Picacho Peak

We didn't even make it to 11 last night. I let Noelle and Sierra sleep in this morning while Parker and I headed out to hit the trail. Our first hike of 2013 would be to the summit of Picacho Peak. The peak is located on BLM lands to the west of Las Cruces. The directions I got off the BLM website were easy to follow and before I knew it we were at the trailhead.

The trail began by heading down into a wash. Eventually we headed back out and soon found a very wide trail, that I assume may have been a road to a mine at one time.

Once the road ended the trail was much more faint, but still easy to follow. We hiked the switchbacks up to a small saddle where we rested for a short time and admired the view of the surrounding badlands.

When we resumed our hike we were on the homestretch. The mountain ended up being easier to ascend than I had figured. I guess the fact that there are no trees on its slopes means that there isn't anything to give it a sense of scale.

Parker and I soon stood on the summit. Perhaps we are the first person

and dog

to stand on top of Picacho for 2013. A trail-runner made his way up shortly after us. We relaxed up there for a bit and I looked for a register but couldn't find one. Soon it was time to head down. The descent went even faster than the ascent and we were back at the car in no time at all. Picacho was a fun, easy peak and about 3 miles round-trip.