Hiking Hermit Peak in New Mexico
This story begins in Mora, NM but I should preface how I ended up there in the first place. I live in Decatur, GA and needed to get away. I left home on July 2, 2020 with the plan to simply ‘head West.’ The culmination of all things 2020 were building up and I threw my camping gear into the trunk of my GLI and my dog and I drove all the way to Shawnee, OK the first day. The next day, we made it into Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico and bounced around camping and hiking in the mountains for a few days.
On July 6th, we had woken up in our forest road campsite near Angel Fire and went into town for breakfast and gas. I had no clue where to go from there. We were already driving South on 434 so I figured we would maintain that path and see what happens. We made it into Mora and I loved the town. Unfortunately, everything was closed due to COVID-19 but I parked in some shade and walked around with Domino, taking pictures. Far off in the distance, I could see an enormous mountain peak that appeared to have a little snow left on it. I now knew where I was going. This is where the story begins.
I went into the Post Office to ask the clerk if they knew which mountain peak that was and how to get to it. They didn’t know but wished me a good time. I was on my own. There are plenty of apps that can assist with this but I was determined to do it using only Google Maps for some reason. I quickly realized that this was going to be more difficult than I thought. There were many other big mountains in the way that I had to go around. I resorted to Google for more info.
The peak that I originally saw was Elk Mountain and by the time I could get to it, it would be too late to start hiking up and it looked like it was more of an ATV kind of experience. Bummer. I did see a bunch of hype about another peak, the second highest peak in New Mexico next to Elk Mountain, Hermit Peak. The name was certainly attractive. I did some quick research. “An extremely difficult but rewarding hike,” one review read. Another said, “It’s a difficult climb up to the peak, but it is so worth it! The views of all of New Mexico are fantastic.” I was sold.
The road to the trailhead was an experience in itself. I drove down to Las Vegas (not the Nevada one) and made my way to Route 65, a glorious drive that I was not expecting. Passing through Montezuma, you can’t miss the massive and magnificent campus of United World College. Shortly after, there is a local fishing hole with huge cliffs opposite the lake. Then, you catch a windy uphill road with no center lane and barely enough room for two cars to pass each other. This would normally be a road where I put my GLI to good use but I maintained a safe speed as the curves were very blind and there wasn’t much room for a safe escape. Taking in the views were a good compromise to not racing up the hill.
I finally made it to the trailhead area. There was a few parking spots with access to multiple trails. There was a Christian Camp that I thought was a weird Waco type of thing at first but ended up just being a place where summer camps are held. There was also a campground that you could pay $8 to camp in for a night and had restrooms. I didn’t see myself needing to stay there but drove through to check it out just in case.
It was approaching noon and I knew it was too late to start a hike like this in the New Mexican summer. It’s common for afternoon storms to arise in the mountains and lightning can be a serious threat. There was a storm a little to the South that was passing by and I had a feeling that more would follow it. Thankfully, some friendly locals showed up as I was gearing up. I approached them (with a mask on and maintaining a safe distance) and asked if they had hiked Hermit Peak before and if they had any helpful info for me as I go up with the threat of storms. They assured me that it was certainly a risk, but it is wooded most of the way to where I wouldn’t be the tallest thing around. They seemed excited for me as I made the decision to go through with it. They certainly liked hiking in this area and that made me even more excited.
I didn’t need much for this day hike. I assumed it would take 6 to 8 hours and I was well fed from a huge, carb-filled green chile enchilada breakfast in Angel Fire a couple of hours earlier. In my very light, Eddie Bauer 20L daypack, I tossed in my lightweight rain shell, 2 granola bars, 2 packs of crackers, 4 packs of fruit snacks, and 3 slim jims. One side pouch I carried my Nalgene water bottle and on the other pouch I carried a regular sized water bottle and a can of bear spray. I tossed Domino’s leash in there in case we saw some sort of authority but I knew she wouldn’t need a leash on this trail. I also grabbed a collapsible water bowl for her. I was wearing a dryfit tshirt, gym shorts, CEP light merino socks, Brooks Cascadias, cheap sunglasses, and a sun hat. I found a stick nearby that would serve well as a walking stick. We were ready!
The trail number that we wanted was 223. We entered the trailhead and weren’t very impressed at first. There was a powerline overhead and a sign stating that a section of the trail went through private property. I was concerned that this was going to be a gimmicky trail, dumbed-down for the general public. It didn’t take long to realize that I was wrong. This trail was hardcore!
The first mile was pretty simple. Even in the heat of the afternoon, I hardly broke a sweat. The trail was very rocky though. Annoying, big rocks that tested your stability with every step. When you weren’t looking down to watch your step, you were looking up at the far away peak that was constantly taunting you. I kept thinking that there HAD to be an easier way to get up there.
We encountered our first people coming down from the trail. They told us that no one was behind them and I knew that no one was as dumb as we were to start the trail with storms brewing. We had the trail to ourselves from here on out. The couple and their dog appeared to not have been too phased by the difficulty of the trail that the internet was claiming. I thought that this might be easier than people made it out to be. The beginning was very deceiving.
The slope gradually increased and the rocks did as well. About halfway into the trail is where you notice that it gets much steeper. Switchbacks became the constant pattern and the trail was like the bottom of a dried creekbed with nothing but different-sized, loose rocks to step on. Then it started to rain. I was loving this.
I really was. I am a sucker for a good struggle. I’ve walked across America twice, in two different directions, and that is one of the main things that I learned. That the pain and agony is as much a part of the experience as the joy and triumph, all of which can be appreciated and enjoyed with the right mindset. I wasn’t worried about getting wet from the rain but I was worried about the thunder that was starting to get closer. The last thing I needed was to get struck by lightning while alone on a mountain trail. Although I would’ve enjoyed the experience if I survived it :P
I stopped for some snacks and water. Domino was more than ready for some also. While gearing back up, I tossed my rain jacket over my back and held it up by putting the hood over my hat. The sleeves were swinging free but all of my gear would stay dry. The trees above were catching most of the rain drops anyway. Upward we continued.
The high altitude was becoming a noticeable factor. My body felt great and my heart rate was doing fine but I was having shortness of breath. My energy level was good and I was well-hydrated. I should have been fine but the altitude was certainly slowing me down. I liked that. Living in Georgia, it is not something that I get to experience often. It was far from a dangerous level, just noticeable.
As we climbed farther up, I saw a huge rock with a slight overhang in the apex of one of the switchbacks. I thought that this would be a good place to wait out the current storm, which was getting worse overhead. It was very uncomfortable. I found it difficult to grip my shoes into the sloped Earth in order to hold me up. I was squatting and tucked under the rock. I threw the backpack into a crevasse too small for a human and utilized the space that I had to keep the important parts of me dry. My rain jacket wasn’t big enough to cover me entirely based on how I was positioned so I opted to leave my back exposed but protect my head, chest, and feet. Dry feet being at the top of the priority list.
I waited like this, with Domino in her own little nook, for what felt like a little too long. I was stiff after the heavy clouds passed and I was able to unfurl. I took a moment to stretch. My rain jacket was soaked through and was no longer useful. I decided to leave it hanging over a small tree to air out. I left my backpack there as well. All I brought was my water bottle and the bowl for Domino, which was clipped onto the handle. Easy to carry. I wanted to move fast in case another storm was coming. The weather radar looked good but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I would be in the clear. Even though my pack was very light, not carrying it would give me a little more of an edge on this very difficult hike.
I was high enough now that I could look out and occasionally see a view through the trees that gave me small tastes of triumph. The view from the top of any hike is one of the most obvious rewards. I was excited to see the storm clouds moving out as I got higher and higher. Clear blue skies were awaiting my arrival at the peak.
Taking the break about 3/4 of the way up to wait out the storm helped a lot with the altitude issues that I was having earlier. I was more acclimated and was moving very quickly now, with very little fatigue. The switchbacks were steep but I saw that as a way to make ground to the top only that much faster. Eventually, we rounded the last curve and we were on top of the cliff face that we had been climbing up for miles. We had a ways to go before the summit but we were now walking on the ridge. We were more exposed here and I was even more grateful that the storms had moved out by now.
We found the water spring that “the hermit” used while living there. It was well-marked and easy to spot. I made Domino stay away from it while I reached my hand in to take a small taste. It was cold and refreshing but I wanted to wait a little while to see if I felt ill after tasting it before filling my entire water jug up with it and chugging big gulps. While natural water is the most healthy for us, it can often contain harmful bacteria and I wanted to be on the cautious side as it was a long way back to the car and I knew I was alone out here.
The top of the mountain was not much farther after this. The trail was marked with cairns to keep you on the right path. Once you got to a certain point, you could see the edge of the huge cliff and knew exactly where to go. It was incredible! Not only was I filled with pride but I also joy because I had made it to the top and was finished with the uphill portion of my hike. The views were spectacular. I do not want to post a photo because it doesn’t do it any justice. You have to see it for yourself.
Before I let myself get too far into the celebrations, I quickly got my bearings and scoured the sky to see if I was, in fact, safe from any oncoming storms. I determined that the storms that I could see to the East were the ones that already passed and the sky from the West looked great. I could now enjoy myself. I was still somewhat limited in my time up there as I wanted to get back to my car before dark because I didn’t have a flashlight with me. I didn’t need to stress about that though. I was good to enjoy the views and even have some time to explore for a little bit.
First tings first, I needed to clear my head. Up here, I wasn’t worried about anything that 2020 had to bring against me. I tried to muster up some anger so that I could scream over the cliff’s edge and release it into oblivion. I couldn’t get angry though. Even as I tried to think of all of the stuff that led me to take this road trip in the first place. The only emotion that I could feel at the time was joy. So instead of releasing anger, I screamed out in celebration. “WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!” I could hear it echo through the canyons below. “YEAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” I screamed again and again, the echos following. I couldn’t resist… “PENIS!!!!!!!!!!!” Yep, it echoed.
After laughing hysterically at myself, I sat down and meditated with the crisp air fueling a very relaxed state of consciousness. I needed this. As I came back from that transcending experience, I felt repaired. I had hopes that I would be able to return to a good mental health state and continue 2020 while making progress, which I wasn’t sure that I could do before taking this hike.
Now I wanted to explore! Apparently, you could find the cave of the man who lived up here and I wanted to find it. Unfortunately, I was unprepared in my research and there was no visible trail markings to find it. I walked around anyway, to see what I could discover. I found another cliff edge that looked out to the Southeast and I could see more of New Mexico than from the other lookout. I went to the other side and could lookout to the West, seeing the snowy peak of Elk Mountain which inspired this hike to begin with. I never found the cave but I didn’t care to try hard enough to. I was content with the experience and was ready to head back down.
I knew it would be a little faster going down but I was still a little over 4 miles away from my car. On the way back to the spring, I saw a cross made out of two logs and was held up by a pile of rocks gathered around it. I grabbed a nearby rock and placed it in the rubble with the others to pay homage to my trek. I picked a rock that I thought my sister who passed away 5 years ago would’ve liked so that I could honor her in the same act. Two birds with one stone…
I wasn’t showing any signs of illness so I filled my water bottle with the fresh spring water on the way out. I hydrated as much as I could and gave my dog as much water as she would drink also. I assumed it would be a while since we stopped again as going down usually required less breaks than going up. I was wrong about that though.
My right knee started to become inflamed and the pain was getting worse with each step. I’ve experienced this before, always in my right knee. When I walked across the country, climbing the hills going up the Rocky Mountains were actually easier than going down. I don’t know why I had forgotten this. I had to move really slow. Domino was walking ahead and had to keep waiting for me because she wasn’t used to me going at such slow of a pace.
I stopped for another break when we got to where my gear was stashed. I took the time to psych myself up and to find a stronger walking stick to help support me during the descent. I was then ready to simply tough it out and that is what I had to do. I tried not to let the pain bother my ‘high’ from reaching the summit. I was in a great place mentally and wanted to stay there as long as possible. I continued to move slowly and cautiously as to not injure myself beyond the inflamed knee. I was enjoying every second.
I was able to dig deep into my thoughts and resolve some things and make plans for the future while taking the long trek back to my car. The only sounds that I heard were natural. The air was crisp and the sun was beginning to set so the temperature was delightfully cool and the views of the sky were stunning. I was so glad that I had chosen to do this. My knee was getting worse though. I kept thinking that we were “getting close” but the trail going back seemed to be never-ending.
The trail did eventually come to an end and we were back in my car. It was in perfect timing with the sun. I drove into Las Vegas and stopped for a New Mexico style burger and fries at Lotaburger. I then headed East until I found a dirt County Road that we pulled into and found a place to set up our tent that would not be a disturbance to anyone. I stayed up looking at the stars for as long as I could and then crashed for a great night’s sleep. I would be ready to start heading home the next morning. I had found the peace of mind that I came out West to look for.