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| Hiking | 5.40 Miles |
1,159 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.40 Miles | 3 Hrs 40 Mns | | 1.84 mph |
| 1,159 ft AEG | 44 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This was a hike to the highpoint of the Jarilla Mountains, which are in Otero County in south central New Mexico, roughly half-way between El Paso, TX and Alamogordo, NM. The Jarillas are a small range, about 4 miles wide and 10 miles long. There has been a lot of mining in the Jarilla Mountains over the years, with turquoise being the most interesting to me.
The unnamed highpoint is at an elevation of 5,310 feet and it has prominence of 1,190 feet. Actually, topo maps show two spot elevations: one at 5,280 feet and one at 5,295 feet. The topo map is incorrect on the 5,280 foot spot elevation, which is actually at 5,310 feet, and is confirmed by Lidar. The survey markers are also at the 5,310 elevation summit.
I drove in on some old mining roads, and went on an indirect route to avoid private property. I could have driven another 1.5 miles, but I decided to park and do at least a 5 mile hike.
I continued to the end of the road, and then went off-trail to a ridgeline and followed the ridgeline to a saddle between the two summits. I went to the highpoint first and then on the way back I went over to Peak 5295.
I located both reference marks at the summit, which were stamped "Jarilla Forest 1943". However, I did not see the benchmark, and I even dismantled the summit cairn thinking that the benchmark might be covered up by the cairn. I had no such luck though.
There were nice views at the summit so I hung out there a bit. I had a good view of the White Sands National Park and snow-capped Sierra Blanca Peak.
This was one of the easiest off-trail desert peaks that I have summited. It wasn't the most exciting or interesting peak that I have ever ascended, but I am glad that I ventured out to the Jarilla Mountains. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
I saw a few hedgehog cactus blooming, mostly echinocereus fasciculatus. That was it for flowers though in this dry area. |
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| Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there |
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