"Got started on this hike around 7:30 and finished at 1. The hike is well laid out for a gradual but challenging ascent of Wheeler Peak. I also made a quick addition of its neighboring peak, Mt Walter. The New Mexico state high point now gets checked off. That’s only state high point #7 for me. I got a long way to go to make a dent in that challenge." — MikeTeeples • Jul 24, 2024

"It is very difficult for me to hike peaks which I already have, without getting something new, but it is always fun to go with people that have not hiked those peaks. Our goal was Wheeler Peak, 13,161, the highest peak in New Mexico and maybe hike some other peaks close by. Seven of us men from a Calvary of Albuquerque Bible study group began our adventure, meeting at the Calvary parking lot at 10:00 AM, Friday July 19, 2024. (Phil C, Adam F, Ravinder S. Travis D, Dean H, Billy L, and myself Phil R) I am used to leaving early, 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM. It felt kind of nice leaving late for a change. Two in our group had to work, and were planning a moonlight hike to meet us. I pretty much have peakbagged every peak that can be seen from the area, so to rectify my need for “something new” I picked a random higher point X on a map, a spot I have not been to. We drove 2 vehicles and proceeded through the Taos Ski area to the Williams Lake parking lot. My ultralight luxury backpack is usually about 30 pounds including food and water, but to make our adventure special for the other men I carried an extra 20 pounds of treats and group gear. I had my Dragonfly MSR stove, fuel, and my 10-liter K..." — Phil-Robinson • Jul 19, 2024

"This cirque route ran the ridge up and down about a half dozen 12-13k peaks over the entire traverse. Wheeler Peak, Mount Walter, Simpson Peak, Rich Peak, Lake Fork Peak and Kachina Peak to name some of them. My legs are absolutely smoked. Driving south to Texas to bag the highest peak there tomorrow. Guadalupe Peak in Guadalupe Mountains National Park." — wiweasel • Sep 29, 2023

"Zach and I stayed at a VRBO in Taos after making it to the top of Pikes Peak just a couple hours earlier. We awoke to snow at 4am and and immediately knew we were in for trouble. Driving as far into the ski resort as possible, we tried to find the Williams Lake Trail for the most direct route to the summit. Conditions were bad and getting worse, the snow picked up and fog set in. Wayfinding was near impossible with fresh powder, poorly marked trail no tracks. Under the fresh snow was about 3-4' of snow pack. Snow shoes were a must just for normal travel but as the slope angle increased closer to the peak, it became apparent that we were going to have to turn back. We were making slow progress and the snow was relentless. We had to head back to Colorado for Elbert the next day, so 1000' from the summit of the highest point in New Mexico, we retreated back to the car. We cut our losses on Wheeler, but we'll be back again for another attempt." — wiweasel • May 11, 2023

"View from the top was gorgeous and it was definitely worth the hike. Came out here and started on the trail at 4:30AM and got up quick enough to see the sunrise from (almost) the top. There were no other hikers until atleast an hour or two after I summited at around 7AM. I will say though that the wind in the morning during this time of year is brutal at the saddle between Wheeler and Walter and you’ll definitely want to remember to bring something to protect against the wind." — paandooo • Oct 1, 2022

"I have not been hiking many peaks recently because there are not many more peaks that I am interested in hiking. I do a little mountain jogging each week to stay in shape. In the Book “New Mexico’s High Peaks,” by Mike Butterfield, he lists the Peak 12,728. He shows it with a prominence of 150 feet. This is a great NM peak informational picture book and lists all the 80ish 12K and 13K peaks. I decided to get that peak and maybe something else in the area. So that I would be able to get an earlier start I drove to Red River, New Mexico to spend the night. I got up at 4:00 AM, July 16, 2021, and drove an hour to Williams’s Lake parking area south of the Taos Ski area. You do not need a 4WD vehicle to get here. There were no clouds in the sky and the temperature was in the upper 40s. I started hiking at 5:45 AM at an elevation of 10,253 feet. It is a 2-mile hike on a very nice trail to William’s Lake, from there it is bushwhacking until the timberline. There were deer in the meadows going up. I knew that it was going to be very hard climbing up the hill on all fours so I was kind of kicking myself the night before for what I knew I was getting myself into. It was a chug getting to the..." — Phil-Robinson • Jul 16, 2021

"Came up from Williams Lake and once above the tree line the views were amazing. Saw a couple bighorn sheep on the trail. Made good time up to the summit and back down before rain came in. " — daviddeang • Jun 25, 2021

"Made it as far as Frazer before the fatigue from climbing the day before really set in. A long section of unavoidable deep snow at treeline that was already starting to soften at 8 would have been pretty dangerous by the time I got back. Also my phone battery somehow drained from 60% to 18% while turned off overnight so there were many signs not to summit. Hope to return this summer!" — cheeseishappiness • May 29, 2021

"Hiked up to Williams Lake and set up camp in the area. We decided to go for an early evening summit instead of the next morning since weather cleared up, and it was the right move. Beautiful up on the peak with nobody around except a family of big horn sheep. Did the short trek up to Mt. Walter as well before heading back down to camp for a relaxing night." — jodola • Jul 15, 2020

"This hikes starts among all the houses up past Taos Ski area. Follow the trail to Williams Lake and then take a left up the Wheeler Trail. Marmots and Big Horn Sheep were visible. Lightning prevented a summit that was 100 yards away. I was the tallest thing around and could have been easily struck as the Thunder and Lightning was moving in. " — UP • Oct 27, 2019