Wheeler Peak 13167 Highest Peak NM

Wheeler Peak is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located northeast of Taos and south of Red River in the northern part of the state, and just 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of the ski slopes of Taos Ski Valley. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The peak's elevation is 13,167 feet.
Great day hike to Wheeler, Simpson, and Mikes Peak with a ridge line scramble from Simpson to Katchina. That is a 3rd class scramble if you are up to that challenge.

[@delboski9000]

Great job chasing trail

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

Thanks, I finally got this one out from last summer. I literally just got back today from a killer backpack in Grand Canyon. A hard to get to and little known side canyon that goes to Colorado river, but better it has slot canyons and waterfalls. I had many days of being alone and not seeing a single person. I am going to do a video, but I wont reveal all the secrets on stuff because that's how some places get ruined with too many people.. You can DM me after I get video out if you have questions.

[@smkymike569]

I’m researching hikes I want to do for a potentially long summer hiking trip to New Mexico. Really enjoying your videos, thanks!

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

Thanks! If you need any info just hit me up. I would say best day hike in NM is Trampas Lakes by far. Best Backpack is Truchas Lakes by Jack Creek route 15 each way but that get you to the base of Truchas South Peak. Wheeler is nice, but Truchas 13rs are the best.

[@delboski9000]

Another great video. Very informative will be looking toward that hike as well

[@gregholtmeyer5430]

I am headed to Taos next week to hike Wheeler Peak. As long as I am there, any other suggestion on other hikes for the next day? Great video, thanks!

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

There is another another hike that I even like better. It is the hike to Trampas Lakes. Its not too far from Taos and outside of the town of Truchas, and I guess the area called Trampas. Good day out and back hike. Ive done it about 5 times. From Trail Head it's a 5 mile 3k vert hike on good trail to Alpine lake. From lake there is a route to ridge line. Once one ridge line to the right is Sheep's head Peak, To the left is No Name and N. Truchas. If you check out my video on Trampas backpack or the video N. Truchas Traverse they will show you how to access ridge line from lake. Another long route to Truchas peaks can be accessed Via Santa Barbara Camp ground close to Taos, but that is 12 miles each way. Better to Backpack that one.

[@BruthaVIII]

Great video. We're planning to do this hike in about a month (July 2021). Question: do you think La Luz is good preparation for this hike? Also, any other recommended hikes in the greater ABQ area to prepare for Wheeler Peak. Thank you in advance.

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

Great, thanks for watching. Yeah, La luz is definitely a good hike for prep and one of my favorites. I'm doing it this Saturday morning, but start La Luz really early like 6am because of heat. The other hikes that would be good are TWA Crash site is really good prep hike and good elevation and 8 miles RT, The 3 gun spring to Embudito to South Crest Peak thats a 10 miler. I did that a few times recently. The Wheeler Peak really is nice and not difficult , start if you can about 730 and get up top before people, and usually can be windy later in day. I have a lot of other videos on these hikes I just haven't posted yet. Let me know if you need specifics. I just got back from a 50 miler in the Grand canyon, best hike ever. And I only saw a couple people in 5 days and Ive been editing video. But i'm going to be a little vague on this GC route since not many people know about it, thus its not crowded!

[@BruthaVIII]

@@chasingtrailproductions3689 Thanks for the feedback/advice! I've done La Luz 2x (up and down) and 1x just up. For some reason, I thought that WP was going to be more difficult than LL (when you factor out the elevation), so maybe it won't be as difficult as I thought that it would be. I'm going to do Piedra Lisa South 2x in a row this week because I find it to be more strenuous than LL (even though it's a little over 2 miles each way, it's still a good climb). I did the Grand Canyon about 6 years ago. We went to Havasu Falls and it was outstanding. I would definitely do it again. If you don't mind sharing (at least privately), I would like to know more about your GC hike. I'll message you so you have my information. I've done Half Dome 2x and would like to do that again, but now they have permits and I hear it's difficult to draw them. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

@@BruthaVIII Yea LL is harder and if you have done it up and down you will have an easy day. I think if you do Bull of the woods trail its a lot longer for sure, but if you do Williams lake TH its only 4.5 to top. I would recommend after summit WP doing Simpson Peak Ridge line traverse its a Cat 3 scramble if you are interested in that stuff. I would also suggest doing Trampas Lake to Sheeps head Peak or ridgline to N. Truchas Peak, that's an awesome one.

[@BruthaVIII]

@@chasingtrailproductions3689 Thank you! Glad to hear that WP won't be too difficult I'm going with 4 other people, two of whom are fairly inexperienced hikers (but they're APD officers, so they're relatively fit), and I don't think they're going want to do anything more than the 9 miles round trip, let alone a ridge line scramble (as awesome as that looks). I am most definitely going to do Trampas Lake to Truchas on a subsequent trip! Your video on that hike was awesome. I may even bring my fly rod and do some fishing up there.

[@comekkck1473]

I missed when this hike occurred?

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

I did this in July 2020. It was hottest day of the year so far and it was 49 at parking lot . Perfect for power hiking up to keep you cool.