Santa Fe Baldy |
May 22, 2004 |
Final Ascent |
Hamilton Mesa |
Lake Peak |
Looking North |
Yesterday, I hiked to the top of Santa Fe Baldy.
I started at the ski basin parking lot (10,250 ft.) at about 11:30 and reached the top (12,622 ft.) at about 3:30.
It was a very windy day, but not too cold.
I took these pictures from a point (~11,700 feet) just above the start of the final ascent to Santa Fe Baldy. I stopped at this point to rest and eat before the last, steep 900-foot climb.
The picture of Hamilton Mesa from Santa Fe Baldy matches the picture of Santa Fe Baldy from Hamilton Mesa I took last year from the Pecos.
At the top, I spent about 20 minutes watching the marmots who live there year-round. They are rodents a little larger than house cats. When I reached the peak, a group of 12-15 was gathered into a sort of huddle; they were standing in a very small circle. It was as if they were having a strategic conference, planning their spring and summer. They dispersed when they noticed me, but, after a few minutes, some of them (the hungry ones, I guess) came back into view and foraged about 50 feet away from me. One group of four looked to be a mother and her three youngsters.
There were tiny yellow wildflowers blooming on top and I saw a large hawk near the peak.
The whole hike, 13-14 miles, took seven hours.