We left Big Bend riding the orangey waves that tucked us in and that greeted us the following morning. We were grateful for the golden light, but we were heading onward to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Continuing northwest, we drove to the border of Texas and New Mexico. My eyes traced the long, monotonous stretches of the Chihuahuan Desert but were greeted by mountains ahead: Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan.
After taking our cliche national park sign picture, we checked out the visitor center to pay for our site, get the weather forecast, and ask for any recommended hikes. We learned the park was windy. The average gusts were 45-60 miles-per-hour. The campsite was at the mouth of a valley, so essentially a giant wind tunnel. This, naturally, led to a very comical scene of us trying to set up our tent. At several points our tent attempted to fly away, the wind billowing the rain cover like an unlashed sail. Some disgruntled words were shared as the stakes weren’t penetrating the ground, but rocks were found, and the tent was safely staked.
We had four to five hours of daylight, so we decided to complete a short hike on the McKittrick Canyon Trail to Pratt Cabin, a 4.8-mile round trip. The canyon hike led through a fossilized reef that was once under water millions of years ago. The trail featured white slabs and interesting desert vegetation. The Pratt’s stone cabin served as our stopping point. We honestly used it as a potty spot. Nicholas went one way into the brush, and I went another. As I squatted, I couldn’t help but remember the park ranger’s warning about the resident cats. I looked left and right with my bent knees paranoid that a mountain lion could swipe me at any moment with my drawers down.
I love that selfie of you and Nicholas. Warms my heart to share such a happy moment with you.
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What an adventurous captivating cute couple.
The adventure DUO
THE can do couple
Love birds
To be sure
Make sure that tent does not blow away
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Just a suggestion; you should somehow incorporate dates of the actual trip so in the future when your kids are reading it they will know your ages.
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Thank for the suggestion! I have been thinking the same. I’ll go back and add dates!
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This one made me chuckle a few times. I pictured you & Nicholas setting up the tent in a windstorm & him getting all pissy. I also pictured you “squatting”. TMI. I would have been paranoid one of those cats would have jumped out and bitten my butt! The picture you took of that mountain looks like El captain in Yosemite ??
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Haha! Glad you enjoyed the humor. There’s two El Capitans in the USA, one in Yosemite, and one in Texas, which I do agree with you that they look similar!
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