| Date |
Distance |
Time |
Elevation Gain |
Average Moving Time |
Year to Date Miles |
| 11/08/2024 |
7.3 mile |
4 hours 18 minutes |
318' |
2.2 mph |
718.9 miles |
Parking: - McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center
Map:- Gaia GPS app
- Park brochure
Directions:- McKittrick Canyon Trail past Pratt Cabin to the Grotto. Return the same way.
While we were visiting Carlsbad Caverns, some folks we were talking to recommended the McKittrick Canyon Trail hike. I've been taking pain drugs and my foot felt reasonable, so I put on my ankle brace and hoped for the best. Utah is dry and brown, but this trail has fall foliage. The trail is easy and has mostly good terrain. Our first destination was the Pratt cabin. It has gorgeous views and was open for us to walk through. My foot still felt okay, so we continued on to the grotto - a neat cave like rock formation. We turned around at the point. We ran into a park volunteer named Pam and struck up a conversation with her. She's 77 years old and has hiked Guadalupe Peak 207 times, even 3 times in 1 day (that's 9,000' gain!). She was so fun to talk to and a great storyteller. She said she sold her house and now spends her time volunteering at various national parks for a few months at a time in exchange for free lodging. I wish I could hang out with her more!
After our hike, I stayed in the car and sketched, and Dian and Tara hiked part of the Permian Reef trail. In the evening, we researched where to go next, as Santa Fe got hit with 10" - 18" of snow.
 |
| View from the Pratt cabin |
 |
| Grotto |
 |
| Snack break |
 |
| Lunch in the parking lot |
 |
| McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center (currently unstaffed) |
No comments:
Post a Comment