"Petabete Peak is a peak I have been thinking about for quite some time. It looks difficult from all directions. I left my home at 4:30 AM, June 25, 2015, and arrived in Questa, New Mexico at 7:30 to hike with a peakbagging friend Richard O. We met and continued north on highway 522 to El Rito. In El Rito we turned east on El Rito Road then drove for about 15 minutes, the last part was a brutal 4-wheel drive road with a stream crossing. I carried my usual 15-pound pack with emergency gear, lunch and about 5 pounds of water. I like to carry this mostly for conditioning. We each took our vehicles and parked. It was a beautiful clear morning. We started hiking at about 8:45 at an elevation of 8725 feet, we gained elevation to 8950, then dropped into a valley with an elevation of 8650 feet, then began our assent. Shortly after we started to hike a large hawk buzzed hard and fast about a foot over our heads, then again. (My pictures were identified by a raptor expert at a Mountaineering club meeting, 10-19-2022, as a Northern Goshawk. He owns one as a trained hunting bird. He said they are very illusive and very hard to spot, the ghost of the forest.) A minute later the hawk was flying f..." — Phil-Robinson • Jun 25, 2015

"On the morning of Saturday October 3, 2009, I left the house at 4:45 AM with my 29-year-old son Garret to hike peaks in the Latir Wilderness area in northern New Mexico. We had plan A and plan B. We attempted to go into private land, the Rio Costilla Coop Livestock Association, and camp and hike for a fee, yet we were too late in the year. This opportunity is only available in the summer. We went for plan B which was to camp at Cabresto Lake NE of Questa, New Mexico. The final road into the lake is a 3 or 4-mile, 4-wheel drive road. We usually backpack, but this time we decided to do drive-in-camping. We brought a big tent and lots of big equipment. It felt funny after ultralight backpacking. We set up camp and hiked around the beautiful lake. Garret forgot his fishing equipment so he improvised with some string and hooks he found. He fished, got some bites, but did not catch anything. We had a little chipmunk visitor around camp. For dinner Garret cooked a roast and veggies, in a Dutch oven, over the coals, then a cherry cobbler dessert in the same Dutch Oven. Wow, it was excellent! The morning of the October 4th we set out, thinking we would hike 4, at most, maybe 6 peaks. I had..." — Phil-Robinson • Oct 4, 2009