Guadalupe Peak, Billy the Kid, and deep in the heart of Texas!!

With the radiant glow of the full moon beaming through my tent, sleep didn't come to easy. I gave it my my best to sleep in but quickly surrendered to the light at around 6am. I sluggishly removed myself from the warmth of my sleeping bag and took a few minutes to stretch before heading out for the mornings adventure. I got an early start to summiting Guadalupe Peak. The early start would avoid the potential for warm weather, high winds up top and the overwhelming amount of tourists on the trail.
I filled up 2 handheld bottles and began my assent. The trail to the summit is only about 4.3 miles long, but gains elevation rather quickly with 3000ft of elevation gain. The rocky trail is full of switch backs and beautiful views. On the way up I was able to catch a glimpse of 6 or 7 rams hanging out on the rocky cliffs. What a sight!!

Along the way, I would stop a few times to talk with a few hikers. One man, Tom Davis, whom just turned 70, was making his way to the top for the 65 time. His first summit, was at thee ripe age of 18 months when his parents carried him up on their back. Another lady had 40+ pounds on her back as she was preparing to summit Mt Rainer this June.

In about 1hr and 20 minutes I reached the summit and was greeted with amazing views!! I sat down for a moment, caught my breath and was ready to make my way to the parking lot. When you are hiking alone, summits and beautiful views aren't all they can be if you are with company.


Once I was back at the car, I prepared a breakfast of the following ingredients-
3 bananas
1/4 c raw+wild barberries
3T chia seeds
3 finger pinch of cinnamon
2-3T goji berries
2-3T bee pollen
6 dates
All where added to a bowl, mashed up and enjoyed!!

While I was preparing my meal, a man walked up and asked me what I was up to. I told him about my lifestyle and that I was training to run the VT 100. He thought it was great to see people pushing the limits of human endurance. I offered him a taste of my creation but he was happy just to observe.

Once breakfast was over, I jumped in the car and began my journey north. I was hoping to reach Amarillo, Texas by night fall. Along the way I made a pit stop to Fort Sumner, to the grave of Billy the Kid. I was always a fan of the movie young Guns, so I thought it would be neat to see where his remains lay.

I guess you know your in Texas when you see billboards like this-

At 9pm, Amarillo greeted me with gusty winds and a warning for snow in the evening. I guess I am in for a chilly night.

Next stop, The Ozarks!