Sub 5lb Backpacking - El Capitan - Guadalupe Mountains National Park 

Thanks, Mike. El Cap is definitely a special hike. Stay toward the western side and you'll have a great hike. I'd love to do it again and explore the forested section a little more.

Thanks Victor! I enjoy making the videos. Gives me time to catch my breath. Haha.

It was really something. I wondered what I had gotten myself into when I had first started off trail. But it ended up being one of the best hikes I've ever done. Thanks for watching, Kirby.

You'll definitely find solitude everywhere except Pine Springs campground and Guadalupe Peak.

I use Google Maps a ton to plan before a hike. It helped me a lot before even attempting this. Thanks for watching!

Really amazing experience. It is a fairly tough hike. But the reward is worth it. Thanks for watching.

Thanks Rob. I appreciate you watching. It's a really cool off trail route!

Hope your hike went well!

That sounds like an awesome trip. I've experienced Guadalupe Mountain above the clouds and it is a really neat site. Glad you had a great trip.

Turkey Hawk86 I hiked it during spring break it snowed it was really pretty with all the ground covered in snow

Man I'm sorry to hear that. Glad to help out a little! It's one of my favorite places. I appreciate you taking time to watch my videos and leave a comment.

That's awesome. Thanks for watching my videos. I hope you have a great time.

Yeah I hope your trip works out. I've been all over the entire park and each corner is very different. Thanks for watching.

The drop straight down was nuts. The video doesn't really do it justice. Thanks for watching Alan.

Hopefully it's not too crazy busy. Good luck man.

I knew 5 minutes into starting off trail that I should have kept going up. Oh well. Now I know. I remember your El Capitan video. That was probably the first time i had any desire at all to do Ep Cap. I would rather have the views but the fog/clouds looked really cool too. I wish it wasnt so hazy the days I was there. Overall I had a lot of fun doing El Cap. I need to go back and rewatch your Shumard and Bartlett videos before next time I head out there.

It was one of the best hikes I've ever done. Going up and down the ridge on Guadalupe Peak was the hardest part. So much adrenaline pumping while going up El Cap itself that it didnt seem bad at all. Quite the drop to the west.

Bluecollar Backcountry We gotta see you give it a run for its money!

And I commented before finishing your video..... When I asked park rangers, I was told the burn near the Guadalupe Peak Campsite entrance trail was (almost surely) accidentally set by an overnight camper or other hiker trapped by darkness who tried to seek shelter from the winter wind at the lowest sheltered point of the saddle just at the sign for the campground. The wind can be un-imaginable at times at the partially shielded Guadalupe Peak Campsite, so the theory seems a good one to me.

You may be right about the fire. There are burn scars from campfires at every campsite. While I'd love to have a campfire, I respect the rules on fires. It's easy to see how a wildfire could start with the dry environment and harsh winds. I definitely learned my lesson about going off trail to El Cap. Keep going up on trail before heading toward El Cap is definitely the way to go. It was an awesome hike though. I'd for sure do it again. Can wait to try some other off trail trips out there. The trip I did the Salt Basin Loop from the Guadalupe canyon trailhead, i was able to spot the old roadside reststop off in the distance. I never would have known it was there if it wasnt for your pictures. They're really helpful when planning other trips.

It was way more intense in person. Wish it came through more in the video. Thanks for watching!

The views do go on a long way on most clear days. The views straight down to on for a pretty good while also!

It's a lot steeper in places than what it looks in pictures. And once you make it to the bottom of the saddle, its amazing how far you've come down once you turn around and look back at Guadalupe Peak.

@@CameronHall88 When I did Guadalupe Peak last year had an eye on El Cap for a future trip and standing on the GP trail, looking down the slope to the saddle, it's like "Oh my god" steep and none of my pictures do it justice. I looked on caltropo and the grade in places is as high as 60% Afterward, when I saw your video from the saddle, when you commented about how far down you had come, I totally got it. Standing on the GP trail it doesn't look nearly as far down to the saddle as it looks when you're on the saddle looking up from what I saw in your video.

West TX definitely has lots of mountains. Even places throughout the Hill Country in Central TX have a good amount of elevation change. But the majority of the state is fairly flat. Thanks for checking out my video!

I didnt plan to go back as soon. Just one of the few places to go within 7 or 8 hours of me that wouldn't be blazing hot this time of year. That sounds like an awesome trip you had! Out of all my times out there, I still haven't been in November for color change season. That would be awesome. Sounds like your day 2 was a pretty long day. And with the ascent to Mckittrick Ridge at the end ... The El Cap trail is good pretty much only in colder months because it has very little shade. I did it in December I think and it was fine. Super windy with nothing to stop the wind and it being funneled through the foothills. The trail itself is pretty overgrown as it is very seldom used. And the Shumard campsites aren't really comparable to the others in the mountains. That being said, it's one of my absolute favorite places in the whole park. I felt very alone out there. And the sunrise and sunset on the rock walls were probably the best I have ever witnessed in the park. Next time I have the chance to go out there I plan to stay for 2 days and explore more of Bone and Shumard canyons.

Thanks for your reply and mentioning the sun on the rock walls because I plan on carrying a camera if I make out there then. After I came down from Mescalero I camped at the horse corral thats just a short distance away from Pine Springs because the campground was full, then the next morning I drove to McKittrick Canyon to hike up to the campsite. Yeah, that would have been a long day otherwise. I didn't mean to leave that part out. I enjoy all of your videos, especially the ones from Guadalupe mountains. Keep them coming!

For sure. The whole mountain chain is the ancient Reef. You can see fossils from ancient sea creatures all over.

I have my route planned, bags packed, etc. Soon as they open back up, I plan on hiking to it. I had to cancel this trip already because of the Corona virus stuff. Hope they open soon!

That is an insane drop. Nothing like actually staring straight down on it! I appreciate you watching.

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. The main thing to me is to stay on trail as long as possible before heading down one of the ridges. That makes the vegetation much more manageable. The good thing about El Cap is the off trail is pretty straight forward. Straight down a Ridge, then stay to the western cliff all the way to the top. It's an amazing hike. Definitely worth it.

@@CameronHall88 Thanks! One other question, once you follow the western cliff to the top, are there any hands & feet scrambling sections? Hard to tell from the pictures.

@@marklemmert6840 no, not at all. It's not that technical. Just off trail hiking. If you were to go anywhere other than to the western side, it is possible you'd need to. El Cap has a series of rock walls running across it. But you go around all that near the cliff.

@@CameronHall88 Thanks! When I climbed Guadalupe Peak in February, I also took a close look at the western ridge leading to El Cap when standing on the GP trail. It looked incredibly steep. Did you use micro spikes to help with traction?

@Mark Lemmert no I didn't. And I couldn't really see the need for them unless you happened to do it in winter, and there was snow or ice. In that case, I probably wouldn't get close to the edge. Haha.

I know overall the winds can be worse in Spring. But I've found that it can be really windy anytime of the year. And it can be calm anytime of the year. I personally don't schedule trips out there based on wind. It's just too unpredictable. If you're able, it may be better to go to the park for a few days and then be able to pick the one with the lowest wind forecast for El Cap and then do more protected hikes on the other days. Either way, you'll be blown away (no pun intended but hopefully not literally) by the hike. The walk along the western edge is something else.

@@CameronHall88 Thanks! Do you think a week or two is long enough to typically get a calm (or close to calm) day? I have a camper van I can work remotely from so I figured I'd just hang out for awhile. I can't wait to see the view from the western edge!

@@marklemmert6840 oh yeah for sure. That should be plenty of time.

@@CameronHall88 Good to know! One other question for you - one of the Alltrails reviews of this hike I read recommended wearing "puncture resistant pants" due to all the desert scrub. Do you think that's worthwhile versus just regular nylon hiking pants?

@@marklemmert6840 they wouldn't hurt. But I dont have fancy pants. I just wear regular cheap hiking pants from Academy and it's fine. I don't think it's a necessity.

The best place is nearly at the very top of the Guadalupe Peak trail. You will see a clear path from near the summit of Guadalupe Peak. You can follow a ridge all the way to the lowest part of El Cap. The best ridge is about center to center west. And then stay all the way west while going up El Cap.

@@CameronHall88 Cool. Thanks! Did you happen to see any place to pitch a tent up there when you were there? Would be awesome to spend the night on the peak. (Not that I would ever do that because it's against park rules and I always follow park rules), but ya'know, in like an 'emergency situation. Can you imagine the nighttime views from that point!?!?!

It was a long way down for me. And I don't rock climb. Haha. Thanks. I just subbed your channel too.

Ultralight Outdoors Thanks man!

If you hiked the El Capitan Trail all the way to Williams Ranch, then that trail is one of the most underrated in the park. But that is a tough trail and I wouldn't recommend it this time of year. The hike to El Capitan summit is 100% worth the climb. Not so much for looking up at Guadalupe but for looking down on the straight drops off of El Cap and the unique perspective of the Western side of the mountains. It's off trail experience makes it completely different than doing something like Hunter Peak (which is a nice hike with a good view but doesn't have quite the same sense of adventure as going offtrail to El Cap).

Man that sounds rough. Did you have to get help to make it down the mountain? Pretty amazing experience and views. Do you mean physical flags? They would probably frown on leaving those out there. There are a series of cairns ti help mark the way if you happen to come upon them.

@@CameronHall88 Willpower, lol. Didn't realize I'd hurt my leg that badly till a few weeks later-my leg was still bugging me and aching so I had it x-rayed. They said I had evidence of a healing fracture on my shin bone. The pain cleared up entirely within a few months. And I've rethought my flag idea and I think I'll just follow the rock cairns-maybe pile them a little taller for future folks.

No I just wear trail runners. Nothing fancy. That cliff is no joke. I'd love to do it again later on. I'm hoping to get back out there in November but it will probably be after the first of the year.

Yeah its possible. Just depends on the wind chill and if it recently snowed or iced. Hard to say. Most likely its going to be really cold.

Closest place is the Guadalupe Peak Campsites.

@@CameronHall88 thank you! so are there any background campsites along the trail if im backpacking?

The only campsites are the Guadalupe Peak Campsites on the Guadalupe Peak trail. That'd be about a mile from where you'd exit that trail to start toward El Cap. You can't camp anywhere on El Cap itself.

Haha.

Not sure exactly what you mean.

@@CameronHall88 I wanted to see how you hiked the peak with only a five pound pack knowing that one needs a lot of water for that hike. I am a hiker and I am always looking for a way to lighten my load.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Q4YGrCSD-fc.html This is the video where I hike to the peak. The sub 5 lb pack is a base pack weight. Everything I carry minus consumables like food and water. Didn't mean to deceive you in any way.

@@CameronHall88 Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa! Sorry about that. I am hiking the peak in about 10 days. I will check out your experience U. O. Mac

Hah! I'm pretty sure I could come up with a 3 lb baseweight for summer if I didnt take my phone. But 5lbs is probably about as far as I'll ever go.