In the summer of 1993, I went on a week-long driving trip through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma, revisiting places I had lived when I was a small child and my dad was in the Army. I have no memories of Oklahoma (my birth state) nor Texas, but I had some memories of New Mexico. I thought it would be fun to go back, just for the heck of it. My folks tried to remember directions to our old places as best they could. I drove across the desert from Phoenix to New Mexico, visiting our old place on the White Sands Military Reservation ("Wismer") first, then a tour of Fort Bliss near El Paso. I saw our old homes and it was kind of neat to see White Sands again after 23+ years.

After El Paso I continued east, heading toward the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, figuring I'd camp there or maybe at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. To be honest I had no real plan other than to just find a place to sleep for the night. I enjoyed the drive across the salt flats and the pretty foothills of the Guadalupes. When I pulled in, it was getting close to dark and I was able to score the last camping space on the grounds. I walked around and saw the sign mentioning Guadalupe Peak as being the highest point in Texas.

Last year I and five of my college pals made a three-day backpack and hike up Mount Whitney, and I was well aware it being the state and national (excluding Alaska) highpoint. And about a month earlier this year (early July, '93), I had made an attempt to summit Humphreys Peak in Arizona, my new home state. But was I a highpointer yet? I'd say no. I had not driven here specifically to hike Guadalupe Peak, and honestly had no idea it was the Texas highpoint until I saw the sign. But I was intrigued, and since I packed my hiking boots, on the spot I decided to hike to the summit the next morning.

I got a very early start, hiking before 5 a.m. knowing that the heat would be a real butt-kicker later in the afternoon. At this time of the day, conditions were very pleasant and I saw many deer along the route. I was the only person up here so far, and I simply followed the trail up a steep open slope to a ridge, then a long, lovely traverse through a spotty forest including some pine. Toward the top the route gets a little more precarious, being etched into the limestone "hillsides" and including a footbridge to gap a small abyss. But the trail was always obvious and easy, and I summitted a bit after 7 a.m., working my way up the limestone stairsteps to the triangular obelisk placed at the top. I snapped a few photos and looked out over the desert, enjoying a lengthy break. The most notable feature is the interesting El Capitan promontory to the south. In one hike I had doubled my state highpoint count.

The hike down went well, highlighted by a lovely female hiker wearing a string bikini and big hiking boots. There were a few more hikers working their way up, but the trail was never crowded. I was back to my car by 9 a.m., by which time it was becoming very warm. I stopped into the Visitor's Center for a little bit to cool down and look at the displays, then I was off on the road again, heading east. The afternoon highs neared 100 and as I drove east along Interstate-20, I encountered gigantic storms. I laid low in Abilene that night.

The rest of the trip went well. I eventually drove to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, my birthplace. Climbing Guadalupe Peak had put it into my head that hiking all the state highpoints would be a neat idea, and I was sure I was the first person ever to think this idea up. Curious, I deliberately altered my route to bypass the Oklahoma state highpoint at Black Mesa, along its far-west boundary with New Mexico. I was going by the information in the Rand-McNally Atlas, which listed each state's highest point. I hoped to find a developed trail, but no such luck. I had no idea where to start the hike, so I passed on it and drove into New Mexico and Colorado.

I would eventually climb Black Mesa, in 1996 and again in 1999. But it's safe to say that it was the unplanned hike up Guadalupe Peak in Texas that put the seed into my head to continue this oddball hobby.