountains that surround most of the park:
From the north side of the park we made our way to the west side of the park which features many large rock outcroppings:
These large rock outcroppings on the west side of course makes Hueco Tanks very popular with rock climbers who come to challenge themselves on the various climbing courses here:
The large rock face pictured below is what climbers call “The Front Side”:
This rock is the most popular rope climbing face in the park and one of the most popular in all of Texas:
Most of the climbing course on The Front Side are 200-350 feet long and quite challenging with the first climb of this face documented in the 1950’s. The Front Side remains such a popular climbing destination that climbers are the number one visitors to Hueco Tanks. My wife and I are hardly rock climbers, but we decided to head into the rocks ourselves and see what we could find. We came upon this picnic area, which my wife who was pregnant at the time we visited the park, decided to take a break at while I continued to explore the rocks:
What was interesting about this picnic area was that it was located next to a small lagoon, which existence is so surprising considering how dry and arid this desert is:
Here is a view of the lagoon from up above on the rocks:
Here is a view of one of the large boulder formations that make up the park:
Soon I was at the top of the rocks and had a view looking back towards the 6,787 foot summit of Cerro Alto mountain, the highest peak in the Hueco Mountains:
Here is the view looking towards the area of the park off limits to day visitors and only accessed by guided tours that require reservations:
On the top of the rocks there is actually plenty of desert life growing up here as well:
Of couse there was plenty of ocotillo or Jacob’s Staff growing on the top of the rocks as well:
I was surprised by the amount of moss that could be seen growing on the top of the rocks on the top of Hueco Tanks:
I say that the moss is surprising simply because you just don’t see moss growing in the middle of the desert like this. Despite all the water at Hueco Tanks, during our entire trip the only wildlife we saw were these lizards that can be seen running around the rocks:
Hueco Tanks is no where near as scenic as probably the greatest rock wonder in the world, Uluru in Australia, but it is still quite an impressive place. The place it reminded me the most of though was Wave Rock in Western Australia, which had similar rock formations, water holes, and local importance to native Aboriginal tribes. Much like Wave Rock we had a great day out at Hueco Tanks and the fact we haven’t taken the guided tour to the sealed off rock art locations only means we have another excuse to visit this great park.
The city of El Paso out in far Western Texas has a wide variety of hiking trails and rock climbing destination all around the city. Most of these outdoors opportunities are located in the Franklin Mountains that run through the middle of town, but to the far east of El Paso lies the city’s other great outdoor attraction, Hueco Tanks State Park. Hueco Tanks is a prominent rock outcropping that lies at the base of the Hueco Mountains:
The park is open 7 days a week and year-round. Here are the Park Hours: Winter (October 1st through April 30th): 8 a.m. – 6 p.m;.Summer (May 1st through September 30): 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Fri-Sun); 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Mon-Thurs). Reservations are recommended for visitors planning a trip to Hueco Tanks:
My wife and I planned to spend the day here hiking around and checking out the various Native American rock art galleries located in the park. So we paid the entrance fee and parked our vehicle near the visitor’s center:
At the visitor center, everyone who visits the park has to sit through a 20 minute video that educates visitors about the significance of the park. The video was quite good and the Native American park ranger was very informative as well with the answers he gave to the questions that were asked by the people who sat through the video. Here is a brief history of the site provided by the state park authorities:
This site was opened to the public in May of 1970. This 860.3-acre park is named for the large natural rock basins or “huecos” that have furnished a supply of trapped rain water to dwellers and travelers in this arid region of west Texas for millennia.A unique legacy of lively and fantastic rock paintings greets the visitor at the “tanks.” From Archaic hunters and foragers of thousands of years ago to relatively recent Mescalero Apaches, Native Americans have drawn strange mythological designs and human and animal figures on the rocks of the area. The site’s notable pictographs also include more than 200 face designs or “masks” left by the prehistoric Jornada Mogollon culture. Hueco Tanks was the site of the last Indian battle in the county. Apaches, Kiowas, and earlier Indian groups camped here and left behind pictographs telling of their adventures. These tanks served as watering places for the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. [Hueco Tanks State Park]
Before this land became a park in 1970 it was actually a private ranch owned by the Escontrias family that lived on the land for many decades. The remains of their old ranch house can be seen near the visitor center:
The remains of the old Butterfield Stage station can still be seen as well near the visitor center as well:
For those not wanting to travel very far to see some of the Native American artwork that can be found at Hueco Tanks, there is literally right behind the visitor center a cave in the rocks that is home to a few paintings:
The rock art inside the cave isn’t all that impressive, but nevertheless interesting to look at:
From the cave it is also possible to see one of the huecos that the park is famous for:
These huecos are formed when rain falls and flows through the cracks in the rocks and settles in these “tanks” in the various caves that shade it from the sun thus preventing evaporation. Water remains at Hueco Tanks all year around so it easy to see why through the centuries this area was so important to the Native Americans.
From the cave I also had a great viewpoint over the visitor center area as well as the highest point in the Hueco Mountains, Cerro Alto Peak at 6,787 feet:
Here is the view towards the cliffs of the Hueco Mountains that mark the end of the Otero Mesa and the drop in elevation to the Chihuahuan Desert floor where the Hueco Tanks lies:
We also had a view of my wife’s Hyundai that I had just recently bought her sitting in the parking lot:
From the cave my wife and I made our way past the visitor center down a trail that runs to a major rock art gallery that walk in visitors can go see:
The trail to the rock gallery went right by this lush grass field that wouldn’t be so striking if it wasn’t for the fact that all of this green was in the middle of the arid desert:
Beside the trees and bushes there was still plenty of lush desert scenery along the trail as well:
Here is an example of a ocotillo or Jacob’s Staff looks like cactus but it is actually an entirely different plant species:
Eventually the trail turned towards the rock and the art gallery:
The gallery really wasn’t rock art, but instead graffiti:
However, this graffiti was very interesting to read simply because of how old it was:
Reading the graffiti it is easy to imagine the travelers on the Butterfield Stage stopping here at the station and walking over hear to leave a message on the rock that they had been here. Unfortunately this is as far as day visitors can go to explore the rock art at the park because the south side of the park is by guided tour only, which prior reservations are needed through the park service. I will definitely have to do this some day, which gives me an excuse to come visit the park again. However, even the day use area there was still plenty more to see on this visit.
Next Posting: Hueco Tanks State Park – Part 2
Here are some pictures from the most recent snow fall we had in El Paso, Texas. The first picture is of North Franklin Mountain, the high peak in the Franklins Mountains with a maximum altitude of 7,192 feet:
This next snow covered mountain is South Franklin Mountain with an altitude of 6,791 feet:
This picture is looking towards Ranger Peak and the Wyler Aerial Tramway:
It has been quite a winter with snow falling on El Paso a total of six times from October 2009 through February 2010. It has been an extremely cold winter in El Paso this year and I wonder if this will be the last snow fall of the year becaue I am ready for spring time, which if the nice weather today is any indication should be right around the corner.
On a recent weekend I decided to take a trip to climb Alamo Mountain which is a dormant mountain that rises above the desert grasslands of the Otero Mesa just north of the Texas state line in New Mexico. Alamo Mountain lies in a very remote area about 75 miles east of El Paso, which is accessed only by sparsely driven dirt roads:
The first dirt road to reach the mountain is the Hueco Ranch Road off of US Highway 180/62 that traverses the Hueco Mountains that lie to the east of El Paso. These rolling sometimes rugged mountains is home to few people and the remains of prior settlements in the mountains can still be seen today:
I have no idea what this building once was, but it is definitely interesting to see while driving along the road. The Hueco Mountains forms the western edge of what is known as the Otero Mesa. This vast mesa is mostly flat with a few peaks from the Huecos rising from the west. The biggest peak is the highest point in the Huecos called Cerro Alto Mountain:
Cerro Alto Mountain may be the highest point in the Huecos, but it is also one of the tallest mountains in all of Texas with an altitude of 6,787 feet:
This striking mountain is composed of Permian limestone that is estimated to be 250 million years old:
This is how this prominent peak looks on Google Earth:
It may appear that this desolate area would have little wildlife, but with careful observation it is possible to see plenty of wildlife on the mesa such as this road runner:
This road runner quickly took off after I took this lone picture, but it was still quite cool to see. As I drove by the mountain I could see the Hueco Ranch sitting at the base of the mountain. There was plenty of “No Trespassing” and “Keep Out” signs posted around their large property, which indicated to me that hiking up this mountain was forbidden:
If anyone knows if it is possible to hike up this mountain please leave a comment and let me know. Here is one last look at Cerro Alto Mountain from the Texas side of the border:
Notice how much larger Cerro Alto Mountain is compared to the rest of the smaller hills that make up the Hueco Mountains. From here the Hueco Ranch Road crosses into New Mexico and becomes County Road F001 which traverses the vast Otero Mesa and my final destination of Alamo Mountain.
Next Posting: Crossing the Otero Mesa
This past fall I attempted to climb the last major peak I haven’t summitted yet in the Franklin Mountains just outside of El Paso, Texas. The mountain is called Anthony’s Nose and is the second highest peak in the mountain range at 6,927 feet:
Here is an image of the east side of Anthony’s Nose after a recent dusting of snow this winter:
Readers may remember my prior hikes in the Franklin’s up it other two prominent peaks:
Back in the fall I didn’t have any snow to worry about, but rather the heat to contend with. Because of the heat that is why I began my hike to the summit of the peak early in the morning. The trail to the peak begins at the Tom Mays picnic area that is part of the Franklin Mountains State Park fee area on the west side of the mountain range:
Just a short walk from the parking lot is this park bench for those that don’t want to wander to far into the desert wilderness:
From the bench it is possible to see a wide variety of Chihuahuan Desert plant life that encompasses the Franklin Mountains State Park such as this large yucca tree:
This plant known as a ocotillo or Jacob’s Staff looks like cactus but it is actually an entirely different plant species:
During the wet seasons in the Chihuahuan Desert the thorns on this plant actually sprout green leaves:
During the spring the ocotillos will actually sprout red flowers on them. The ocotillos may not be cactus, but there is still plenty of real cactus to see:
Anyway I continued north up the trail that runs parallel to the base of the Franklin Mountains towards the distant Anthony’s Nose that can be seen in the distance below:
Along the way there was a number of dry river beds known as arroyos in the southwest that I had to cross:
From there I continued hiking to the north towards the distant Anthony’s Nose:
I took a quick break to drink some water and admire the desert scenery that I had crossed looking towards the south:
Looking to the west I could see the green scar across the desert that is the Rio Grande River Valley out in the distance:
Looking far to the north I could also make out the spectacular peaks of the Organ Mountains:
I continued on with my hike along the base of the mountains and eventually came upon a fence line:
I have no idea what this fence line represents but I think it may just be an old fence that remains from a now discontinued cattle ranch:
As I continued down the trail
After about two hours of walking I finally came the trail that leads to the base of Anthony’s Nose:
This trail leads into a valley with steep rocky walls:
The trail eventually turns into an arroyo that becomes increasingly difficult to climb up due to the large boulders and thick brush:
Due to the difficulty of hiking up the arroyo I decided to try and go cross country up the steep rocky sides of the mountain:
As I ascended up the mountain the summit of Anthony’s Nose was a constant presence in front of me:
The more I ascended up the mountain the better and better the views towards the west became:
My ascent up the mountain even cross country was increasingly difficult because of the thick brush I had to work my way through:
Due to the heat and difficulty of the hike I went through all the water I had brought with me and I wasn’t yet to the top of the mountain. I had to turn around knowing that I had about a two hour hike to get back to the picnic area where I was parked. I would have to bring much more water with me the next time I try to climb this peak as well as hike during a cooler time period than the early fall. So I turned around and headed back down the mountain. On the way down I noticed what look a old mine of some kind:
It looks like a coal seam that was being mined at one time from this location:
Going down the mountain was much quicker than going up and soon enough Anthony’s Nose was well behind me:
It front of me lied the long walk back to the Tom Mays picnic area and I had run out of water:
I wasn’t worried though because I have walked much further than this without water and about a little over an hour later I was back at my truck and on my way home. The summitting of Anthony’s Nose will have to wait to probably spring time when the weather is cooler and I will definitely bring more water for this difficult hike.
A really great way to spend an afternoon if visiting El Paso is by taking a ride up the Wyler Aerial Tramway that takes visitors to the summit of Ranger Peak that provides sweeping views of the area:
The tramway is located at the top of McKinley Street which zig-zags up to the side Ranger peak where the terminal for the tramway is located:
Of course there is a big Texas flag flying with the Stars & Stripes at the tramway station:
The tramway was first built in 1959 by KTSM radio to assist in the construction of a transmitter tower on the summit of Ranger Peak. The project was managed by a man by the name of Karl O. Wyler. The tramway first opened to the public as the El Paso Aerial Tramway and provided rides to the public from 1960 to 1986. In 1986 high liability insurance costs forced the tramway to shut down public operations. Before his death Wyler donated the tramway for public use and the Texas Parks and Wildlife accepted the donation in 1997 and renovated and re-opened the tramway to the public in 2001.
From the parking lot of the terminal there are some great views of Eastern El Paso:
This was just a preview of the even greater views to come at the top of the 5,632 foot Ranger Peak where the Swiss made gondolas drop passengers off at:
The journey to the summit takes visitor on a 2,600 foot journey that takes roughly about 4 minutes to complete:
Along the way to the top of the mountain there are some dramatic views of the steep, rocky walls of the Franklin Mountains:
At the top of Ranger Peak the Texas State Park Service has an observation platform setup that provides sweeping views of Texas, New Mexico, and Old Mexico:
The platform also offers even more great views of the Franklin Mountains:
The international border that separates the cities of El Paso and Juarez is easily recognizable due to the Rio Grande River that separates the two countries, as well as by this huge Mexican flag that dominates the Mexican-American border:
From the top of Ranger Peak this large Mexican mountain can be seen rising over Juarez in the far south as well:
To the southeast the sprawling city of El Paso can be seen with the extremely busy I-10 running east into the interior of West Texas:
The busiest highway artery in El Paso known as the Spaghetti Bowl where I-10 and US-54 meet is easily visible from the peak:
At the base of the Spaghetti Bowl the Concordia Cemetery where over 60,000 people including gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, Buffalo Soldiers, Texas Rangers, Civil War Veterans, early Mormon pioneers, Florida (Lady Flo) Wolf, and Lawman John Selman are buried. The cemetery was also formerly the first burial site for Mexican Revolution President Victoriano Huerta and numerous other civic leaders, pioneers, and war veterans.
Directly to the east US-54 that runs north to south through El Paso can be seen :
Also to the east the El Paso International Airport is visible:
For an airport that supports a city of about 750,000 it is actually one of the better airports I have ever flown through. To the east the massive Ft. Bliss military base can also be seen:
Here is the northeast of El Paso where I live and if you look closely you can see the Sacramento Mountains in the distance to the north:
At the base of the mountain one of the most prominent buildings in all of El Paso, the William Beaumont Army Medical Center can be seen:
Right across the street from the hospital is the gigantic Jobe gravel quarry:
On the backside of the observation platform views of the west side of El Paso are also available:
The most prominent natural feature of the west side is Mount Cristo Del Rey which is considered one of the most dangerous hikes in America:
The most prominent man made feature on the west side is the ASARCO copper smelting plant:
What is unusual about this mine is that it is literally right next to downtown El Paso and in the very middle of the city. The plant closed in 1999, but there has been recent talks about the plant reopening, but public and governmental opposition to the pollution the plant would make in the very middle of the city will make its reopening unlikely. Another major man-made landmark on the west side is the Sun Bowl on the campus of the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP):
Of course views of downtown El Paso are also available:
The observation platform actually doesn’t provide the best views of downtown El Paso. The best views of central El Paso can be found at the lookout on Scenic Drive.
All in all a visit to the Wyler Aerial Tramway makes for a nice afternoon out and a great place to take friends and family visiting the city for the first time to get them oriented to the city. I have rode the tramway up to the top of the mountain three times over the past year and always enjoyed it. Definitely worth checking out if visiting El Paso.
This is actually something strange to see on Texas' arid Otero Mesa, the vast green farm fields of Dell City.
You can view a picture of the Otero Mesa salt flats from the ground here.
I took a photo of this brilliant orange cloud from my backyard here in El Paso, Texas.
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