I'm considering driving there in early March to spend a few days. I'd love to hear any comments, experience, etc.

Thanks!

We did a week's worth of work there for my final geology field course, it's a pretty unique place. You can hike up from the ancient seabed through millions of years of reef building and spot the evolution of species the entire way- varying from rudist corals to meter-scale sponges. There are endless miles to be hiked and lots of karstic caves to be explored.

The setting itself will make for some spectacular desert landscapes: lots of scrub brush, decent sized mountains, and golden sunsets/rises. I'll see if I can't dig up any pictures from my week there, but picture a scenery very similar to my Big Bend excursion, the park is at the northern tip of the same Chihuahuan desert.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

We did a week's worth of work there for my final geology field course, it's a pretty unique place. You can hike up from the ancient seabed through millions of years of reef building and spot the evolution of species the entire way- varying from rudist corals to meter-scale sponges. There are endless miles to be hiked and lots of karstic caves to be explored.

The setting itself will make for some spectacular desert landscapes: lots of scrub brush, decent sized mountains, and golden sunsets/rises. I'll see if I can't dig up any pictures from my week there, but picture a scenery very similar to my Big Bend excursion, the park is at the northern tip of the same Chihuahuan desert.

Sounds awesome, Ted. I think early March would be a pretty great time to be there as well.

The problem is distance but with 10 days at my disposal, I can easily make 6 days to shoot between Guadalupe/Big Bend NPs and maybe 1 day to go check out Carlsbad Caverns while I'm there.

That part of TX is pretty desolate, right?

Dude, if the timing is right I'll scoot on out there with you for some Big Bend/Guadalupe shooting!

Originally Posted by Stime187

maybe 1 day to go check out Carlsbad Caverns while I'm there.

Carlsbad is definitely worth the daytrip, I've been there twice. The cavern is huge.

Originally Posted by Stime187

That part of TX is pretty desolate, right?

Very. In some places you can go for 100 miles and not see a house, building or car.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Dude, if the timing is right I'll scoot on out there with you for some Big Bend/Guadalupe shooting!

Awesome!

Carlsbad is definitely worth the daytrip, I've been there twice. The cavern is huge.

Awesome!

Very. In some places you can go for 100 miles and not see a house, building or car.

Awesome!

I think this might be my trip, I really wasn't that excited about going to the Everglades and this just sounds like a blast. Plus, Texas is one of the only states I've never set foot in. I'd like to change that.

I'm really digging this place...

Originally Posted by NP Website

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a remote, rugged wilderness park located in far West Texas on U.S. Highway 62/180, between El Paso, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico. While isolation and solitude are desirable traits of the park, facilities and services within and near the park are extremely limited. There are no restaurants, service stations, convenience stores, or overnight lodging (except camping) available in the park. The closest location for ice, groceries, showers, and lodging is 35 miles east in White's City, NM.

Nice.

Bwahahahahaha, these are some of my very first digital images captured with the elite Canon a75 (check the exif!!). Utilizing my finely honed processing skills, some of them don't look half bad. Scott, maybe you can get a feel for the terrain from some of these, if not, maybe you can join me in a laugh in how far I've come in the last 4 years. What sucks is I mainly used the camera as a tool to help with the geology assignments, shooting rocks, contacts, structures, and I almost always ignored the gorgeous surroundings. And now it's killing me because I know exactly how to make each and every one of these shots sooooo much better. Oh well, here they are anyway:


A few million years of shallow sea deposition:







Different angle:






Near the top of the "Reef Trail", a 10 mile hike from the seabed up to the top of the reef.






View from the top:







This is pretty high for Texas:







Karst topography:








And 2 from Carlsbad Caverns, handheld on the railing!

Thanks a ton, Ted. Those really help actually.

If I can get some wispy clouds, early morning light, and a dark blue sky that place is going to produce some AWESOME black-and-whites.

I can't wait. Now I just have to plan it/make it happen.

Man, it just dawned on me that you're probably planning on Spring Break aren't you? I will likely be working SXSW along with the day job and won't have much time off that week.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Man, it just dawned on me that you're probably planning on Spring Break aren't you? I will likely be working SXSW along with the day job and won't have much time off that week.

It'll be something like February 26th - March 9th. Give or take a day on either side.

Also, it looks like there's a good sized peak in the Guadalupe Mountains, Guadalupe Peak (8,700+ ft), which I plan to climb. Will I be dealing with any snow/ice that time of year?

Originally Posted by Stime187

It'll be something like February 26th - March 9th. Give or take a day on either side.

Awesome!! SXSW is Mar 12-16 so I hope things work out.

Originally Posted by Stime187

Will I be dealing with any snow/ice that time of year?

Well, that's my first reaction, but now I have to go check. I suppose it could happen.

Originally Posted by tardypizza

Awesome!! SXSW is Mar 12-16 so I hope things work out.

Yes! That'd rock, Ted.

Well, that's my first reaction, but now I have to go check. I suppose it could happen.

I bet it could. I mean, even if it is Texas, it's still almost 9000 feet. Should be a fun little hike.

Found this:

clicky, clicky, and # 5 here

Only 9 miles round-trip?? ****, I might shoot a sunrise and a sunset from up there.

Thanks for the links, Ted.