As my birthday approached, I had exactly one thought for just what I wanted to do to celebrate. I wanted to get in my truck, drive to a remote national park and backpack to a destination deep in the wilderness. My birthday hasn’t really been my favorite day, during my 20’s and now especially in my 30’s. It’s just another day on the calendar sure, but it’s difficult not to compare milestones and intentions in where I thought I would be at this age and where I am in reality. 

Birthday Plans

Just days before my birthday, my friend and hiking partner showed up at my house, and with very minimal time spent on decision making, packed my Osprey Xena 70 liter hiking bag and whisked me away driving southwest. Texas seemed like a perfect destination for a winter hike, and we’d simply figure out the logistics on the way.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park covers over 86,000 acres in west Texas, a short distance south of the New Mexico state line. Authorized in 1966 by an act of congress and formally established in 1972, this park contains the highest point in Texas within its borders – Guadalupe Peak reaching 8,751 feet. The mountains are surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert resulting in a beautiful arid wilderness landscape. 

Southwestern Texas

Arriving at the park, I was reminded some of Big Bend National Park, which lies less than 300 miles to the south. Endless ocotillo and prickly pear cactus, huge agave and yuccas, and just miles of desert brush and grasses line the landscape. I had visited Big Bend just the previous month, and it had been on my mind frequently. I love hiking year round, and Texas proves to be a perfect winter hiking destination. The desert certainly gets cold at night, but in comparison to parks in the north it feels much less freezing.

We parked at the Pine Springs Visitor Center, where social distancing was in full effect – allowing only one or two families in the building at a time. After obtaining a backcountry camping permit from the ranger, we returned to the truck to unpack and repack our bags to ensure we had everything needed. The ranger mentioned more than once about the lack of water in the backcountry, and to pack at least one gallon per person per day. We took this to heart, packing just that and our bags felt impossibly heavy. 

But full of excitement and not a small amount of nervousness as our backpacking trips have amounted to less than 10 total at this point, we pulled on our heavy bags and made our way to the trailhead. 

Hiking the Guadalupe Peak Trail

I’m not going to lie, this hike was incredibly strenuous. It is by far the most challenging hike I’ve embarked on so far. Thousands of feet climb in altitude in just a few miles with a 32 pound backpack is no joke. Switchbacks lead you up the mountain at a gentle – yet constant – elevation. The park and the trail was quite busy this day, the sun shone brightly and the temperature reached only 52 for a high. 

In full, the three mile hike up the mountain took us four hours before arriving at our campsite for the night. We were the first ones to reach the Guadalupe Peak Wilderness Campground, which includes five designated campsites. Although exhausted, we walked to the campsite furthest from the trail. The view from the campsite over 3,000 feet above the rest of Texas was worth every grueling minute of the hike.

The Wilderness Campground

We dropped our bags, did a little dance to celebrate both arriving at our destination and no longer having to carry said bags on our backs, and quickly began setting up camp. Nearly three hours remained until sunset, leaving a great amount of time to set up everything, eat, do all camp chores and relax while watching the sunset. In reality, we set up camp, ate, laid on our mats to rest our eyes resulting in us falling asleep and missing the full sunset. But no matter, the moon rising over the Texas landscape was just as gorgeous and surreal as any sunset. And getting to sleep inside the boundaries of Guadalupe Mountains National Park was an incredible experience.

A Chilly Night in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

That night the temperature dipped down to about 30 degrees, and the wind raged seemingly without a pause. I’m an insomniac on a normal day, so sleeping outside with endless unknowns and noises tends to keep me up most of the night as it did this night. But happily, I stayed warm the whole night through, and drifted off shortly before sunrise.

I awoke on the morning of my birthday to a bright quiet day. B surprised me with a birthday gift of a whittling knife and book, which incredibly thoughtful of itself, was also surprising and thoughtful that he would carry the extra weight with him up the mountain to make sure I would awaken to a birthday gift. 

Morning Essentials for Camping

The morning air was crisp and cool, and after a quick breakfast and coffee we packed up camp and headed back to the trail. We chose to leave our heavy bags at the start of the spur to the campsites, and hike to Guadalupe Peak carrying only a couple bottles of water and snacks. At this point we met a fellow hiker who had already hiked the mile to the summit and back that morning, and he was making his way back to his campsite where he had opted to leave his bag. Near the beginning of our brief conversation, he mentioned it was his birthday and he was happy to do something special to celebrate. We air high-fived (still in full blown pandemic here) our mutual birthday and wished each other luck on the rest of our adventures. 

After a great hike to the summit, the highest point in Texas, we collected our bags once more and began the hike back to the car. As hard as the incline going up was, I struggled just as much if not slightly more, with the decline. After about a mile, the muscles in my tired legs shook almost constantly. They were overworked, and my body was revolting against my lack of sleep. B had almost no such issues, if he had been alone he probably would’ve made it back to the truck in an hour. But he waited with me during my frequent stops I took in order to rest my legs.

Back to Home Base

When we finally did spot the truck, the rest of the trail flew by and before we knew it we were able to drop our bags and sit in the comfortable seats. I believe I just about shouted in relief, and didn’t put on that heavy bag again for some time. 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is an absolutely gorgeous and unique place, and worth the trip. I can imagine it gets quite busy during the spring and the fall, and we found the winter to be a perfect time for a visit.