Hike on Old Baldy Trail

November 3, 2019


After completing several days of camping and exploring across New Mexico, I enjoyed a day of just hanging out and getting in a little hammock time.  The following morning, I  got an early start on a hike I had been wanting to do to the top of Old Baldy. When I had been here the last time, Kris and I had hiked in the park, we took a series of trails that took us to the top of an adjacent mountain, from where I could observe hikers on this trail. I resolved to hike it the next time I got here.


I got out just at sunrise and enjoyed watching the day brighten as I got to the trailhead.

The trailhead is well marked and in the cabin area, across from the food trucks and little store

It was easy to see how this mountain got its name - most of the hiking was on bare rock

But early on some of the path looked like this

The park is along almost three miles of the Frio River - fun for tubing and paddleboarding

The sun was just coming over the mountain as I reached this spot

I was intrigued by the expanding landscape as I came back to overviews of the Frio River

Boulders got bigger near the top

I loved the backlighting of the rising sun on the cacti

Getting near the top

The path is through here

I stopped to admire this tough little penstemon  - aptly named rock penstemon

The view of Frio River from the highest point above it

Another view from the top

A very surprising end of the trail

Another hiker and I traded pictures of each other

When this comes out, I'll be two days away from my first cataract surgery. Can't wait.