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| Backpack | 17.57 Miles |
4,542 AEG |
| | Backpack | 17.57 Miles | | | |
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| 4,542 ft AEG | | | |
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| no partners | | This was the first stop on my five day New Mexico excursion. I completed an overnight backpack to Katherine Lakes and hit the summit of Santa Fe Baldy on the way out in the Pecos Wilderness.
The hike into Katherine was definitely a green tunnel, but there was a nice section of aspen and some other pretty scenic sections of forest that helped with the lack of views. The views start as you climb to the saddle marking the intersection with the Santa Fe Baldy trail and the trail down to Katherine Lake. The saddle is really an excellent spot to take in your surroundings and appreciate for the first time the beauty of the range you are hiking in. From the saddle, it was down to Katherine. This is a very popular backpacking destination and I knew I would have company and I was right. I think there ended up being about 4-5 groups on the lake that night, but it was by no means crowded. The lake was really an amazing destination, but I could not imagine staying here on a busier weekend.
I got an early start for the hike out because I wanted to bag Santa Fe and hopefully not bump into too many people on the way out. The early start enabled me to catch a pretty amazing sunrise, maybe on of better ones I have had in the back country in recent memory. Baldy was a fun peak and the dogs had a blast, marmots everywhere. The views from the peak were superb and the trail up well worn and straightforward. Katherine Lake may be more scenic from above the treeline in my opinion. The hike out got way to crowded for my liking, which was expected on the Saturday of Memorial weekend. I was very happy to have got some quality time in that area before the hoards arrived. I probably passed 25-30 backpackers and the same amount of day hikers on the way out. But the crowds did not diminish the trip for me in anyway and I still left feeling elated about the area with a big itch to get back to the more scenic and less crowded areas of the wilderness. A perfect intro to the wilderness and a perfect backpacking option for my old pups. |
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