Top of Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

The Trip

The world's most perfect example of an exposed fossil reef lies -- of all places -- in the midst of the desert in West Texas, hundreds of miles from any present-day ocean. In the Permian Age, much of the western portion of the state was covered by a shallow sea. Technically, the Guadalupe Mountains are not a mountain range at all, but a massive coral reef now risen high above the surrounding plain by a geological uplift and the erosion of softer limestone layers above it. Today, despite adjacent expanses of sand and cactus, dry washes, and creosote, the mountain range itself remains a verdant island in the midst of the Chihuahuan Desert.

As you climb ever upward in Texas' highest mountain range, you'll see ponderosa pine, bigtooth maple, Douglas fir, aspen, and many other varieties of tree, some not found anywhere else for hundreds of miles. The annual rainfall in the high country is twice that of the desert floor, but surface water is scarce at best, and nonexistent most of the time.

McKittrick Canyon is a shining jewel of the desert. Called the most beautiful spot in Texas by many, it's a living textbook of geological diversity. As you walk beneath sheer white cliffs, notice the desert shrubs and cactus slowly give way to canyon woodlands, then to high country forest. Prickly pear, fern, the threatened Texas madrone (characterized by its distinctive orange bark and bright red berries), and pine trees somehow coexist within its unique ecology. Except in extreme drought, the canyon is ablaze with autumn color as leaves of orange, red, and yellow stand out in stark contrast against the evergreens and the towering white cliffs.

The Project

There are more than 80 miles of trail in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, many of them devastated by a rash of flash flooding within the past few years. With only a small staff to maintain them, the National Park Service (NPS) has come to rely on volunteers as the core of its reconstruction efforts.

Since 1999 when this trip initially ran we have partnered with the road and trails department staff at this national park on a variety of projects, principally trail maintenance. On several occasions we worked on trails that had been severely damaged by flash flooding and needed a good dose of rebuilding. Some years we’ve had crews that took the "high road,” performing maintenance operations on the Guadalupe Peak Trail, the Permian Reef Trail, or the Tejas Trail. Other tasks include repainting the trim on the historic Ship On The Desert; brushing the top of the scenic Wilderness Ridge all the way to the New Mexico state line; and removing fencing and half-century old debris from a NPS site across the highway from the main portion of the park. Freezing weather and high winds cut out one work day one year but our crews still were able to erect split rail fencing in the campground and reconstruct a bad section of trail below El Capitan. We have also widened much of the McKittrick Canyon Trail and eliminated traces of work vehicles used in renovating the Pratt Cabin with a new stone roof. In addition, we tackled fence removal along the highway and other assorted projects to benefit the park.

Because of airline schedules and long distances by auto to the park, the trip leader will meet participants on Saturday. Participants will receive notification of meeting time and place well in advance of the trip dates. Once the leader meets group members, we will proceed to our home for the week.

We have always had great accommodations, generally at a historic house near McKittrick Canyon called The Ship On The Desert. Both Saturday and Sunday are free days to explore the park. If you can’t arrive until Sunday, or will be there a day early on Friday, just let the leader know so he can meet up with you. The first work day is Monday and will have us on the way to work between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. Lunch will be packed at breakfast and eaten at the work site. Our work will consist of at least some of the following: removing large rocks from the trail; building or cleaning water control devices, such as water bars and check dams; re-grading the tread surface of the trail; cutting back vegetation; rerouting the trail where necessary; and erecting retaining walls.

We'll receive more specific direction from the Trails and Roads crew who will assist us in this project. The NPS staff and the trip leader will also provide instruction to ensure that the trip is a safe one, as well as a productive one. Individual levels of experience can easily be accommodated because of the diversity of the work we'll be performing.

Of the five weekdays, we'll work four and take one off. A variety of outings are possible on our free day, ranging from short, easy, walking hikes to more strenuous one-day excursions. Options include climbing Guadalupe Peak; hiking into McKittrick Canyon to view the fall foliage; hiking to Devil's Hall, an extremely narrow canyon with staircases to climb; or climbing into The Bowl for a taste of the high-country forest. Other hikes of varying lengths and difficulty levels are available. The trip leader has been on every trail in the park and can make suggestions for an enjoyable outing geared to your own level of experience and conditioning. Group hikes are often led by staff members. Participants not familiar with the desert or the park often find these to be quite rewarding.

At the end of the trip we'll clean up the National Park Service facilities we've utilized and pack away the Sierra Club equipment for use the following year. Then we'll be on our way. In cases where airline schedules pose a problem, participants can feel free to leave earlier.

Getting There

There is no public transportation to the park and limited facilities for food, lodging, or gas. Approaching from the west, it is 110 miles from El Paso, Texas to park headquarters. From the east, Odessa is 170 miles away. From San Antonio, it's 470 miles.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Meals will be provided from breakfast on the first day to breakfast on the last day. Trip staff will prepare the menus for the week and will be in charge of the selected cook crew for each day. Each participant will be on the cook crew for one day. All efforts will be made to provide substantial, well-balanced meals. Questionnaires included with your confirmation packet will give you the opportunity to state allergies and preferences. Participants are responsible for their own mess kits and utensils. As a conservation matter, we require participants to bring hard plastic lunch containers -- We cannot provide plastic bags. This trip is vegetarian-friendly.

Trip Difficulty

We will be at high elevation and among rugged terrain, and hikes to the work site may be strenuous, but anyone in reasonably good shape is capable of walking to the work site and performing the work once there. Trail maintenance involves a variety of tasks and work can be found that fits comfortably within the physical capability of most people. Each day we typically divide into several work crews and try to have at least one with minimal elevation gain.

Equipment and Clothing

Tools will be provided by NPS and include shovels, picks, racks, trimmers, sledgehammers, Pulaskis, and McLeods. (If you don’t know what those latter two tools are, you’ll soon be quite familiar with them both.) If you have a favorite pair of gloves, bring them; otherwise NPS can provide cloth or leather gloves, along with safety glasses, hard hats, and other safety equipment essential to the project.

Trip members are expected to furnish their own gear, including tent, sleeping bag, day pack, water bottles, personal mess kit, and some sort of container to use for packing their lunch. Work clothes should be practical and include long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and well-broken-in hiking boots. A hat is essential, as are sunblock and moisturizer. We will be hiking and working in rocky terrain. A trip-specific list of items to bring will be provided by the leader.

References

Websites:

• Guadalupe Mountains National Park: http://www.nps.gov/GUMO/index.htm

Maps:

• Trails Illustrated Topographical Map #203, Guadalupe Mountains National Park
• 7.5-minute USGS Topo Quad Maps "Guadalupe Peak," "Guadalupe Pass," and "PX Flat"

Books:

• Tennant, Alan, The Guadalupe Mountains of Texas. Photography by Michael Allender.
• Schneider, Bill, Hiking Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains.
• Jameson, W.C., The Guadalupe Mountains: Island in the Desert.
• Kurtz, Don and William D. Goran, Trails of the Guadalupes.
• Jameson, W.C., Tales of the Guadalupe Mountains.
• The Sierra Club Guide to the National Parks: Desert Southwest.
• Barr, Nevada, Track of the Cat.

Conservation

While this trip is called a trail maintenance project, it could just as easily be termed an erosion abatement project. Much of what we'll be doing will protect the thin layer of soil on the desert mountains. Keeping a trail in good working condition cuts down on the temptation of hikers to make parallel trails (called “social trails”), cut across switchbacks, or create their own trails. Park Service personnel often lead a discussion on park use and the role of the public and adjacent residents. This is especially timely in the Guadalupe Mountains, as a management plan for the entire park — including the new White Sands portion of the park — has been a hot topic. Additionally, a wilderness designation study has sparked debate.

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.