Franklin Mountains State Park: Ranger Peak

I packed up camp this morning and hit the road. I would be headed to the western side of the Franklin Mountains to the trail-head for the 1000 Steps Trail to ascend Ranger Peak. I took Stanton Road to its end and found a nice, shady spot to park in. I grabbed a bagel for breakfast, filled my water bottles, readied my gear, and then hit the trail.

The trail first followed some old roads. After about a mile it turned into an actual trail. The climbing was pretty steep. Soon the views opened up to the west. I had a bird's eye view to Sierra del Cristo Rey, which Noelle and I had hiked one Good Friday years ago.

Then, about halfway up the peak I stopped in the shade of an old stone shelter, built by the power company in the '30s, to rest and drink some water.

When I resumed my climb more views opened up to downtown El Paso and across the Rio Grande to Juarez, Mexico.

Soon I arrived at a 3-way junction with the Ranger Peak Loop Trail. I decided to take the portion of the trail that headed south.

It slowly climbed and then skirted the ridge on which the peak sits.

I passed another stone shelter and then climbed up to the peak.

The Wyler Aerial Tramway was running and I watched as some people got into a car on the top and then descended to the parking lot.

Then I walked around the small summit area before getting back on the trail. I took the Jackaloop Trail to the other side of the Ranger Peak Loop and then detoured off the official trail to take a look at the B-36D Bomber crash site. I had seen a sign on Stanton Street that mentioned the crash.

There was a lot of wreckage scattered about. Most of the larger pieces of the plane had long been removed, but a section of engine

and some landing gears had been left behind.

There was also a memorial attached to a rock at the site, commemorating the lives of the crew who had perished in the crash.

From the crash site, I decided to follow the drainage in which most of the wreckage lies, down to the trail. Once back on the trail the hiking was fast and I was back to my car in no time!