
Subject:
[cohp] Digest Number 5187
From:
cohp@yahoogroups.com
Date:
11/5/2015 2:37 AM
To:
cohp@yahoogroups.com

County High Pointing in all 50 states
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2 Messages
Digest #5187
1a
NM cohps by "Dave Covill" dave_covill
1b
Re: NM cohps by wingerhp

Messages
1a
NM cohps
Wed Nov 4, 2015 7:17 am (PST) . Posted by:
"Dave Covill" dave_covill
Beckie & I met Ken & Karen Jones over the Halloween weekend for some NM
cohps. After a rough weather day on Friday driving down there, we had
gorgeous weather since then. Our agenda was to drive down towards Roswell
NM, cut W to One Tree Peak in Chaves Co, rendezvous in Ruidoso and awake to
Lookout/Sierra Blanca, then head to Silver City to finish up with the
McKnight twins.

Well.... whodathunkit that early season snow would affect us? ;)

************************

Chavez NM - One Tree Peak - 10/30/15
Beckie & Dave Covill

Road was decent, despite recent rain. No negative signage, just pass
through a wire gate and go up. We did it in 45 up 40 down. We came in from
E side, out to W side, which is much closer to pavement. Worst mud puddle
was E of TH, so if weather is inclement perhaps come around to SW side and
come in. It is USFS and for a mile or two in each direction of TH. We met a
hunter who drove up to lower of two cattle watering troughs to load up
water for his horses at his camp across the road from the TH on the W side
of the meadow. He said it is definitely Forest land, and he comes in all
the time on it. Rancher leases it for his cattle, as surmised by many TR
writers previously. Weather was just clearing up for us, cool view NW to
Sierra Blanca area with misting clouds and snow. You come out westward on
Chimney Lake Rd, not Dog Canyon Rd.

Lincoln & Otero NM - Lookout Mtn & Sierra Blanca - 10/31/15
Beckie & Dave Covill

Took Lookout Trail on far right (NW) side of area to top. Snow early
season, 1" at base, 6-10" at top. Gorgeous day. There is a new Zip Line
ride from the top to the bottom in one swoop; you can achieve 60mph+. Yikes
! The 12 mile road in is under big time construction, nasty. We moved on to
the summit, enjoyed the nice wind shelter briefly, then hiked down to the
saddle to the S. There is no negative signage anywhere, and a nice wide
gap in the fence beckoning you to venture up to Sierra Blanca. We made it
to about 11,600'; and the Jones turned back. Beckie & I continued in the
~12"+ deep fresh powder to 11,800', where conditions became very sketchy.
The ridge is narrow here, the sides of it very steep and rocky. We had on
microspikes and our trekking poles, but that wasn't enough to ensure safe
passage, and we turned back. Tough to do, but best choice. If you choose to
do this in winter conditions, bring crampons and an axe. Amazingly nice
day, wind died down for us to almost zero, visibility of 150 miles or so.

Sierra & Grant NM - McKnight Mtn - 11/1/15
Beckie & Dave Covill

Entire area was burned over a few years back, very few trees survived it
intact, mostly the firs. Zillions of dead aspens. Ken drove in with his
Toyota 4Runner, muchly appreciated! 61 min up, 58 min down, and Ken drives
relatively quickly on 4WD roads, so plan an hour+. Road is about a level
3/4 4WD road, a few rocks, a few puddles. Never steep. Hunters lower down
on road, and footprints in snow up high. Snow started a few miles before TH
at about 9,000'.

Initial trail from mile 17.0 parking area is bad, best to go to road end at
mile 17.3 to McKnight Cabin, then follow decent path up to trail. Trail is
faint but OK. Glass register at Western candidate in dense woods was
shattered in fire, nothing left in it. We left a piece of paper in two
ziplock baggies, somebody please bring a pill bottle etc. Eastern (named)
candidate has a metal cookie tin for a register. Trip took us about 4 hours
with a lunch break.

This trip gave Beckie 26 / 33 NM cohps. Tough ones remain for her, may take
a couple of years and several trips.

Dave (yes, of course we stopped in Santa Fe at Marias for Margies and Green
Chile Stew....) Covill

-- 

Dave

303-517-0355-cell
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1b
Re: NM cohps
Wed Nov 4, 2015 8:05 am (PST) . Posted by:
wingerhp
Way to go ya'all. I still need those two pesky NM's and you know who they are. :-{

chas.
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