Over the back.

Sixty miles north of Santa Fe sits Wheeler Peak, the tallest mountain in New Mexico at 13,100 feet. I love climbing this mountain. It’s not the tallest or toughest, but it’s beautiful and hard and once you reach the top, the view to the east is one of the prettiest views you can get in all of NM. My goal for this hike was to spend a night alone near an alpine lake on the backside of Wheeler Peak. The lake sits around 11,900 feet elevation. It’s called Horseshoe Lake and its crystal clear and cold. I packed my mask and snorkel just in case I wanted to get in. It’s a six mile hike from the car to the lake. In those six miles you ascend 3000 feet from the parking lot through forest and rock fields and drop back down another 1100 over the back to reach the lake.

Map of the terrain.

The morning I left, I skipped breakfast and coffee so that I could make it to the top before the monsoons hit. I was in a bit of a rush and not in the best headspace. My thoughts wondered to the last time I climbed Wheeler. I left earlier in the morning made it to the top and back down to the lake before noon. My goal then was to camp at the lake but In the chaos of packing and leaving I forgot my water filter and didn’t pack enough food. I ended up leaving Horseshoe Lake in the afternoon, climbing back over the summit of Wheeler, and descending to Williams Lake before dusk.

This time, however, I made it to the top in a little over 3 hours. I was actually surprised I made it up that fast. Had a snack at the top and made my way down to the lake. It was another 1.8 miles from the summit and a 1100 foot drop in elevation. I was beat and it was hard to not trip over the rocks on the way down. I stopped halfway to the lake and just sat on the trail for a bit and took in the surroundings. I will tell you, the backside of Wheeler is one of the prettiest places I have ever seen. It’s where the East Fork Red River starts and flows down into the canyon. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Knowing the storms usually roll in between 1 and 3 PM, I set up camp quickly. I found what I hoped was a flat spot, pitched my tent, and made myself some food. Then came the rain.

While I was eating and listening to the rain on my tent, I couldn’t help but to think of some of the books I have read about WW2 and the people who slogged through the toughest of conditions. The SAS men who threw themselves out of jeeps at 30 miles per hour to simulate a parachute landing, and hiked 100 miles across the deserts in Africa with only a few sips of water. The foot soldiers of the American infantry who climbed and crawled for days without rest. I think of the men who trained for operation Gunnerside, where they camped out for weeks, climbed frozen mountains and forded icy rivers. This was in preparation to take back the heavy water plant in Norway. This hike made me think of a quote by Ernie Pyle, “I love the infantry because they are the underdogs. They are the mud-rain-frost-and-wind boys. They have no comforts, and they even learn to live without the necessities.” This is one of my favorite quotes. I only hiked six miles and I’m drained and hungry and couldn’t stop thinking about food. When I check my wrist and see my watch, I think of this quote. I think of these people the did so much with so little. I think of those who endure the elements and the obstacles to reach their goals. It inspires me to be uncomfortable, to be hot and cold, and to be tired. It’s what Built for the Journey means.

So, I put my mask on and jumped in the lake. 60 degree water never felt so good.