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Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail - 6 members in 18 triplogs have rated this an average 4.5 ( 1 to 5 best )
18 triplogs
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Jul 05 2025
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 Guides 12
 Routes 192
 Photos 863
 Triplogs 356

42 male
 Joined Nov 30 2015
 Phoenix, AZ
Wheeler Peak via Williams LakeNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Williams Lake
North Central, NM
Run/Jog avatar Jul 05 2025
ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356
Run/Jog13.75 Miles 3,921 AEG
Run/Jog13.75 Miles   5 Hrs   22 Mns   23 Secs2.67 mph
3,921 ft AEG      13 Mns Break
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
Williams Lake from Upper Trailhead
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
Wheeler Peak Summit Trail #67
Mount Walter
Partners none no partners
Finally had to opportunity to go to Taos to check off something that has been on my list for awhile: Wheeler Peak (named after the same Wheeler as the one in Nevada, and pretty close in elevation). Drove up to the Williams Lake trailhead, with a stretch goal of making a loop.

The hike up to the lake was pleasant, and there were a fair number of other hikers out. It was chilly at the start, but warmed up quickly. Definitely have to get there early to park in the lot (apparently there's officially no parking along the road, but they don't tow when it's busy). Missed the turn to Wheeler, which meant I didn't have to decide whether to do the short detour to the lake.

Once on the new-ish trail from the lake to the summit, the real uphill began. Moderate grade to about the tree line, and then the last mile was pretty steep. I was actually feeling pretty good, so managed to power hike up with minimal rest. Then once on the ridge, the views really opened up, and the summit was a hop skip and a jump away. Pretty nice view, and nice clear conditions.

On the way down, I decided I felt like I could do the stretch goal, and headed down the Wheeler Peak trail towards Bull of the Woods. The first couple miles was nice pleasant running, with one short ascent midway through. Past Bull of the Woods Mountain, it got a little bit less interesting, with Jeep road for awhile.

Once I got back down to Taos Ski Valley, I just had to do a miserable 1.5 mile or so road walk back up to the trailhead. Probably would've been better to get this out of the way at the beginning. Would definitely like to explore this part of the Sangre de Cristo much more.
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Sep 10 2019
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 Guides 99
 Routes 1,487
 Photos 16,077
 Triplogs 1,377

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 10 2019
DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,377
Hiking16.20 Miles 4,616 AEG
Hiking16.20 Miles   9 Hrs      2.17 mph
4,616 ft AEG   1 Hour   33 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Mount Walter
Wheeler Peak Summit Trail #67
Partners none no partners
I have been eyeing Wheeler Peak for a while, and after hiking in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado for a few days, on my way back to the VOS I decided to swing by Taos Ski Valley and bag the New Mexico High Point.

I did an out-and-back hike starting at the Bull of the Woods Trail #90. The first part of the hike was through forests that were nice but didn't have any views. Once I got near 12,000' I was above the treeline and hiked a few miles in alpine meadows, which had some really nice views. There were 3-4 false summits, and I didn't actually see Wheeler Peak until I was almost there. The trail took me right over Mount Walter, which is only about 25 feet lower than Wheeler Peak.

This was a nice but strenuous hike -- the distance and elevation gain are similar to hiking Humphreys Peak from the Inner Basin.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Subalpine fleabane
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Wheeler Peak
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
  2 archives
Sep 03 2017
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 Routes 67
 Photos 966
 Triplogs 694

51 female
 Joined Jan 05 2012
 Phoenix,AZ
Wheeler Peak-Horseshoe and Lost Lake, NM 
Wheeler Peak-Horseshoe and Lost Lake, NM
 
Hiking avatar Sep 03 2017
slowandsteady • Triplogs 694
Hiking21.70 Miles 6,682 AEG
Hiking21.70 Miles   11 Hrs   53 Mns   2.04 mph
6,682 ft AEG   1 Hour   14 Mns Break
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak via Williams Lake
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
Partners partners
BiFrost
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Sep 03 2017
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 Guides 4
 Routes 491
 Photos 10,890
 Triplogs 1,257

55 male
 Joined Nov 20 2012
 Phoenix, AZ
Wheeler Peak-Horseshoe and Lost Lake, NM 
Wheeler Peak-Horseshoe and Lost Lake, NM
 
Hiking avatar Sep 03 2017
BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257
Hiking21.70 Miles 6,682 AEG
Hiking21.70 Miles   11 Hrs   53 Mns   2.04 mph
6,682 ft AEG   1 Hour   14 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak via Williams Lake
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
Partners partners
slowandsteady
The main goal of the weekend in the Sangre De Cristo range was to summit Wheeler Peak and check out some of the alpine lakes on the backside of the summit. Since it’s the highpoint of New Mexico it can be very popular summit and often crowded like Humphreys. So hoping to miss some of the crowd we started relatively early about 630am from the ski valley area which we followed up one of the ski runs towards the Williams Lake TH. This added about 1.6 miles to the hike but a nice warm up for the steeper climb later. The ski run eventually connects with Williams Lake Trail and about 2 miles in comes out at Williams Lake. From there it’s up the Wheeler Peak summit trail which is an excellent trail like the ones we did the day before on Gold Hill. There are many switchbacks from the lake up and it gains about 1900 feet in 2miles. However, the well constructed switchbacks make the grade easier to manage. Eventually the trail hits saddle at 13,000 in between Mount Walter and Wheeler Peak. Mount Walter is pretty much right on the trail so we hit that summit first at 13,141 before heading over to Wheeler. Getting the earlier start helped but we still had company on Wheeler. Regardless it was relaxing and we enjoyed a good break and early lunch on New Mexico’s highpoint at 13,161.

After lunch next up we wanted to check out Horseshoe Lake and Lost Lake on the back side of Wheeler Peak. The trail to the lakes runs below the summit and drops about 1200 feet to Horseshoe Lake which is just above tree line. We stopped briefly before heading to Lost Lake about another 1.5 miles further and another 500 feet drop. Took a longer break at Lost Lake that is just below tree line and underneath some impressive cliffs. With the scenic location it wasn’t a surprise to find several backpackers camped especially being holiday weekend.

At this point we had decision to make on the route back. Since the backside trail does not loop around we either had to go back the way we came or try an off trail route to connect with the main trail. We had several different options mapped out but in the end it looked like more adventure than we wanted. However, with backtracking we had to go back up on the summit ridgeline which was a concern with afternoon thunderstorms. And sure enough around 130 a large storm came over Wheeler Peak. Since we were not yet on the ridgeline but still above tree line we decided to try and wait out the storm. It was intense with nearly golf ball size hail so much that we put our packs over the head to protect from the impact. Fortunately the worst of the hail only lasted for about 15 to 20 minutes. After that we headed straight for the ridgeline cutting off some trail to hopefully save time in case another storm rolled through. Luckily there was nothing coming from the other side and we continued down the ridgeline.

Since we came up from Williams Lake side and wanting to make a loop the choice was to descend Bull of the Woods Trail. Again excellent trail on the descent dropping gradually with awesome views for several miles on the way down. About 5 miles from the summit it reaches Bull of the Woods Pasture and a main trail junction for the area. From there it’s just under 2 miles back to the ski valley where we started. Great day hike with some weather adventure mixed in. Also we were really impressed with the trail quality which made the higher elevation and AEG seem much less daunting than the actual stats.
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  2 archives
Sep 08 2016
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 Guides 93
 Routes 397
 Photos 4,984
 Triplogs 4,126

49 male
 Joined Jun 20 2003
 Tucson, AZ
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 08 2016
fricknaley • Triplogs 4,126
Hiking15.06 Miles 4,627 AEG
Hiking15.06 Miles   6 Hrs   36 Mns   2.70 mph
4,627 ft AEG   1 Hour   1 Min Break12 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
wonderful hike to the high point of New Mexico

got an early start at dusk to play it safe. luckily it had cleared up overnight and throughout the day i had wonderful weather. it's a pretty big climb up but never really feels horrible and once you break through the trees just past bull of the woods peak, the expansive views are outstanding!

i didn't see anyone until i was nearly at the summit of Mt. Walter, where i chatted with a very nice father/daughter backpacking combo. There were 3 people on the summit for a few minutes, then i had it to myself. sensational views and temps up there. in the span of 15 minutes i watched tiny storm clouds form and decided it was time to go. up in pants and long sleeve, down in zip off shorts and tee - love that.

extremely pleasant hike down. saw a few more people. lot of flowers and a marmot or two

this one is pretty high on my list. really enjoyed it. if and when i come back, for variety, i'd like to do it again the short way from williams lake and also hit Old Mike Peak which looked really cool. thought about it today, but watching the clouds materialze told me otherwise
_____________________
hi
 
Sep 26 2015
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 Routes 1
 Photos 29,248
 Triplogs 1,448

45 female
 Joined Jan 18 2011
 In the Wild
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 26 2015
Lucyan • Triplogs 1,448
Hiking15.00 Miles 4,302 AEG
Hiking15.00 Miles
4,302 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
The plan was originally to backpack from the trailhead via Bull of the Woods trail aka Wheeler Summit trail up to La Cal Basin where we were supposed to camp. Last minute we decided that due to the long drive from/to Phoenix we will day hike on Saturday so we have more time on Sunday drive leisurely back.

The drive took 9 hours on Friday afternoon/night. Arrived to the trailhead at 2am and went to sleep. At 6am we were up and started hiking via Bull of the Woods trail. The hike was very nice, lots of fall colors, great weather. All of us felt the altitude so we were moving quite slow uphill and taking lots of breaks, drinking water and eating snacks. Around 1pm we reached the second highest peak - Mt. Walter (13,141 ft) and in a little bit the highest peak - Mt. Wheeler (13,161 ft).
We had nice lunch at the summit, the weather was nice, warm, no wind. After about one hour later we started heading down Mt. Wheeler - Williams Lake trail which is shorter (but steeper).

We got back to the car around 5pm and headed to Taos for nice mexican dinner :)
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Light
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  1 archive
Jul 17 2015
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 Guides 13
 Routes 38
 Photos 1,651
 Triplogs 577

60 male
 Joined Nov 15 2005
 Jackson, CA
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Jul 17 2015
toddak • Triplogs 577
Hiking13.00 Miles 4,000 AEG
Hiking13.00 Miles   6 Hrs   30 Mns   2.00 mph
4,000 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
Wheeler Peak Summit Trail #67
Partners none no partners
Clockwise loop up Wheeler Peak #90, down summit trail #67 and Williams Lake #62, then along the creek and through the ski resort back to the car. Excellent alpine scenery and beautiful green conditions.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Marmot (Yellow-Bellied)
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Oct 13 2012
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 Triplogs 8

58 male
 Joined Jun 16 2013
 Los Alamos, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Oct 13 2012
dborrego • Triplogs 8
Hiking13.00 Miles 4,302 AEG
Hiking13.00 Miles
4,302 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Sep 15 2012
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 Triplogs 348

32 male
 Joined Oct 13 2012
 Tucson, AZ
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 15 2012
iborrego • Triplogs 348
Hiking15.00 Miles 4,302 AEG
Hiking15.00 Miles   8 Hrs      1.88 mph
4,302 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
  2 archives
Sep 11 2012
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 Guides 7
 Routes 79
 Photos 2,440
 Triplogs 652

34 male
 Joined Jan 10 2010
 Pomona, CA
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 11 2012
PatrickL • Triplogs 652
Hiking14.90 Miles 4,800 AEG
Hiking14.90 Miles   6 Hrs   28 Mns   2.90 mph
4,800 ft AEG   1 Hour   20 Mns Break17 LBS Pack
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Arrived at my campsite at Chuchilla Campground at dusk the night before and hunkered down for a cool night. In typical fashion, I snoozed until the last minute and made the drive up to the trailhead. On the trail at 7, but who knows what timezone that was for.

I followed one of the switchbacks at first and then took the straight, center trail. The road was okay, with your generic forest scenery. Above treeline was my favorite though. Right off the bat I saw three deer. I was happy to have the gradual approach. It made for a good workout. Plus, you gotta' love that 9 miles above treeline. The winds were constantly howling. They were blocked out when I hit the switchbacks above La Cal Basin, but up on the ridge they were still going at it with full force. It wouldn't have been as fun if it were calm.

Just south of Mt. Walter I found the azimuth mark for Wheeler and then it was onto the final push to the peak where I could see for miles. These mountains are awesome! I sat down for a few minutes and had a snack before retreating. Just in time, too, as the storm clouds came rolling in right on cue. Near the basin I got to see my first marmot. Soon after another hiker who was headed for Wheeler as well. I wonder how the weather turned out for him, being so late in the day.

Trees are turning a little bit along the road. More colors are visible along the various mountainsides in the area above the TH parking area.
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  White Tailed Deer
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Azimuth Mark
foliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observationfoliage observation
Autumn Foliage Observation Isolated
_____________________
 
Sep 02 2012
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 Guides 9
 Routes 33
 Photos 780
 Triplogs 4,634

44 male
 Joined Nov 25 2008
 Scottsdale, AZ
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 02 2012
Booneman • Triplogs 4,634
Hiking12.00 Miles 4,395 AEG
Hiking12.00 Miles   5 Hrs   30 Mns   2.18 mph
4,395 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
Partners none no partners
Another state highpoint down, and a good one at that. We originally set out to do an out-and-back on Bull of the Woods until we realized the trek could be shortened by creating a loop with the Williams Lake trail. This provided a little change of scenery, but I would've rather stayed on the original route after seeing the amount of people taking the short version to the summit.

Think Humphreys Inner Basin (Bull of the Woods) vs. Humpreys via Snowbowl (Williams Lake).
_____________________
 
Jun 27 2012
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 Routes 297
 Photos 6,928
 Triplogs 552

49 male
 Joined Dec 30 2007
 Avondale,Az
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Jun 27 2012
Stoic • Triplogs 552
Hiking16.00 Miles 4,600 AEG
Hiking16.00 Miles   10 Hrs      1.60 mph
4,600 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak via Williams Lake
Partners none no partners
Day 2 of my trip.
Wheeler Peak!

Went up Bull of the woods trail, came down Williams Lake trail. I also hiked two other peaks on the ridge. This added about 2.5 miles to the trip. Old Mikes Peak and Simpson Peak. There is a clear trail to the top of Old Mikes Peak. I wasn't going to hike up Simpsons peak, but on the way back , I saw a man made structure on top of the peak. I hiked to the top and took a picture of the plaque. Simpsons peak was a very quick summit.


Ranked in New Mexico
1 Wheeler Peak 13161 363324N 1052459W
2 Walter, Mount 13133 363344N 1052450W
3 Old Mike Peak 13113 363244N 1052422W
7 Simpson Peak 12976 363256N 1052450W
http://americasroof.com/highest/nm.shtml
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Avens
 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Bighorn Sheep  Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel  Marmot (Yellow-Bellied)
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Cadastral Survey Marker
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Mount Walter  Old Mike Peak  Simpson Peak  Wheeler Peak  Wheeler Peak Wilderness  Williams Lake
_____________________
 
Aug 07 2011
avatar

 Triplogs 348

32 male
 Joined Oct 13 2012
 Tucson, AZ
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Aug 07 2011
iborrego • Triplogs 348
Hiking15.00 Miles 4,302 AEG
Hiking15.00 Miles   7 Hrs      2.14 mph
4,302 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Aug 17 2010
avatar

 Guides 48
 Routes 510
 Photos 9,555
 Triplogs 578

79 male
 Joined Dec 28 2006
 Scottsdale, AZ
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 ShuttleNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Aug 17 2010
Grasshopper • Triplogs 578
Hiking10.80 Miles 3,661 AEG
Hiking10.80 Miles   8 Hrs   10 Mns   1.32 mph
3,661 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Williams Lake from Upper Trailhead
Wheeler Peak via Williams Lake
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
Partners partners
gpsjoe
SUN_HIKER
A great choice in good weather! :y:
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Unidentified Mushroom or Fungi
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Summit Register Log
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light
_____________________
(Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!")
 
May 09 2009
avatar

 Guides 253
 Photos 6,930
 Triplogs 2,467

75 male
 Joined Nov 05 2008
 Cloudcroft, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar May 09 2009
imike • Triplogs 2,467
Hiking17.50 Miles 4,900 AEG
Hiking17.50 Miles   8 Hrs   44 Mns   2.00 mph
4,900 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
Partners partners
cheetah262
wow... that was an interesting day. You know, when the guide books say that winter snow conditions can exist through the end of May up on this peak it might be a great idea to take heed. And, when they additionally note that snowshoes or skis are needed to traverse the snow covered trails... well, they might well be onto something.

I initially was happy to have un-winter like weather, and just plowed ahead on up the trail... and encountered snow within the first mile and steadily on up until breaking out of the tree line above 11,000'. From there it could often be avoided, but if encountered managed to provide many interesting crash throughs, chest deep... with an occasional section that was just all that for many yards... 20's of many yards.

A trail that should have been trekked up in around 3+ hours ended up taking nearly 5. And, the two hour pleasant stroll back down was transformed into over 3 hours of hard effort. The snow did provide a dramatic extra bit of exercise that would otherwise have been missing.

It also forced us off the trail for extra elevation gain... and helped us lose the trail for a bit of extra mileage and elevation... so, I can not really be too critical of that extra augmenting factor: snow.

Suggestion: if the trail is snow covered... take some proper footwear (snow shoes? skis? Neos overshoes?) and poles, and other reasonable high country gear.


Great day!
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Wheeler Peak
_____________________
Ageless Mind... Timeless Body... No Way! Use It and Lose It. Just the way it is...
 
Sep 05 2008
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 136
 Photos 22,415
 Triplogs 1,041

77 male
 Joined Feb 28 2003
 Tucson, AZ
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 ShuttleNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Sep 05 2008
rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041
Hiking10.80 Miles 3,661 AEG
Hiking10.80 Miles
3,661 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
Williams Lake from Upper Trailhead
Partners none no partners
Hike with some others from Tucson that we planned back in July. Broke my ankle August 6th coming down from Baldy Saddle on a Wrightson training hike for this one. Was able to go as planned, but we changed the route up to counter-clockwise to get to the peak in quickest way, then down the the Bull of the Woods route. Car shuttle helped. This was my third ascent of Wheeler.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Wheeler Peak  Williams Lake
_____________________
  3 archives
Jul 30 2006
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 136
 Photos 22,415
 Triplogs 1,041

77 male
 Joined Feb 28 2003
 Tucson, AZ
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 ShuttleNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak #62 - #90 Shuttle
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Jul 30 2006
rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041
Hiking10.80 Miles 3,363 AEG
Hiking10.80 Miles
3,363 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   linked  
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
Partners none no partners
This was the warm up hike for me and some Tucson hiking friends, before heading to Colorado to make an attempt on Mt. Shavano. The night before Paul (always on the cheap) and Pam camped along the road to Taos Ski Valley, while Petra and I stayed at the El Pueblo Lodge, which I had stayed at before, and think is just a wonderful hidden gem for lodging in Taos. :)

Early next morning we met up at the trailhead for Bull of the Woods, and were on the trail around 0600. Took the long way (Bull of the Woods) to the peak. We had good weather the entire day, which is always a relief when you get up on these high exposed peaks and ridges. We decided to take the shorter way back down to Williams Lake. Since we didn't stash another vehicle at the Williams Lake Trailhead, we had to do the road walk down through the condos back to our start point.
_____________________
  1 archive
Aug 10 2002
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 Guides 1
 Routes 136
 Photos 22,415
 Triplogs 1,041

77 male
 Joined Feb 28 2003
 Tucson, AZ
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods TrailNorth Central, NM
Wheeler Peak via Bull of the Woods Trail
North Central, NM
Hiking avatar Aug 10 2002
rwstorm • Triplogs 1,041
Hiking15.00 Miles 4,302 AEG
Hiking15.00 Miles
4,302 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Spending a night in Taos, then hiking Wheeler Peak the next day was part of a much larger solo road trip around parts of New Mexico and Colorado. This would be a trip of firsts: my first ascent of Wheeler and my first two Colorado 14ers! I figured an acclimation hike such as this was necessary before tackling the big boys in Colorado. I was in uncharted territory with regard to high altitude hiking (Humphreys Peak being my previous highest). So, I was a bit apprehensive, even though I was hiking a lot and in good condition.

Turns out I had a good weather day, so no stressing over being on exposed ridgelines with thunder boomers around. There were none. :D I ended up having an enjoyable hike and felt fine. I was unfamiliar with the trails, so figured it would be an up and back via Bull of the Woods. But talking with others at the peak, I found out most opted to make a loop out of it by off trailing steeply down the slope to Williams Lake and picking up a trail there to get back to the ski area. So that's what I did, and though it is a little tedious hiking on the road between the two trailheads when you're tired, it was nice seeing new stuff. :)

That was my first big adventure of the day. Now for the second one, driving into Colorado to find where some of my peak bagging friends were camped in a very remote place I had never been: the little ghost mining town of Winfield out in the Collegiate Peaks area. :o They told me to continue on past Buena Vista on US 24, then turn onto Clear Creek Road (county road 390) and keep driving until I reached the Winfield site. They told exactly where to look for them when I reached Winfield, which I did and set up my tent for the night, with some daylight to spare. Time to relax and have a few beers with friends! :y:

New roads in country I had never seen, what's not to like? I was pretty fired up over what a great day it had been! :D Going to have to get some good sleep though, as tomorrow it would be my first 14er: Mt. Belford. :sweat:
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Wheeler Peak
_____________________
  2 archives
average hiking speed 2.13 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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