Along with friend Tony (aka Grog Supervolcano), we flew to El Paso with our sights set on hiking the high points of two of Texas’ most prominent ranges. We first hiked Mt. Emory, the high point of Big Bend National Park, then Mt Baldy, a much less known peak that is only opened to the public four times per year. Mt. Emory marks my 136th 4000ft prominence peak in the continental US, leaving me with just 6 left to finish that list. Baldy is one of the most isolated peaks in the country, 95+ miles to the next higher mountain. The most challenging part was the heat, so we were up early for both hikes, making the summits near sunrise. We finished off with beers at the pool and tacos in El Paso…

Utah is the one place where I arrive with several weeks worth of things I want to do and leave with an even longer list for the next trip. I’ve made ten trips or so to Southern Utah, some over a month long, and I just can’t get enough.

Like most of my trips here, this was a mix of summits, canyon hikes, and exploring ruins and pictographs.  I spent time in Grand Staircase NM, Capitol Reef NP, Glenn Canyon NRA, and Bear’s Ears NM, driving several hundred miles off road.  I also spent a little time in Arizona on my to Utah and back. Brief visits with friends Tyler Potzler and Matt Jones were highlights.  Things I got to on this trip:

-Arizona summit hikes – Kaibob Plateau, Kendrick, Sitgreaves, Bill Williams, Mt Floyd, Peacock

-Utah summit hikes – Barney Top, Impossible Peak, Lamp Stand, P5619, Ellsworth, Land’s End, Windgate (attempt)

-Other hikes, etc. (viewpoints, ruins, pictographs) – Upper Muley, Strike Valley Overlook, North Wash (cycling), Perfect Panel, Doll House, Slickhorn Canyon ruins (multiple forks over two days)

-Notable off road drives – The Maze from Hite (80+ miles roundtrip), Hite to Bear’s Ears via Woodenshoe Road (50+ miles), Star Springs Road (~30 miles)

Working in DC over a few weeks, I made a marathon drive to hike Slide Mountain in the Catskills. Slide is one of the most isolated mountains in the country, 136 miles to next higher peak. I had to question whether the 13 hour roundtrip drive was worth the 2 hour hike, but beautiful drive made it worth it. I stopped at Gettysburg National Cemetery on the way back…

I had a week to check out some places I’ve had on my mind. I hiked a few prominent peaks in the Piute Range then shot over to Carrizo Plains for a few more and to check out the wildflowers. I was hoping to get to Sespe Hot Springs afterwards but the roads were in bad shape and still closed, so I got a few consolation prizes. The peaks I got to on this trip were: Piute Peak, Breckenridge Mountain, McKittrick Summit, Long Benchmark, Escapula Peak, and Whitaker Peak.