Driving up to the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas.....finally....I have always wanted to hike the highest peak in Texas....an ancient fossilized marine reef!
There was a photo of the mountain with the well established trail superimposed on the image that shows you the path of the strenuous 3,000 feet of elevation gain....a total of 8.4 miles round-trip.
It took me exactly 3 hours to climb it...I know because I took my cell phone with me and had the time plus I could make a phone call from up there.
On top there is this shiny steel marker that looks odd in contrast to the natural beauty of the mountains.....there is an artillery can there with a book inside where everyone signs. There was also a small bag with a water bottle inside. I was the first person up there for the day and within the next 15 minutes there were 3 others. Then for the next 3 hours I did not see a soul.
View of the Plains of the Chihuahua Desert from on top.....the whitish areas are the Salt Flats and the green circles are crop irrigation. 
View of El Capitan. The air was not very clear today as you can see... 
at the beginning of the hike there was a sign similar to the one at Grand Canyon depicting the direction of the air pollution.
Towards the bottom of the trail were a few rare Texas Madrone trees....identified by their smooth reddish bark and evergreen leaves....the brilliant red berry-like fruits were ripe and a nice treat for the birds...edible for people too....I tried one...the red outside part was sweet....the inner seed part was not so much.
This tree is common in the Pacific Northwest and they call it by its scientific name -Arbutus.
The resident wildlife include Elk, Black Bear and Mountain Lions though I saw none of the above...I was packing my bear spray on the hike just in case.......I did see several small deer upon my evening arrival though.
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