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Alamo Peak Trail #109 - 2 members in 19 triplogs have rated this an average 3.5 ( 1 to 5 best )
19 triplogs
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Sep 09 2016
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 09 2016
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking9.00 Miles 2,016 AEG
Hiking9.00 Miles
2,016 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Pipeline Trail #110
Rim Trail #T105
Partners none no partners
Great day out on this exceptional loop... odd to find the tops of the ridges along Alamo Peak road denuded... doing more of that very odd mulching... thinning... all in the name of groundwater maintenance? Also, Atchinson Meadows has some major construction project going on that no one at the Ranger Station was aware of??

Good day out with Ross and Luster...
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Aug 30 2014
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
A Trail #119Southeast, NM
A Trail #119
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Aug 30 2014
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking15.70 Miles 6,900 AEG
Hiking15.70 Miles
6,900 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
West Side Rd... Forest Road 90
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Partners none no partners
At the trailhead a bit after 4 am... took off in the dark. For once, energy felt good. Might have had something to do with not have the extra gallon of fluid (hiking up to cache) and/or the 15#'s of tools I've been hauling around... whatever, it was nice.

Full sun had me hiking with umbrella... on the way down the hill I stopped and did a bit of trail repair on a heavily eroded section. Returning to my pack I was just in time to watch a 3'+ rattler slink under the umbrella! We talked about it; he agreed to come on out and move on if I'd publish his picture. I'll get around to that later today?

Heat is back... but the breeze today was an okay offset. The rains had severely eroded the trough below the Gold Mine... time for more bench cuts or perhaps time to move the path out of the cut and on to the bench? Old Jeep tracks just do not make for decent trails.

Just one day away from the 90 day training schedule; I need it!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Jun 03 2014
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Ortega PeakSoutheast, NM
Ortega Peak
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 03 2014
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking17.90 Miles 7,700 AEG
Hiking17.90 Miles   9 Hrs   40 Mns   1.85 mph
7,700 ft AEG26 LBS Pack
 no routes
Linked   linked  
A Trail #119
West Side Rd... Forest Road 90
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Partners none no partners
cooler morning air made the day much nicer. I hiked sans knee brace for the first time in over a month, and hit the peak for the first time also. I carried both shovel and rake up for reworking the route across Horse Ridge if the hours open up for those labors.

Nice and windy today... above 6,000' that meant stirring up some cool air. Below that level t meant a bit of a blast oven. I did not carry enough frozen bottles. I need to prepare lots!

I picked up the tools from over in Ortega Canyon South; I will not be extending the Traverse further north this month. I do have to go back tomorrow and find the umbrella I dropped!

91 degrees in my house at 3pm... 108 forecast high temp today and tomorrow! Makes me recall the 115 degree hiking days that were so common back in Big Bend the summer I lived there. Not sure why folks don't get out in the heat and hike... it's the same hike, just hot.
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Jun 02 2014
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
A Trail #119Southeast, NM
A Trail #119
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 02 2014
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking17.40 Miles 7,600 AEG
Hiking17.40 Miles
7,600 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Ortega Ridge North
Dry Canyon Trail #5574
West Side Rd... Forest Road 90
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Partners none no partners
There may have been more AEG today... hard to track wandering off trail and up and down the ridges. I was tired from Sunday... slightly late start, but still out by 4:30am. Even the breeze was warm at the lower elevations! Record heat in the forecast for this week! Time to start freezing the water bottles! 20# weight augment today, mostly fluids. I get to go lighter tomorrow, but I have to mix in some pushups/setups over the course of the hike...? Gloves and a seat pad?

Oven surround heat when the breeze died in the midafternoon final hours. Time for more dilute mixes in the drinks... and ice... lots of ice!

I need to average 6700' per day. I had thought the way to do an easy 200,000' month would be to train way up... get up early and go fast on a clear, steep trail... get it over with before midmorning. Instead, I'm plodding out the miles with a crutch, scoring the AEG through applied hours of effort. Maybe I'll get to try that first approach in a month this Fall?

Looking forward for this month to be over and done!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Mar 10 2014
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Mar 10 2014
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking16.00 Miles 6,350 AEG
Hiking16.00 Miles
6,350 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Alamo Canyon Trail #104
Caballero Canyon Trail #103
Alamo Peak Loop
Partners none no partners
Interesting day.

Later start for this endurance hike to Alamo Peak... normally a 20+ mile effort with over 5,000' of AEG, depending on the route taken up and down. Brenda did great up until the final leg of T109... the steepness, altitude and accumulated effort hit her at about the point where lots of much younger hikers have chosen to turn back... she opted to continue on up to the top.

At the top... totally fried... she opted to call a friend to pick her up... closing out the day without the 11 mile return hike down the mountain. Unfortunately, he did not answer... we began the downward leg... her energy was fine, and since the cardio demand was so low, no problem... until he did call her back. He would pick her up...

... but, now there was 1,000' of climb to reclaim, and that double over effort really killed her! But, she did it. We me her friend some miles later out on a major road. She got her downhill shuttle ride. She also got lots of uphill effort she was not fully trained up for. I did not score the AEG I wanted for the day, but I scored okay; I saved a few miles of downhill walking.

It was an interesting day out.
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Oct 24 2013
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 Guides 73
 Routes 176
 Photos 10,174
 Triplogs 2,324

46 male
 Joined Sep 08 2006
 
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Oct 24 2013
Jim • Triplogs 2,324
Hiking10.90 Miles 4,165 AEG
Hiking10.90 Miles   5 Hrs   20 Mns   2.08 mph
4,165 ft AEG      5 Mns Break
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
This afternoon I did laps on the Alamo Peak Trail. Started on top, went down to the bottom, out to the field to look at the peak, and started back up. First lap was done in 2 1/2 hours. I then spent 5 minutes eating a snack before lap 2. Down to the same spot, tired, but slowly moved back up and went all the way to the peak at almost 6:45. Lights from El Paso, TX are visible to the south, up on Alamo.

The color is still very nice in the canyon, but aspens up higher are getting bare. There were a surprising number of birds in trees chirping, chickadees, really. A nice hike, and I got the AEG I came for.
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
_____________________
🍭
 
Sep 30 2013
avatar

 Guides 73
 Routes 176
 Photos 10,174
 Triplogs 2,324

46 male
 Joined Sep 08 2006
 
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 30 2013
Jim • Triplogs 2,324
Hiking20.50 Miles 5,375 AEG
Hiking20.50 Miles   9 Hrs   53 Mns   2.17 mph
5,375 ft AEG      25 Mns Break
 no routes
Linked   linked  
A Trail #119
Partners none no partners
Alamo Peak from Alamogordo.

My longest hike of the year so far, and my only one over 5,000' of AEG. I didn't even start until 1135, but I did well and summited Alamo at 430. I was going pretty fast until sunset and the rough trail west of Ortega, which is newly torn up from ATVs, and the city lights in my face made it hard to see my head lamp's light. Fantastic weather; sunny, dry, calm, and perfect. Only 1 spot of color in a maple, otherwise nice and green.

Saw bear tracks, but no bear. Barely any people, but lots of trash. Flowers on the slopes are nice, and the area is just perfect for hiking right now.

I added together the Alamo Peak trail stats, the A trail stats, and added 5 miles RT with 450 feet of AEG for my hike on FR 90, and arrived at my hike stats. It might be low, but it isn't over! Either way, with no hike as long since last October, I'm tired.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Blue Grama
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Trail Signs and Markings
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
1 maple, up Alamo Peak trail
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Primarily on the A Trail below 7,000', but also along FR 90.
_____________________
🍭
 
Jun 26 2013
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 Guides 73
 Routes 176
 Photos 10,174
 Triplogs 2,324

46 male
 Joined Sep 08 2006
 
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 26 2013
Jim • Triplogs 2,324
Hiking5.40 Miles 2,016 AEG
Hiking5.40 Miles   3 Hrs      1.80 mph
2,016 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
This is a nice area to an OK destination with a lousy trail, or should I say ATV trail. Still, it was better than a hike in 102. Perhaps I ought to start hiking up higher in the Sacs or start going to the Organs again. On the plus, I spotted bear tracks, a turkey, and a bull elk growing it's rack. A thermometer in the shade read "80" on the summit. Pretty warm day.
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Jun 22 2013
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 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Rim Trail #T105Southeast, NM
Rim Trail #T105
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 22 2013
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking9.00 Miles 3,100 AEG
Hiking9.00 Miles
3,100 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   linked  
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Atkinson Field Trail #111
Partners none no partners
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Jun 19 2013
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Rim Trail #T105Southeast, NM
Rim Trail #T105
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 19 2013
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking13.00 Miles 3,400 AEG
Hiking13.00 Miles
3,400 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   linked  
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Pipeline Trail #110
Atkinson Field Trail #111
Partners none no partners
up and down and around... lung problems behind me?
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Jun 17 2013
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 17 2013
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking13.00 Miles 3,011 AEG
Hiking13.00 Miles
3,011 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Pipeline Trail #110
Atkinson Field Trail #111
Partners none no partners
Camped out up high for the week... Yubao logging longer miles with hopes of improving his time on Organ Needle (3 H 20 MIN... striving to hit 3 hour) and prepare for 50 mile events this Fall. Me... finally clearing out my lung problems!? Of course, I'm way out of shape after months of not being able to train hard, but the last few days feel great.
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Dec 09 2012
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Dec 09 2012
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking26.30 Miles 7,050 AEG
Hiking26.30 Miles   12 Hrs      2.57 mph
7,050 ft AEG   1 Hour   45 Mns Break
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Alamo Canyon Trail #104
Pipeline Trail #110
Atkinson Field Trail #111
Caballero Canyon Trail #103
Partners none no partners
HAZ - Event
twelve hour day meant dark to start and dark to finish... end of day would have been lighter but the cold front finally hit; the thick cloud bank blocked out the western horizon. Was sort of shooting for an 8,000' day, but we added in some steep off trail and an additional peak... and, I was not strong on the steeper uphill sections... so, bigger days maybe later? Yubao and Timmy seemed to be enjoying the route except for my too frequent rest breaks. Even in the cooler temps I sweated out way too much fluids... drank over a gallon of OJ and electrolyte fluids on the hike and a full gallon of chocolate milk immediately after the hike... not sure what was going on. At my age I can't complain about logging this day, but I expect a bit more that has yet to translate through for higher performance. Guess I'll keep plugging away.

It was a fun day out, and descending Alamo Canyon was exceptionally nice this time around.
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Nov 25 2012
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Nov 25 2012
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking21.90 Miles 6,150 AEG
Hiking21.90 Miles   11 Hrs   20 Mns   2.33 mph
6,150 ft AEG   1 Hour   55 Mns Break
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Caballero Canyon North
Aquaduct Ridge
Caballero Canyon Upper Drainage
Caballero Canyon Trail #103
Alamo Canyon Trail #104
Partners none no partners
HAZ - Event
Off trail to Alamo Peak!

;) Well, that went better than I thought it might! ;)

After not being able to make it up 800 feet on a clear trail on Friday, the thought of 5,000' of off trail bushwhacking had me thinking about calling the day off. I rested Saturday... and awoke this morning not knowing what to expect. Yubao was at the trailhead just after 5:30am and we headed up canyon. I was very conservative about our pace and stopped often for hits of food and fluid. The easy pace made for a great a morning... we climbed out of the canyon proper and enjoyed breakfast at the rock house mine site. From there I knew I wanted to head north to catch the ridge and follow it up and around, but I had not loaded any routes into the GPS. So, we hiked up to the mine site, then angled slightly north from there... until we didn't.

I caught a series of broken elk trails that looped us more and more south... much more south than I thought. Our target peak: 9300'. We topped out at 8700'+ on a peak south and west of our target. South!!!

So... dropping off that peak, we descended and began the re-climb... and added in a loop around the north side of the mountain, just because I knew we could catch an old logging road to make for an easier finish to the Observatory. Even with all of that diversion, we enjoyed lunch on the peak ahead of schedule.

We'd planned to do the 104 trail down the mountain, but I was feeling good and suggested that we use another route home... it would add to our already added to elevation gain and show Yubao a new stretch of hiking. It would also give him a shot at yet another mini-peak plus a very interesting descent. He liked the mini-peak. He could have done without the descent. (I am yet to find anyone who likes climbing down the mesa cliffs on the city water line... go figure?)

I'd stashed a half gallon of chocolate milk at the base of the pipeline as we passed it hiking in... I'd finished off my gallon of fluids about an hour earlier and was feeling the need for some wet and some calories. It hit the spot with 2.5 miles to go... at that same spot Yubao spotted a nice 35# rock he liked. Since my pack had plenty of space with the water all gone, it only seem reasonable to load me up. He did. I closed out the very nice day enjoying a nice pack weight augmentation.

Just missed the sunset... but caught the red glows around us on the upper canyon walls. A very good day!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Feb 05 2012
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Feb 05 2012
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking19.00 Miles 4,400 AEG
Hiking19.00 Miles
4,400 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
pace must have been to touch too brisk at the beginning... ended up burning out the other hikers; had to turn around short of the peak. Alas... need to begin doing more solo longer days to score the full hikes?
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Jan 08 2012
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Canyon Trail #104Southeast, NM
Alamo Canyon Trail #104
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Jan 08 2012
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking19.00 Miles 5,100 AEG
Hiking19.00 Miles
5,100 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Caballero Canyon Trail #103
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Partners none no partners
wow... had to pack alpine gear for two on this trek. 50# pack slowed down the pace as did the trudging through the snow above 6500'. We made it up to around 8400' then a weather front began dumping snow on us... so, we turned around shy of the top of the mountain. It was great hiking in the blizzard; Unchip loved it. Turned out we had to run the final few miles trying to get out of the canyon before the rain settled in... not really in shape for that with the heavy pack yet. Great day. I had to skip Monday just to recuperate!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Oct 30 2011
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Oct 30 2011
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking24.00 Miles 6,300 AEG
Hiking24.00 Miles
6,300 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Alamo Canyon Trail #104
Caballero Canyon Trail #103
Aquaduct Ridge
Partners none no partners
Been hiking this trail for years, but this time added a bit extra that proved to make the hike a totally different experience. The Trailhead sits just below the gate to the military observatory for operations down in White Sands. It is fenced off, but the gate is an old fashion swing bar, with a Stop sign in the middle. It does not have any no-trespassing signs, so I slipped under the bar and walked up the road to the Geodesic Dome, and Wow! The Vista View is amazing, easily the best in the mountain range. So... if you are going to do this hike, make sure to venture on up for that view.

Also added on an interesting augment on the way back to Alamogordo... hiked the lower Pipeline Road and followed the pipeline over the cliff and down into Alamo Canyon. Nice day.
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Oct 16 2011
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Oct 16 2011
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking24.00 Miles 5,600 AEG
Hiking24.00 Miles   9 Hrs   35 Mns   2.50 mph
5,600 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Alamo Canyon Trail #104
Caballero Canyon Trail #103
Partners none no partners
finally, logged a decent day out hiking!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Oct 02 2011
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Oct 02 2011
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking21.00 Miles 5,000 AEG
Hiking21.00 Miles
5,000 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Hiking with new, local, hiking partner... she did great! The year is looking up as far as regaining some of my base hiking endurance... Hope it continues!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Apr 18 2011
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109Southeast, NM
Alamo Peak Trail #109
Southeast, NM
Hiking avatar Apr 18 2011
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking21.00 Miles 4,100 AEG
Hiking21.00 Miles   10 Hrs      2.28 mph
4,100 ft AEG      47 Mns Break18 LBS Pack
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Sundays are the progressively longer/taller hikes for the coming month as I try to get ready for Mt. Whitney in early June. It will be different than the 2009 hike when I lived full time at 9,000'... this year the best I can do is hike up and down 4500/9000', and maybe go campout up there for the weeks leading into the trip. I hope to complete a 12,000' or 16,000' day before the Peak hike, and ideally be hiking ten pounds lighter than 2009. Time will tell!!
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
average hiking speed 2.2 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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