| Guadalupe Mountains | |
|---|---|
Guadalupe Mountains
| |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Guadalupe Peak |
| Elevation | 8,751 ft (2,667 m) |
| Coordinates | 31°53′28″N 104°51′36″WCoordinates: 31°53′28″N 104°51′36″W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 65 mi (105 km) |
| Width | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Geography | |
 
Guadalupe Mountains
| |
| Country |  United States |
| States |  Texas and  New Mexico |
| Borders on | Sacramento Mountains and Brokeoff Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Permian |
| Type of rock | Carbonate sponge reef complex |
The Guadalupe Mountains (Spanish: Sierra de Guadalupe) are a mountain range located in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The range includes the highest summit in Texas, Guadalupe Peak, 8,751 ft (2,667 m), and the "signature peak" of West Texas, El Capitan, both of which are located within Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The Guadalupe Mountains are bordered by the Pecos River valley and Llano Estacado to the east and north, Delaware Mountains to the south, and Sacramento Mountains to the west.
History
Guadalupe Mountains in 1899
Archaeological evidence has shown that people lived over 10,000 years ago in and among the many caves and alcoves.
The first humans to live here were hunter-gatherers who followed large
game and collected edible vegetation. Artifacts that support this
include projectile points, baskets, pottery, and rock art.
The first Europeans to arrive in the area were the Spaniards in
the 16th century, but they did not make serious attempts to settle in
the Guadalupe Mountains. The Spanish introduced horses into the area,
and nomadic indigenous tribes of the area such as the Apaches soon found
horses to be an asset for hunting and migrating. Mescalero Apaches were nomadic and followed the game and harvested the agave (or mescal) for food and fiber. Mescalero is Spanish for mescal-maker. Agave-roasting pits and other artifacts of Mescalero culture can be found in the park.
Guadalupe Mountains in 2006
The Mescalero Apaches remained in the mountains through the mid-19th
century, but they were challenged by an American transportation route at
the end of the American Civil War.
During the 1840s and 1850s, many people immigrating west crossed the
area. In 1858, Pinery station was constructed near Pine Springs for the Butterfield Overland Mail.
The Butterfield Overland Mail traveled over Guadalupe Pass located at
5,534 ft (1,687 m) above sea level. A cavalry was known as the Buffalo Soldiers was ordered to the area to stop Indian raids on settlements and mail stage routes. During the winter of 1869, Lt. H.B. Cushing
led his troops into the Guadalupe Mountains and destroyed two Mescalero
Apache camps. The Mescalero Apache were eventually driven out of the
area and into US Indian reservations.
Felix McKittrick was one of the first European settlers in the Guadalupe Mountains; he worked cattle during the 1870s. McKittrick Canyon
is thought to be named after him. Frijole Ranch was the first permanent
ranch house; it was constructed in 1876 by the Rader brothers. Frijole
Ranch House was the only major building in the region; it served as a
community center and regional post office from 1916-1942. Today, the
Frijole Ranch House has been restored and operates as a cultural museum.
In 1908, Williams Ranch House was built, and it was named after one of
its inhabitants, James Adolphus Williams. Judge J.C. Hunter from Van Horn consolidated most of the smaller ranches in the area into the Guadalupe Mountain Ranch. In 1921, Wallace Pratt, a geologist for Humble Oil and Refining Company,
was impressed by the beauty of McKittrick Canyon and bought the land to
build two homes in the canyon. Both constructions were used as summer
homes by Pratt and his family until 1960. Wallace Pratt donated about
6,000 acres (24 km2) of McKittrick Canyon which became part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. In 1978, the United States Congress designated 46,850 acres (190 km2) of the Texan side of the range as a U.S. Wilderness area, managed by the National Park Service.
Geography
Hunter Peak
The Guadalupe Mountains reach their highest point at Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, with an elevation of 8,751 feet (2,667 m). The range lies southeast of the Sacramento Mountains
and east of the Brokeoff Mountains. The mountain range extends
north-northwest and northeast from Guadalupe Peak in Texas into New
Mexico. The northeastern extension ends about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Carlsbad, near White's City and Carlsbad Caverns National Park; the southwest tip ends with El Capitan about 90 miles (140 km) east of El Paso. The mountains rise more than 3,000 feet (910 m) above the arid floor of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Guadalupe Mountains are surrounded by the South Plains to the east and north, Delaware Mountains to the south, and Sacramento Mountains to the west.
The Chihuahuan Desert surrounds the Guadalupe Mountains.
View of McKittrick Canyon from the Guadalupe Mountains.
The northwestern extension, bounded by a dramatic escarpment known as
"The Rim", extends much further into New Mexico, to near the Sacramento
Mountains. The range is bounded on the north by Four Mile Canyon; on
the east by the valley of the Pecos River;
and on the west by Piñon Creek, Big Dog Canyon, Valley Canyon, Middle
Dog Canyon, and West Dog Canyon. Much of the range is built from the
ancient Capitán Reef that formed at the margins of a shallow sea during
the Permian period. The Guadalupian epoch of the Permian period is named for these mountains, and the Capitanian age within this epoch is named for the Capitan reef. For details on the area's geology, see Delaware Basin. As the range is built up almost entirely of limestone,
upland areas have little or no surface water. The only significant
surface water is McKittrick Creek, in McKittrick Canyon, which emerges
from the eastern side of the massif, just south of the New Mexico
border. Elevations at the base of the range vary from 4,000 feet
(1,200 m) above sea level on the western side to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) on the east. Several peaks on the southern end exceed 8,000 feet (2,400 m).
The Guadalupe Mountains experience relatively hot summers, calm,
mild autumn weather, and cool to cold weather in winter and early
spring. Snow storms, freezing rain, or fog may occur in winter or early
spring. Frequent high-wind warnings are issued during winter through
spring. Late summer monsoons produce thunderstorms. The nights are cool,
even in summer.
Ecology
Three major ecosystems are contained within the mountain range. First, deserts exhibit salt flats on the western side of the national park and creosote desert, with low elevations on the east covered with grassland, pinyon pine, and junipers such as alligator juniper and one-seeded juniper. Secondly, canyon interiors such as McKittrick, Bear, and Pine Springs Canyon on the southeast end exhibit maple, ash, chinquapin oak, and other deciduous
trees. These trees are able to grow in the desert due to springs of
water recharged by wet uplands. Finally, alpine uplands known as "the
Bowl" exceeding elevations of 7,000 ft (2,100 m) are covered with denser
forests of ponderosa pine, southwestern white pine, and douglas-fir, with small stands of aspen.
The range contains many world-class caves, including Carlsbad Caverns (the best known) and Lechuguilla Cave, discovered in 1986. The history of the range includes occupation by ancient Pueblo and Mogollon peoples, and by the Apache and various Anglo outlaws in the 19th century.
