22 Sep: The campground at Guadalupe for trailers and RVs is essentially a parking lot divided into separate sites only by lines painted on the pavement, but we got a nice site in a corner next to trees. We also happened to be next to a couple of fellow Granite Staters, with whom we traded contact info for potential future hiking or cross-country skiing outings after we get home. For our hike, we did the 8.4-mile (round trip) Guadalupe Peak trail. This is the highest point in Texas, and the trail is very pleasant. The vertical climb is about 3,000 feet, but the ascent grade is not very steep. The views are constantly changing, as the path winds up and around ridges. Desert plants are common down near the campground, with trees and grassy meadows higher up on the mountain, and then a rocky summit. We rated it as one of our favorite hikes.
