Switched from Plan A to Plan B. Plan B failed. Switched back to Plan A.
When you switch from Plan A to Plan B halfway through the hike and Plan B fails. Switch back to Plan A
Well, my Plan A was a 16.5-mile (out and back) hike with 3,776 feet in elevation gain to complete my 4th peak of the New Mexico Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. I arrived at the La Luz trailhead just after 0700 and began my long day at 0725. Since this would be my fourth hike in four days and I was on tired legs, my plan was to just take my time and enjoy the long day.
About halfway up the mountain, my legs were growing tired, and I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. As I passed up a group of hikers they told me they had planned to take the tram down and then hike from the lower tram back to the La Luz Trailhead. About 3 or 4 miles and another 1,000 feet in elevation gain and minimal descent.
Plan B – When I made it to the top, I headed to the tram to buy a ticket. The sign on the door stated that tram tickets could only be purchased online. So, I went online to get my ticket only to discover that the tram tickets for the remainder of the day were sold out. I think it had something to do with the Balloon Festival going on this week.
Anyway, so much for Plan B and a shorter easier hike! Time to switch back to Plan A. I had my second lunch, rested for a few minutes, and then started the long 8-mile descent with 3,776 feet of elevation loss. As I was descending (about a mile down) I ran into a couple coming up and were planning to take the tram down as well. They called the tram station ahead of their hike and informed me that they were told they could buy tickets inside without going online.
Since I was already committed to hiking down and I was just over a mile into my descent, I decided to just “suck it up” and continue back down to the La Luz Trailhead. Which wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Yes, I was tired and my legs were done when I made it down to the La Luz Trailhead. Thankfully, 10/08 was a planned rest day.
The trail itself was great. Well groomed with a few options to take short detours for some great views. Which I did! The trail between miles six and seven kept switch backing up several boulder fields, adding a little more challenge to the trail. My favorite hike in NM so far.
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