Order of Visit: High Point #17
Date Visited: October 8, 2019
Route Taken: Williams Lake Trail & Wheeler Peak Trail from Taos Valley Ski Resort – 8 miles roundtrip
Type of Terrain: A challenging steep trail that gains 3,000 feet over 4 miles. The entire route is above 10,000 feet elevation, so beware of overexerting yourself, particularly if you aren’t acclimated to activity at higher altitudes.
Elevation: 13,161 feet
Ancestral Lands: Apache, Pueblo, Tiwa, Ute
What’s in a name?
For several centuries, New Mexico’s high point was known as Cerro de Taos (meaning “hill of Taos” in Spanish), which referred to its proximity to the nearby town of Taos. It was a simple name that reflected is relative obscurity, since most people believed Truchas Peak down near Santa Fe was the state’s tallest peak.
In 1948, Harold D. Walter, a Santa Fe mountaineer and amateur photographer, set out to correct the record. He shot measurements of both peaks before coming to the conclusion that Wheeler Peak was higher by 59 feet. This fact was subsequently confirmed by official surveys.
So how did the state’s high point come to hold the name Wheeler Peak? To understand that, we have to go back to just after the Civil War.
The newly named Chief of Engineers, Brigadier General A.A. Humpreys (of Humpreys Peak fame) convinced Congress that the U.S. Government needed a topographic survey of the entire Southwest, most of which was still largely unknown U.S. territories.
In 1872, Congress approved a survey of everything west of the 100th meridian (the longitude line which runs north/south through the middle of the Dakotas down to Texas). Humphreys selected then-Lieutenant George Montegue Wheeler to supervise the mammoth survey.
In addition to mapping the physical terrain, Wheeler’s team was expected to ascertain the various Indian tribes in the region, determine where roads and railroads could be built, scout locations of future military installations, and document the natural resources, geology, climate, vegetation, water sources, and agricultural potential.
Congress ended its appropriations for Wheeler’s survey in the spring of 1879, well before its mission was complete. However, multiple areas of the western U.S. were eventually named in his honor, including Wheeler Peak (New Mexico), Wheeler Peak (Nevada), and Wheeler Geologic Area (Colorado).
The name of New Mexico’s high point was officially approved by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names in 1950 – two years after Harold Walter proved it was the highest point in the state. And in 1958, the previously unnamed prominence just north of Wheeler Peak was named in Walter’s honor.
Trip Summary
Our trip to the summit of Wheeler Peak occurred during a 5-day visit to nearby Taos, NM in early October. I’d highly recommend hiking during this time of year, as the colors in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are in peak form. Moreover, the autumn air is crisp and the sunshine still warms you as you ascend to the top of the peak.
There are two primary routes that hikers use to access Wheeler Peak:
- The Williams Lake route, which begins at the top of the Taos Valley Ski Resort and approaches the summit from the west (8 miles round-trip); and
- The Bull-of-the-Woods route, which begins near Twining Campground, and approaches the summit from the north (14.5 miles round-trip).
We opted to take the shorter Williams Lake route to ensure we didn’t suffer from altitude-related issues. Our recent travels kept us a fairly low elevations as we traveled across the middle of the country, and we knew this would be a challenging hike.
Getting to the trailhead was very easy. The Taos Ski Valley is only about 18 miles north of Taos, NM. The scenic drive there took us through the canyons allowing us to admire the tremendous fall colors.
Once we arrived at the ski resort entrance, we merely had to follow the signs to the Bavarian Restaurant and ascend a steep dirt road. Although there are signs warning that 4WD is needed, this doesn’t hold true in the fall when the dirt road is dry.
Parking for the trailhead was well-marked, and we had no problem finding a spot when we arrived at the large lot. Although this is a popular day hike, we were pleasantly surprised that there were only a handful of cars there in the middle of the week.
The first two miles of our hike followed the Williams Lake Trail. The trail initially passed by the Bavarian Restaurant and a chair lift before heading into the woods. The trail was then marked by dark blue circles on the trees and was very easy to follow.
This first half of the trail contained only a moderate incline, but we still found that we were hiking a bit slower than normal because of the high elevation.
Two miles in, we encountered a wooden post marking the junction between Wheeler Peak Trail and the spur trail to Williams Lake. We decided to head down to the lake before ascending further.
Williams Lake is a scenic alpine lake surrounded by sharp, craggy mountains, including Wheeler Peak. Looking up, we could see there was even snow remaining in some sections of the three mountains to our west.
During our brief stop at the lake, Keith, Finn, and I all decided to add another layer of clothing because the wind seemed to be picking up. With that complete, we were ready to tackle the final two miles to the summit via the Wheeler Peak Trail.
The beginning of the Wheeler Peak Trail is below tree line, but then the path begins climbing at a much steeper slope. Before we knew it, we were above the trees and surrounded by alpine grasses.
The trail continued to climb sharply, transitioning us between an obvious dirt path and a more-difficult-to-discern trail as we traversed several rocky areas.
One of the nicest aspects of this trail was the many switchbacks. The turns allowed us to alternate our views between the sharp mountains views across from us and the more colorful lower peaks covered by green firs and golden aspens.
The sun was out during our climb, but the wind really picked up above 12,000 feet, and we were getting colder and colder. As we continued upward, we passed a couple of descending hikers who warned us that the wind at the summit was intense.
They weren’t wrong. As we made the final push up the ever steepening trail, the wind really intensified. Once we made it to the ridge line for the final 200 yards, we were experiencing 40-50 mph gusts that made it difficult to even remain upright.
I don’t know how cold the temperature was on the summit when factoring in the wind chill, but it was well below freezing! So you can imagine my surprise to see two other hikers up there completely underdressed in just shorts and sweatshirts. Everyone else we encountered had many more layers, including warm jackets, hats, and gloves.
After just a few minutes on the summit, we were more than ready to get out of the brutal wind. Our descent wasn’t very fast though as the slope was super steep. Not only was it hard on the knees, but the rocky sections somehow seemed far more tricky to navigate on the way down the they had been on the way up.
When we finally got back below treeline, we found a few fallen logs to sit on and enjoy our lunch. It was nearly 2 p.m. and we were all starving. However, getting somewhere the trees could break the cold wind was an absolute prerequisite if we wanted to feel our hands while eating.
Once the hike was over and we were back at the car, all of us had minor headaches from the wind and elevation. We failed to drink enough water during our climb, mostly because we were so cold. Having been up multiple peaks over 12,000 feet though, we should have known better. So it was time to get back to Taos and hydrate!
Details
When to Visit: Between late May-October. The summit is just over 13,000 feet and is usually covered in snow between December to early May. Late spring snowstorms and/or summer thunderstoms may also impact your hiking schedule since much of the route is above treeline.
Getting There: The Williams Lake trailhead is located at the top of the Taos Ski Valley, 20 miles north of Taos, NM. Once you arrive at the ski resort, follow the signs to the Bavarian Restaurant. This will take you to the top of the ski resort via a steep dirt road.
Entrance Fees: None.
Parking: A large parking lot for the Williams Lake trailhead is located at Deer Lane, and it is visible on Google Maps. The parking lot is well marked and has three port-a-potties available for hikers.
Accessibility: This is an extremely challenging hike. The entire trail is above 10,000 feet elevation, and final two miles to ascend up switchbacks with an average grade of 17% and a maximum grade of 32%.
Bonus: Two miles into the hike you’ll come to a fork in the trail. Take the 0.2 mile spur trail to Williams Lake to enjoy this alpine lake situated in a cirque (an amphitheater-like valley in the mountains formed by glacial erosion).
Resources:
- Summit Post (Wheeler Peak)