Anyone done it? I've done some hikes with my 2 year old, but not one with this much gain. Any insight would be appreciated.

Done it multiple times, but not with a carrier.

The initial ascent is pretty steep. You might opt to take the horse trail for that first part. It's longer, but much less steep. The trail is pretty exposed on the bottom half, so depending on time of year, you would want to start early. The last scramble to the top is technical, so go slow there.

I say go for it, and report back. I need to get my little one to the top of Texas soon.

Thanks, man. Will do. I've had a lot of positive feedback from people who have done it with carriers and children of similar ages as mine. Pulling the trigger now. We are going in mid-September, so temperatures should be 60s for the low and upper 70s for the high. Maybe we will get lucky and have a front push through to cool things off a bit. Dare to dream.

AggieOO said:

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Done it multiple times, but not with a carrier.

The initial ascent is pretty steep. You might opt to take the horse trail for that first part. It's longer, but much less steep. The trail is pretty exposed on the bottom half, so depending on time of year, you would want to start early. The last scramble to the top is technical, so go slow there.

I say go for it, and report back. I need to get my little one to the top of Texas soon.

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What does "technical" mean? Can I walk up to the top or not?

yes, but it is steep and very uneven rock, both solid and loose rock. Not quite a rock scramble, but not far from it.

Second what Aggie00 said. We hiked it for the first time the beginning of August. I imagine mid September will be better. First mile or so is pretty steep, rocky, and exposed. Some nice tree cover and shade after that.

How much does the kid weigh? Are you carrying the water too? I kind of overpacked with water because I didn't want my family to dehydrate. Would love to do it again solo for speed.

Altogether an awesome hike.

Also make sure to pack for abrupt weather changes. A thunderstorm rolled in suddenly shortly after we left the summit. We ended up being fine, but for a while I wasn't sure if the storm would follow us down. I know there were folks still near the top who were pretty nervous.

NoahAg said:

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Second what Aggie00 said. We hiked it for the first time the beginning of August. I imagine mid September will be better. First mile or so is pretty steep, rocky, and exposed. Some nice tree cover and shade after that.

How much does the kid weigh? Are you carrying the water too? I kind of overpacked with water because I didn't want my family to dehydrate. Would love to do it again solo for speed.

Altogether an awesome hike.

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Boy is about 30. (me)
Little girl is barely 20. (wife)
Yes to carrying the water. How much will depend on the temp that day. We plan on getting on the rock before 8am, so that will help.

Question about the bridge part - I've heard people say there is a steep drop off and the walkway is really narrow in that area. Is that accurate?

i wouldn't say its that narrow. give me a bit and i can post come pictures of it.

that said, there is a steep drop-off in that area.

I'd like to do Guadalupe Peak. Where do y'all stay the night before?

Last time i stayed in Pine Springs, but the campsites are pretty limited.

You can also stay on BLM land in NM (about 15-20 miles away) or you can grab a crappy hotel room in White's City. Carlsbad is also an option, but rooms are expensive due to oil companies. Van Horn is an option, but its an hour-ish away.

this should give you a decent idea of that area. I know i have more from previous trips, but these were the most accessible.

Thanks, 00. That's not bad at all. I am guessing the person that was relaying the info has not been on many higher altitude hikes, as they made it seem like it was a smaller version of the Long's Peak Keyhole traverse. I knew that couldn't be right with the amount of people who have said they have also taken their toddlers to the top. Still, with the kids involved, I had to make sure. Leaving two weeks from today.

One month from today I'll be leaving for my quasi Grand Canyon R2R.

more

Those pics make me REALLY wanna do it now. Looks AWESOME.

Those aren't even the best pictures/areas.

My favorite area in the park is the back side of the bowl.

Going up Top of Texas this weekend. I have been really worried about the temps. Looks like a front is going to push through and it will be 67 for the high and 50s for the low. We have to switch to Saturday from Friday (the original day) as it is going to be rain/lightning and 25+mph winds. Can't wait.

wbt5845 said:

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I'd like to do Guadalupe Peak. Where do y'all stay the night before?

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We camped 1 night in Pine Springs. Hiked the peak the next day. There was a family mutiny after we got off the mountain so we packed up and went to a motel in Carlsbad.

I'm staying in El Paso.

nm

SoupNazi2001 said:

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Stinks that most of the National Parks like this one don't allow dogs to hike on the trail. Almost all of the state parks allow them.

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too many irresponsible dog owners who are idiots. I'd rather just ban idiots (both dog owners and non-dog owners), but that isn't going to happen. Also, typically national parks are a bit more remote, have more backcounty, and have more wildlife than state parks. As much as I'd love to hike with my dogs in national parks, I understand. As much as I love my dogs, they'd lose their sheet if they ran into a bear with me in Big Bend or Elk in Guadalupe Mountains.

Fully agree with you. Too many dipchits don't know how to manage a dog while hiking.

Geriatric Punk said:

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The day is upon us.

Driving to Marfa tonight. Wife and I have never been and always wanted to check it out. We will stay there tonight and tomorrow. We will head up to Guadalupe Peak early on Saturday morning. Weather is looking to be perfect. Back to Marfa after the hike to watch ball and recoup. Home Sunday. I'll post picks. Wish us luck.

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have a couple beers at Planet Marfa! They will have the game as well.

That's the plan, brotha.

Wife and I are headed up there on the Friday of Columbus Day weekend. Anyone have thoughts on the chances of getting a tent camping spot if we're not there first thing? We have to get our kids to school that morning, so we won't be leaving Austin until between 9 & 10am. That means a 5-6 pm arrival. Are we better off getting a hotel in Van Horn that night and then heading out the next morning at first light?

I'd just roll up and hope you get lucky. Worst case, you can drive down the road and camp on BLM land in new Mexico for the night.

Recap:

1. Marfa is great. Good people. Everyone says "hello." Great food. Pizza Foundation is life changing. Planet Marfa only had El Chingon, but was great for the kids. We walked 4 miles with the kids in carriers the day before our hike all over town. Love it.

2. Taking two children under three in carriers to the Guad Peak trail is a rough prospect. My 2 year old (almost 3) plus a gallon of water made for a load. He screamed for the first hour straight. My nerves were frayed. Add to that the forecast said 65 for the high and it was 78 when we got on the trail at 9:45 and it was a rough day. We had to turn back halfway. I've only failed to summit twice in 15 years of hiking. This was one of them. Granted we got a late start, but I'm not sure that mattered. Both kids weren't having it. In the end, I was glad to get 1500 in gain in prep for my rim to rim in 2 weeks. We still had a great time.

3. The Prada installation was fun. I hid a lock with my my name and my wife's on the surrounding fence and shot a pic. Surprised her with it on FB when we got back. Special moment.

I'll get back to this rock and top it one day. But, it won't be with a weight shifting, 30lbs toddler on my back. Cheers.

Hopefully you didn't have to wait 2 hours for pizza.

We will be watching the Auburn game there next weekend. Typical wait for pizza on a Saturday is an hour plus.

Wait was only about 30 minutes. Not bad at all.