10/16-23/04: The Guadalupe Winds

The Guadalupe Winds
October 16-23, 2004 - by Derly Rivera
Nine CTTT volunteers went on the service trip to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in October. The unusually rainy 2004 season and the autumn high winds caused considerable damage to the base camps and to the high country primitive campsites. Six of our crew worked with two park rangers on the Mescalero campsite in the high country for a week. All eight tent pads were restored to original or better condition. The work was quite an accomplishment since it involved breaking or moving boulders weighing up to a ton. Breaking the rock was done with chisels, sledge hammers, rock bars, and plain brute force.

Three crew members remained at the "Ship" base camp. By evening of our first day, after setting up camp, we began to experience the notorious "Guadalupe winds". Park rangers estimated that at least 50 mph winds blew that night, breaking tent poles, knocking down a six-man tent, and moving the 18 foot diameter circular mess tent two feet off its original setting, which resulted in broken pots and a camp stove.

On Sunday, the winds had not abated; nevertheless, it was time for the high country crew to leave. We loaded the mules with gear and drove out to the trail head for the Mescalero campground. That night the winds got stronger, blowing down the mess tent and generally destroying the field kitchen. The outdoor toilets also became victims of the wind, losing their roof and doors, with debris scattering up the hillsides.

After repairing the wind damage, we began our primary work in the desert. Stone work for a permanent sign on the primitive four-wheel drive road was begun Monday afternoon and completed by late afternoon Thursday. Since the high winds were causing the mortar to dry too rapidly, we had to quickly lay stone before the mortar set.

Friday was our rest and hiking day. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, with the state's highest peaks, is rather primitive and there is an ongoing effort to keep it that way. Friday evening the crew and the park rangers enjoyed a Mexican food fiesta in the Ship main hall.

Special thanks to Bill, Bruce, Ray, Chuck, Chris, Jim, Jen, and Jeff. CTTT has been invited to return to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in the Fall of 2005.