For those who love desert vistas, El Capitan is an amazing and unpredictable treat. For those who think Texas has nothing to offer but, Western music, mouthwatering chicken fried steaks, foxy ladies and pompous politicians, well…you are in for a very delightfully, awakening.
From your approach to the El Capitan Mountain Peak, one thinks that the beauty of the pinnacle stands out like a tower reaching for the Heavens. It is only when you find out that this apex is only one of it’s seven summits that are over 8,000 ft. in height that you really can gain respect for it. In order to really appreciate the stunning beauty and the vastness of the Desert panorama below, is what these peaks reveal, It can only be valued fully by those who choose to make the climb to the top to get the best view in Texas.
This dramatic limestone mountain rises boldly from its base, it’s sheer walls shoving upward to the sky with a gentle incline sprinkled with desert scrub. In a state as large as Texas, it is not necessarily known for its mountain., El Capitan,however, has won the hearts of many a peak climber. Graceful, yet rugged, this peak is a fitting companion to the nearby Texas high point, Guadalupe Mountain Peak. Guadalupe peak is 8,749 feet in height and is the tallest point in Texas.
It was while we were still living in El Paso, in 2001, that my youngest daughter, Aimee, and I decided to make the climb and it was a decision that I still treasure. We began early in the morning, as we knew that the trail to the top and back down would be an all day adventure. We began the 8½ mile’ round-trip hike. from the trail head at the base of the Guadalupe Mountain National Park and arrived at the summit for a late lunch which we had taken with us.
Arriving at the crest was a real surprise in that you could see forever and hundreds of miles in all directions. it was here that we realized that El Capitan was much lower in height than the ground on which we were now standing.
When my daughter mentioned that she lived in Austin, most of the dozen or so fellow mountaineers were surprised and indicated the fact that they, too, were from the Capital City of Texas.
There is a metal sphere-shaped container at the top which contains the Logs for all successful climbers to record the fact that they made the trek and want it to be known to all who follow after them.
I was about 68 years of age and had no trouble with the ascent, but felt my age more on the descent. There’s probably a parable in that statement, as I am now realizing that growing up was much easier than declining. By the time we got to the parking lot, I was ready to rest, so we made a stop at Cornuda’s Restaurant on the way back to El Paso for some good Mexican food. I guess I can mark this experience off my bucket list!