Texas Oasis The Guadalup Mountains Of West Texas Are A Surprising Place To Find A Touch Of Brilliant Vermont-Like Autumn Color

It looks like an explosion in the Day-Glo factory - trees in every direction saturated with vivid, iridescent color. Some stand out like a Ferrari in a speed trap, every leaf glowing, cop-stopping red. Others blaze a more subtle bonfire orange, or shimmer Fort Knox gold. A handful, still clogged with summer’s chlorophyll, splash dollops of cool green into the firestorm of flaming hues. Maples ignited by autumn it could be Vermont at its fiery best.

But, this isn’t New England. It’s West Texas, a vast, empty, parched, barren wasteland that’s generally about as colorful as camouflage fatigues. Out here, cattle wander, windmills whirl and pumps suck oil from the earth. Few towns survive between Pecos and El Paso, and signs warn motorists of the monotonous distance to the next gas station. Only the Guadalupe Mountains break the topographical boredom. A remnant of an ancient limestone reef, the broad plateau of the Guadalupes juts like Gibraltar from the desert floor. Long bands of naked cliffs buttress its gently rolling cap. Breaching the palisades, a scattering of chasms slice down from the high country. One of them, McKittrick Canyon, is considered by some people to be the most beautiful spot in Texas.

The 2,000-foot-deep gorge winds through the mountains’ eastern escarpment. Along its final few miles, a small creek emerges, providing moisture to satiate luxuriant growth.

In this oasis, geologist Wallace Pratt built a home, where he and his wife resided for several decades. He ultimately deeded the house and much of his land to the U.S. government, a gift that launched Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Roads barely penetrate the massive preserve, but 80 miles of walking trails allow access to its interior. Some people enjoy challenging the steep track that snakes to the summit of 8,749-foot-high Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. More, however, prefer simpler endeavors, like strolling up McKittrick Canyon, especially in the depths of autumn.

The walk begins at McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center. It then heads up the flat canyon bottom, eventually crossing the dry creek bed on a pathway outlined with stones. A Texas madrone towers beside the trail.

The tree, common in the Guadalupes, stands 20 feet high. Cinnamon-colored bark, which peels away like paint on an old barn, covers its twisted and gnarled, multiple trunks. Shiny jade-green leaves cap upper branches, sheltering clusters of vivid red berries. It’s McKittrick’s first touch of Technicolor magic.

After a 20-minute ramble, the route again crosses the stream bed, now gushing with water. Rich in calcite, the creek lines its base with the white cement-like substance. Where floods have erased the coating, the flow may dip below ground, only to reappear downstream.

Ahead, the canyon narrows and deepens. Vegetation grows more dense. Maples begin to appear, providing the first splashes of autumn yellow. Around one corner, a rock wall lines the path, and a short side trail leads towards Pratt’s Lodge.

Frequently called “Stone Cabin,” the structure features floors, walls and even a roof made from native rock. Dark green wooden shutters add a homey feel. Surrounded by trees, the site exudes an aura of sequestered tranquility. It’s easy to understand why the Pratts delighted in dwelling deep in their canyon, and why Cookie Johnson loves living here. Johnson, a Park Service volunteer, stays at Pratt Lodge with her husband, Graham. “Over 400 people hiked up Saturday and another 250 on Sunday,” she says. “We’re here to help protect the resource.”

She shows guests around the one-bedroom structure and relates a bit of its history. A pot of simmering soup fills the cabin with a tomato and basil bouquet. The aroma attracts more than hungry humans. Johnson says. “Some mornings when I’m cooking, I glance up and see a deer peering at me through the window.”

By day, the peeping Bambi retreats, driven off by incoming hikers. Pratt Lodge lies about 2-1/4 miles from the trailhead, and for many, it marks an ideal destination and turnaround point. Others stride the path beyond.

The route continues up canyon, generally staying away from water’s edge. In the slightly higher, cooler altitude, autumn color intensifies. Fallen leaves speckle the trail. Trees rustle. The air smells fresh, faintly perfumed with the woody scent of drying leaves.

Chinquapin oaks, a species common in the East, grow to 80-foot heights. As the season advances, their toothy, oval leaves fade lime green, then lemon yellow, providing the valley with splashes of juicy color.

More gaudy are McKittrick’s bigtooth maples, close relatives of the eastern sugar maples (locals use the sap for syrup). Like their Vermont cousins, some erupt into shades of yellow and orange, the result of chlorophyll disintegrating to expose blond pigments from xanthophyll and carotene (the same agent that colors carrots).

Others blush from anthocyanin, the pigment found in beets and red cabbage. Plant sugars produced in daylight become trapped at night. Unable to circulate, they linger, tinting leaves deep crimson.

In a canyon brimming with vegetation, Ranger Brent Wohler worries about wildfire. “We recently had a big burn in Dog Canyon that threatened McKittrick,” he says. “If a blaze started here on a windy day, it would devastate this enclave.”

The main trail, which proceeds toward Dog Canyon, finally climbs from the valley floor. A lower spur leads to the Grotto, a damp, limestone cavity perhaps 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Around the corner sits a picnic area. Tables and benches, made from giant stone slabs, rest beneath a canopy of gilded maples. Several feasting and frolicking families share the site.

Shortly beyond, the route ends at a cattleman’s line shack. Crudely constructed, its walls consist of rough cut rock, chinked with gravel and mortared with mud. The Park Service has closed the building and posted it as being unsafe.

The structure may be crude, but the grassy setting is exquisite. McKittrick Canyon veers leftward, and a lofty ridge looms ahead. Thin ribbons of dull orange-colored vegetation highlight arroyos that plunge down the valley’s gray walls. Although a breeze barely blows at ground level, the wind pulsates high overhead. It starts softly, builds to an eerie howl, then mysteriously calms, only to repeat a minute later.

A sign advises that the territory beyond is closed to all entry, and Ranger Thomas Morton reminds everyone that he locks the parking lot gate at 6 p.m. Out of trail and out of time, the walk back begins.

The creek seems to gurgle louder on the return. Morton says trout live here. “They only grow to be four to six inches in length, hardly pan sized,” he says. “Since much of the year, the stream intermittently dips underground, fish are confined to permanent wet sections like this one.”

The journey downward goes slowly. Trees, seen from the opposite direction in warm afternoon light, look strangely different. Colors glow with more intensity, as if autumn accelerated during the day. Reds appear more lucent, golds more karatted, oranges more Sunkist.

Up ahead, hikers stop along the trail. They stare at something. A huge, brown, homely, heavy-bodied, harry-legged tarantula stares back.

This isn’t Vermont. It’s West Texas.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: If you go When to Go Autumn color usually peaks sometime between midOctober and early November. If fall’s splendor has not yet reached McKittrick Canyon, leaves may be changing in higher Dog Canyon, located near the park’s northern boundary. Call the park’s hotline (915-828-3251) for the latest information. Guadalupe Mountains National Park remains open year-round, with summer highs averaging in the 80s and winter lows in the 30s. The area is prone to strong winds, which occasionally reach a camper-toppling 80 mph. Getting There Guadalupe Mountains National Park lies along U.S Highway 62-180, 110 miles east of El Paso, Texas, and 55 miles southwest of Carlsbad, N.M. Texas Route 54 connects the park with Interstate 10, 65 miles to the south at Van Horn. Dog Canyon, on the northwest side, is accessed from New Mexico Route 137, which intersects U.S. Highway 285 about 12 miles north of Carlsbad, N.M. Accommodations The park offers no gas, food or lodging. The nearest facilities are in White’s City, N.M., 35 miles to the northwest. Best Western’s Cavern and Guadalupe Inns, (800-228-3767) provide rooms starting at about $65. Camping Pine Springs Campground, located just off US 62-180, offers 20 tent and 18 RV sites on a first-come basis. Fees run $6 per night. No RV hookups are available. Dog Canyon offers nine walk-in tent sites and four RV parking spaces. Fee is $6 per night. Due to fire danger, wood and charcoal fires are banned in all campgrounds and picnic areas. Smoking is prohibited on trails. McKittrick Canyon The paved road to McKittrick Canyon opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. during autumn. The parking lot determines canyon capacity - when it fills, access is closed. It’s best to plan to arrive early in the day. Hiking distance to Pratt Cabin is 4.6 miles round trip, and 6.8 miles round trip to the Grotto Picnic Area. The trail is well maintained and the grade gentle. For more information: Write Guadalupe Mountains National Park, HC60, Box 400, Salt Flat, TX 79847, or call 915-828-3251.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Story and Photos by Dan Leeth Special to Travel