During our last day in White Sands, we traveled ninety miles south to Salt Flat, Texas to earn another Junior Ranger Badge.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is situated on over 86,000 acres in the Chihuahuan desert. The mountains are 3,000 ft above the desert with two majestic peaks, El Capitan (a 1000 ft tall limestone cliff) and Guadalupe peak (the highest point in Texas at 8751 ft above sea level).
The mountains are part of the buried Capital reef, a 400 ft U shaped formation under and in the mountains. The entire area was underwater 260-270 million years ago so the park is known for fossilized imprints of sea creatures.
McKitrick Canyon
Most of the park is a designated wilderness and there is no way to access it without hiking in. We first visited McKitrick Canyon as fossils are most accessible and abundant in this region of the park.
This was an easy winding trail that quickly broke off into two loops, one trail walked through the Permian reef while the other trail continued through the canyon to a remote campground. The first trail had a steep incline which sadly I’m not up to with my back yet, so we chose the flatter canyon path. While the stone path provided an unevenness that was challenging with my injury, overall, it was an easy, mostly flat path.
On the way, we were amazed by the powdery white stones, the incredible views of the mountains and the different varieties of cacti.
With our Junior ranger guides, the plants came to life with names and different features creating a more engaging look into the native plant life than we experienced the previous day. We came across a tree with red and brown snaking around its trunk and branches. The Texas Madrone is a unique looking tree that has bright red berries and white flowers in season. It peels in layers which creates the multi-colored look.
We found a sea urchin fossil (confirmed by the ranger) and what we think looks like a sponge.
Pine Valley
We stopped in the small Pine Valley Visitor Center to speak with a ranger and receive the kids’ badges. Then, we set off on the short trail that begins and ends at the visitor’s center.
This was an incredibly easy, flat path with benches strategically placed so visitors can revel in the beauty of the mountains.
Aside from some transient Spanish explorers, the area was exclusively inhabited by Native Americans. There was a brief attempt to make a stagecoach stop for passengers traveling through the mountains in the mid 1800s and part of that building remains. Settlers took over the area in the late 1800s and the Mescalero Apache had abandoned the area by 1890.
We enjoyed the leisurely stroll, stopping to admire the views, while the girls did what kids do best - play in nature. Riley created the Bobcat club and assigned roles to each of us. Riley was trying to appoint a co-leader and interviewed Kaeli and John. Apparently, I’m the sick antelope that’s going to be taken out by the mountain lion, so my designated role was group photographer. The kids determined John failed miserably after asking what he would do if it got cold outside. Straight faced, he told them he would just go inside. 🤷♀️ At least my kids have learned enough skills to survive in the wilderness.
