Trip Report: July 2009

Backpacking, Latir Peaks Wilderness

Below Latir Mesa.
Below Latir Mesa.

Jennifer and I drove from Amarillo to Red River, NM on Tuesday, July 14. We stayed at the Alpine Lodge where we organized and packed our gear. We barely managed to stuff our gear into our small ultralight packs. The next morning, we drove to Questa, then up Cabresto Canyon to the turnoff to Cabresto Lake. The last 2 miles after the turnoff are a winding, rocky road that requires a high clearance vehicle.

The trailhead is at Cabresto Lake. From there, we hiked 5 miles to Heart Lake gaining 2,400 feet of elevation. It was hot and muggy as we walked through the lush riparian surroundings on the lower part of the trail. As we ascended, the surroundings became more alpine. We took a little over 4 hours to reach Heart Lake.

We camped along the western edge of the lake. In retrospect, probably the best campsites are just below the lake around a large meadow. Taking advice from some fellow campers, will filtered water from a spring draining into the lake about halfway up the west side. The lake water itself was full of debris and would rapidly clog a filter. The lake seemed completely devoid of fish. I never saw any fish in the water or surfacing to feed despite watching for quite a while at various times of the day. The bugs, flies, and mosquitoes were quite thick around the lake. We escaped into the tent at times to avoid their wrath. After the sun went down, we enjoyed sitting around the fire.

Jennifer in Camp.
Jennifer in Camp.
Elk Skeleton.
Elk Skeleton.
Jennifer on Latir Mesa.
Jennifer on Latir Mesa.

The next day we hiked up to Latir Mesa. At the top, we had incredible views of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. To the north, we could see the Blanca Peak / Mount Lindsey group up by Great Sand Dunes National Monument. We could see Red River Ski Area and Wheeler Peak by the Taos Ski Valley. In the far distance south, I saw a large peak that I think was Truchas Peak down by Santa Fe. We saw a herd of elk grazing high up on the tundra. We came across a bleached skeleton of an elk.

The next day we walked out with a brisk, non-stop pace. It took about 2 1/2 hours to reach the trailhead. We stopped in Red River for lunch and then drove back to Amarillo capping off a nice two-night backpacking trip not too far from home.