"The hike to Peak 11116 is 8.6 miles one way, six miles on trail and 2.6 off-trail. Trails from the Panchuela trailhead to Horsethief Meadows are signed and obvious. After crossing the stream at Horsethief Meadows the trail becomes faint in places due to high grass/vegetation but some narrow, not easily seen poles help guide the way. The Horsethief Meadows trail ends at the junction with the Panchuela West Trail (which can still be seen in places). The Horsethief Creek trail junction is still present but its my understanding from a 2019 trip report that the trail is totally obliterated and difficult to navigate due to lots of deadfall, the result of a massive burn some years ago. In order to get to Peak 11116 the most obvious route under normal circumstances would be to hike the Horsethief Creek Trail but given the issues involved I elected to use the ridgeline which also heads toward Peak 11116. At the junction of the Panchuela West and Horsethief Meadow Trails I headed up the ridge, gaining over a thousand feet along the way. Just south of Peak 11116 I lost over 400 feet of the gain due to a saddle. Transiting up and over the ridge route involves crossing a burn scar with lots of ..." — fredbrown585 • Sep 5, 2020

"My hope for this 2 day backpacking trip was to be able to hike the ridgeline from Spring Mountain to Peak 11,455 in the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico. I left the house at 4:45 on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 and headed north of Pecos, New Mexico. The canyon was closed because of a recent fire so I rapidly had to change my plans. I went from the eastern side of the Pecos Wilderness through Santa Fe to the western side of the Pecos Wilderness in hopes of climbing Serra Mosca and Peak 11,116. I had a 37.5 pound backpack and was able to dump 5 pounds of water because I was not doing the ridge hike and was sure I would be able to find water. I started hiking with a 32.5 pound pack. I turned off highway 503 near the town of Pojoaque and proceeded to dirt Forest Road 306. That turned onto Forest Road 435. I passed Borrego Mesa Campground and parked my SUV at Trail Head #6, Rio Medio. The distance on the dirt road was about 9 miles and a regular car should be able to make it. I started hiking at 9:00 AM at an elevation of 8755. This is a partly burned out area from a fire about 5 years ago. I went up a hill then dropped into a valley with a beautiful little stream and lush forest. This was t..." — Phil-Robinson • Jul 31, 2013