In my years of being in the outdoors, I've been able to see beautiful and wonderful places many different ways. Skis in the winter bring me into and on the snow covered peaks of the Colorado Rockies. Day hikes have allowed me to experience the mountains and backcountry unencumbered and take in a lot during the day. There has been some dabbling into alpine climbing and seeing the mountains from a vertical point of view. Even some memorable car camping trips that has allowed being immersed in a place that is not really a backpacking destination.

But my first and deepest love is backpacking.

Read more here...

Edited by PaulMags on 06/02/2011 21:19:50 MDT.

Mags,

We must have just missed each other! I scoured the ridgelines for a rag tag pair of hikers on Monday, but only saw bears, mountain goats, and big horn sheep.

Excellent write up and beautiful photographs, they echo our small BPL group experience very much. We just got off the trail earlier today- what an excellent 5 days!

Love the Pecos.

Amazing place, isn't it?

My buddy just came off a long, tough contract and really needed this trip!

I plan on going back again. A relatively easy drive from Colorado to such a great spot.

I'm thinking an aspen hike in the Fall!

Edited by PaulMags on 06/02/2011 22:32:26 MDT.

Now you just have to try Wheeler, the Latirs, and Valle Vidal.

Great TR and the Pecos are always great and I missed my usual Pecos Memorial Day trip due to a family reunion. Looks like a bit of snow, the Pecos over Memorial can be even more snow-bound, snow-free, or even closed for drought - was planning to backpack it over Memorial Day but took an extra day flying back from Hawaii through California. So really enjoyed this TR and looking forward to Eugene's take on the Pecos.

When it comes to post-holing, been there,done that in terms of the Pecos but with lightweight (not UL) gear. Imagine that the pack makes it easier but the footwear was cold. Wondering if anyone could address that?

re: Footwear

Did not find my feet to be cold at all. As long as I was moving, it was fine. And when I stopped for the evening? Had my 'sacred stash' of dry socks.

Lightweight shoes dry quickly as well!

FWIW, when I did the PCT and crossed snowfield after snow field and forded many streams in the High Sierra, I still wore sneakers with no issues. :)

That's good to hear i.e .. UL footwear + snowpack has worked

I was reading in the paper this morning (pretty sure I read it right) that they are trying to herd the Pacheco fire into the Pecos Wilderness.