South Franklin Peak from Smuggler's Pass

A few weeks ago I had hiked the Ron Coleman Trail up South Franklin Peak from McKelligon Canyon. I enjoyed the route so much with its exposed climbs and chains, that I decided that I would finish the trail north of South Franklin Peak.

After my hike hike of Indian Peak earlier in the day, and a nice rest break exploring some of the border areas of El Paso along the Rio Grande (or Rio Bravo as they call it in Mexico), I drove up to Smuggler's Pass to begin my hike. The hike started up Fusselman Canyon with a nice view of the Elephant.

I had hiked up to the Elephant's Trunk several years ago by following the canyon bottom. Today I discovered that the trail leads to the base of the mammoth. Anyway, I hiked with some nice distant views up to the summit of South Franklin and myriad of communication towers.

 The hike was steep, but I slowly made my way closer to the summit. I saw some more pretty flowers as I climbed.

While the trail was certainly challenging, it lacked the excitement of the other section I had previously hiked. Soon I was at the saddle between the two summits. This time I hiked to both to make sure what I assumed was the higher of the two was the true summit. It indeed is the true summit of South Franklin Peak.

I spent some time relaxing on the sidewalk between the two summits, before heading back to the car.