Pecos Wilderness 2001

When: May, 2001

Crew: Charlie, Mark, Ryan, Me

Summary: Spring in the Pecos Wilderness is always hard to predict. In the last week of May, 1998, the snow line was still at 10,000 feet. The Pecos Ranger Station is never much help, so I never know what to expect when I get there. After our 1998 adventure, Charlie and I rented snowshoes for this trip. We were pleased not to need them. However, waterproof boots and gaiters are a necessity for the Pecos Wilderness in May.

Our Memorial Day trek began at Holy Ghost Campground, a favorite starting point of mine, and we made camp at Stewart Lake. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any snow on the way to camp. The second day, Ryan and I side-hiked to Lake Katharine. Around 10,600 feet, we began to see snow, and were hiking through waist deep drifts before long. We lunched at a frozen-over Katharine and then went back to Stewart where Charlie and Mark had been fishing and relaxing. We caught four big momma lake trout (and one small rainbow) and had a tasty dinner. The next morning we hiked back out to Holy Ghost.

I was surprised by some of the people Ryan and I saw on the way to Katharine. They were trying to day hike Katharine in tennis shoes and shorts - in May. Of the three or four groups we saw, we were the only ones in heavy boots and gaiters. We were also the only ones who made it to the lake.

Other: Pecos Wilderness Waypoints