"This is my 4th time hiking Mount Taylor, elevation 11,301. I am in the process of hiking 5 peaks that I don’t really want to hike, because I have hiked them before, so that I can climb 4 peaks that I really do want to hike, that I have never done before, as part of the 179 highest peaks in New Mexico. I joined the scout troop that I was in as a boy, Troop 166, as a Scouter Reserve so that I can hike 5 peaks on Philmont Scout Land. I hiked one of those last October. The troop asked me to take the scouts on 4 conditioning hikes before we did the Philmont peaks. This is the 2nd conditioning hike. Our group consisted of; the scoutmaster John, Beverly and her son Chris, Jerry and his son Brady, and myself. We planned to meet in Grants, New Mexico, Saturday August 7, 2021 at 7:30 AM. Unfortunately, my Land Cruiser had alternator problems near mile marker 133 driving from Albuquerque. It is a terrible feeling when the vehicle slows to nothing. I called a tow company, left the SUV, and continued on in another car. From Grants we headed northeast on highway 547 until we came to the second highway 193. (There are two 193 roads. I assume they make a loop.) Highway 193 is a dirt road that y..." — Phil-Robinson • Aug 7, 2021

"Last Saturday after hiking Mount Taylor I realized that there was another 11K peak about a mile and a half away. If I had of looked at the map a little closer I would have hiked them both at the same time. At the top of Mount Taylor is a great place to camp about 100 feet from the top. I have never camped right on the top of a mountain before, and being that it was nearly a full moon I decided to go up after work on Friday, hike Mount Taylor again, elevation 11,301, then hike La Mosca Lookout Peak, elevation 11,036, then back to Mount Taylor and camp the night. It took me about 2 hours to drive from Albuquerque. From Grants I headed northeast on highway 547 until I came to the second highway 193. (There are two 193 roads. I assume they make a loop.) Highway 193 is a dirt road that you follow east for 5 miles. I had a regular car and the car worked well but I had to take it slow at times. I parked the car at a hiking sign. This is the start of Gooseberry Trail. I started hiking at 3:30 at an elevation of 9300. Just hiking by myself, I knocked 45 minutes off the time that we hiked last Saturday. (See other trip report under Mount Taylor) I made it to the top in an hour and 45 minute..." — Phil-Robinson • Aug 12, 2011

"This is the third time I have hiked this peak. One time Saturday, 6 days ago, and twice today. The second time coming back from La Mosca Lookout. See the other trip reports fro Mount Taylor and La Mosca Lookout" — Phil-Robinson • Aug 12, 2011

"We arrived at Gooseberry trailhead (#77) at 9:00 AM, on August 6, 2011 after a 2.5 hour drive from the Albuquerque area. From Grants take highway 547 to highway 193 then drive about 4 or 5 miles to the trailhead. There is currently a hikers sign there. The skies were clear and the air was very fresh when my wife and I and my friend Jim and his wife Diane started hiking. The starting elevation is 9300 feet heading to the top of Mount Taylor, elevation 11,301 feet. It rained a lot the night before and everything was green and fresh. It is a beautiful hike through a forest mixed with ponderosa pine, blue spruce and aspen. The forest opens up to meadows with beautiful views in all directions. Once at the ridge you follow some large switchbacks and then you are at the top. It took about 2.5 hours to reach the top. It was a little work but not too difficult. We stayed at the top for about and hour, watched the clear skies began to turn cloudy then headed down. It only took two hours to return. We got back at the car at 2:30 after hiking about 7 miles. I have mostly had an interested in hiking the New Mexico 12K and 13K peaks. There are 66 of them counting major and minor peaks, and I hav..." — Phil-Robinson • Aug 6, 2011