dallanta

Planning a hiking trip in a couple of months. I have been in the lower areas there quite a lot, but this time hiking to the peak. Anyone know the best time of year to do this?

JohnK

It depends on what you are looking for. If looking for the mildest weather, September or October would be your best bet. As might be expected, this will also be the time of year with the most visitation. The Spring is not a great time to go because the winds are incredible at that time of year. The following website has a ton of info. Be sure to click on the weather section.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

JohnK

Troop198

We did some hiking there in June and it was hot by 10 am
I posted some pictures at
West Texas

and there are other pictures in this site as well.

JohnK

This is very true, but it is my favorite time of year to hike there for several reasons:
1. Once you ascend into the backcountry, it's a bit cooler and cools off very nicely once the sun goes down, which is good for sleeping, of course.
2. The two trips I have taken in early June, we had the backcountry to ourselves and I love having such solitude in the wilds.
3. The desert flora is still in bloom in early June as you so well illustrated with your photos.

I've heard some say that August is a good time to backpack in the Guadalupes because it's actually cooler there in August than earlier in the summer, unlike most other places in Texas, and the traffic isn't nearly as high as it is in the Fall when so many are going out to see the Fall colors and enjoy the cooler temps.

I posted the links to my photo/trip reports to the Guadalupes previously, but here they are again for dallanta's benefit:

Guadalupe Mountains Adventure

Backpacking the Guadalupe Mountains

JohnK

srds

Thanks for sharing ,like the way you set up album.

srds :cool:
Have Fun