Paradise in the Guadalupe Mountains - Last Chance Canyon & Sitting Bull Falls Backpacking New Mexico
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ม.ค. 2025
- This is a 3-day 14.2-mile backpacking trip into Last Chance Canyon and Sitting Bull Falls in the Guadalupe Ranger District in the Lincoln National Forest near Queen, New Mexico. We started at the unnamed trailhead near Pat's Lake and hiked NNE into Sitting Bull Canyon. We descended past Sitting Bull Falls, entering Last Chance Canyon from its mouth. We hiked west up-canyon, passing the intersection with White Oak Spring Trail, hiking until we found an area that checked all the boxes (flat, water, not too many rocks or thorns). The next day we retraced a bit until we cut south on the White Oak Spring Trail, climbing out of the canyon. While we planned to do a dry camp at the Sitting Bull Falls Lookout, the wind was unbearable, and we descended back into Sitting Bull Canyon, camping by the spring. The next day, we climbed out of the canyon and trekked back to the cars.
This is my second trip into New Mexico's Guads. I was happy to link up with ChucoHiker and Cameron from Ultralight Outdoors for a holiday weekend trip, and it just so happened that the Guads were the best central meeting point available. Rather than haul our water and eschew fires in Guadalupe Mountains National Park or Carlsbad Caverns National Park, we opted for a trip in the Lincoln National Forest. The Last Chance Canyon complex, which includes Sitting Bull Falls, has something that most areas in these mountains do not: reliable, natural water springs. As a note (if you're one of the few people that actually reads these), the docents at Sitting Bull Falls still expect you to pay even if you hike in. I didn't even consider this possibility, so I did not bring any cash. They said they won't kick you out if you can't pay, but I'm not sure what would happen if they tried to.
Show notes:
Music in order of appearance:
"Monody for Guitar", originally written by Ennio Morricone, performed by me
"Yew Piney Mountain", performed by me, based on Dwight Diller's version
"Cripple Creek", performed by me, based on Tommy Jarrell's version
"Cumberland Gap", performed by me, based on Lee and Morgan Sexton's versions
"El Gato y la Acequia", original, performed by me
ChucoHiker: / chucohiker
Ultralight Outdoors: / @cameronhall88
Maps:
I will send a GPX track upon request.
Thank you bud
You just inspired me to my next destination
My beloved home
My great grandfather died in one of those canyons, many years ago, he was 115 years old. He was trying to visit his cousins in El Paso. A sheep herder that knew the family, recognized him. His name was Innocente Ramirez. It was in the Carlsbad newspaper.
It’s unfortunate that happened, but good that he lived to such an advanced age. There are certainly worst places to leave this earth than these beautiful canyons. Thanks for sharing that story!
Loved this. Beautiful video from beginning to end. I'll take some of that red flannel hash!
Glad you liked it! It was an amazing trip. Also, 2 (actually 3) beer reviews forthcoming based on the trip, including Barley Wine!
@@OneMansOdyssey Can't wait to see them!
Great video!
Thanks for watching!
Another lovely trip, scenery is fantastic and filmed great too.
Well captured ! Landscape is fascinating and incredible 😊
Guadelupe mountains area on my list.
They’re definitely underrated. The Southeast rim is especially stunning.
@@OneMansOdyssey I'm hoping to get there by next fall
I spy an X-Mid! Interesting scenery and a fun time with the group trip. Glad to see you were able to make it out in Jan
That X-Mid turned into a bivvy in the high winds on the first night, haha. It was good to get out for a weekend, and hopefully it will be a more regular occurrence!
I think it's pretty cool how the hiking TH-camrs are having meetups
Nice video!👍 can’t believe how much water was available on this one. Very beautiful place !
The water availability was a major factor in visiting this area. It sure is nice when you don't have to haul 20+ lbs. of water through the desert for a 3-day trip!
Awesome! Man the western terrain is so alien to me. I could totally see scorpions and snakes out there in the summer.
This area in summer would be rife with sharp critters, I bet. The heat would be rough, too, though a lot of these pools looked nice to jump in!
Hey love the video where was the old building remains located I'd like to see that
My memory is a little fuzzy, but I think the building at 13:21 was located near the end of FR 525C
Good job on the video! We really enjoyed it. You got some really great shots. It really was a great loop. I loved all the water on this trip. Once again, Caden enjoyed giving us a play by play on everything that happened as we watched.
Hope we can get together for another trip eventually.
It was a pleasure to have you guys join! I like solo trips, but it’s fun to go with people, and an extra bonus if they’re actually fun to be around. We will have to plan something in the future for sure.
What an amazing trip! I am glad your dad joined you guys on this trip. I have never heard of this area until you started posting pictures of your backpacking trip. The scenery, water access, and views are beautiful. I also appreciate the history you shared on the area. I’m glad the wind didn’t take your tents for a windy roll.
My tent was closest to the water pool, and I was paranoid that I'd start rolling and find myself sinking in the water hole. Having my dad along made it a fun and interesting trip! The GRT Sitting Bull Falls Loop spur goes through this canyon, and one could easily have a long adventure centered around this canyon. The water is a blessing in this otherwise dry area.
Fun video and tons of great views, gotta love those southwestern vistas! I also enjoy how you sprinkle in history, it adds a nice dimension to the story telling and that moonrise timelapse was fantastic!
Overall a great video for a great trip with great people. Thanks again for helping make the trip happen, it was tons of fun! Looking forward to the next adventure :)
I always love to learn a little bit about the history of a place like this. The crazy part is that, out West, we're really not that far removed from the history. A few generations, maybe.
@@OneMansOdyssey That’s a good point on the fact that we aren’t far removed from the history! It’s fun to ponder what it must’ve been like exploring these areas in the past.
We were just in the Guadalupe Mountains in February. I thought we’d get blown away from the strong winds
@@YvonneSchwartzYVON they get pretty crazy out there!
Nice video im an avid hiker and i havent been to those trails im from here in new Mexico to be honest i havent been to a lot of place's here ahsamed to say if you know of some nice trails and campsites let me know thank you enjoyed the video.!!P.S. Any Caves as well i lime to go splunking..
Thanks! What area do you live in? Statewide, my favorite intro trails are Wheeler Peak, Lake Peak, Cerro Grande, Wild Rivers Recreation Area, South Baldy, and a Carlsbad Caverns loop I have a video of on this channel. I haven’t spent too much time down south, but the whole Guadalupe Mountains area has tons of really cool options. Ultralight Outdoors and Chuco Hiker have a lot of great videos highlighting this region. Carlsbad Caverns has a few backcountry caves if that’s your thing!
Were there any restrictions on remote camping . ? I've been wanting to hike that area
None that I can remember. The only red tape is that you are supposed to pay a fee ($5/person if I remember correctly) if you enter the falls area, but the docent said he doesn’t kick people out if they can’t pay.
What boots do you wear on this hike ?
I’m wearing Salomon Speedcross 5 trail runners. I wear them for pretty much every hike these days unless I’m anticipating snow, mud, or cacti
@@OneMansOdyssey Thanks, my husband and I are having trouble with good shoes
@@YvonneSchwartzYVON no problem! I have flat and wide feet and find that I really struggle with finding comfortable boots and shoes in general. I really like these, but as they are trail runners, there are downsides. They are not waterproof, but because the fabric is breathable I don't find them to stay wet very long if I have to walk through a stream. You don't get as much ankle support as a high-rise boot, but I really like that they give my feet room and breathability as they swell while hiking. They also aren't super durable. My last two pairs I literally wore all the time just in normal day-to-day life, and they only lasted about a year. I ended up just buying a pair just for hiking and am currently wearing out an old pair to threads.
You must have missed the arc in last chance