"After finishing my 16-year goal of hiking the highest 184 (-2) mountain peaks in New Mexico last September 2021, there was one more very obscure peak that I needed. The peak is listed in Mike Butterfield’s delightful book “New Mexico’s High Peaks,” Peak 12,225 in the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico. Day 1 - I couldn’t get my son Garret to go with me so I ended up going by myself. I left my house Tuesday August 16, 2022, at 5:30 AM. I drove to Truchas, New Mexico on Highway 76, then a bit northeast to the little town of Las Trampas. 1-mile further northeast is Forest Road 207. It is the first right past the town. There is no sign going northeast, but there is one driving southwest. I drove 8.5 miles southeast on dirt road 207. I did not have any trouble in my Toyota Corolla, but a high clearance vehicle is better. I parked by the Las Trampas trailhead at the end of the road. There were a few scattered clouds, but it was mostly clear. It was a cool 52 degrees. The starting elevation was 8950 feet. I started hiking about 8:30 AM with a pack of 45 pounds. I took about 14 pounds more than usual as a bit of conditioning. This is probably the only backpacking trip I will take this year..." — Phil-Robinson • Aug 17, 2022

"Day 1 Our 3-day hiking adventure started when we left at 5:15 AM on July 16, 2010 heading towards northern New Mexico. I went with a friend of mine, Jim. I took my 4 wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser because I was not sure of the condition of the roads. In the town of Truchas we went straight on road 639. You definitely need a 4 wheel drive for this road. Driving it was a fun adventure and we arrived at the trailhead at 8:20. The starting elevation was 8950 feet. We started hiking, to Hidden Lake, at 8:40. It was a beautiful cool day. I was carrying 33 pounds including all of our group gear. Towards the end of the hike we decided to bushwhack up the hill, rather than going to Trampas Lakes and then cutting back. If you want ease, do not do this. We arrived at the lake at 1:00 PM, after hiking 5.1 miles. The elevation of our camping area was 11,300 feet. We set up camp just in time. A big thunderstorm blew in. There was rain, thunder and lightning for about an hour and a half. We sat under a tarp and watched it all. After the rain we started a fire, cooked steaks and then went to bed. Day 2 Because of thunderstorms forming almost every afternoon, I wanted to get an early start..." — Phil-Robinson • Jul 17, 2010