Eddy County High Point Trip Report
Date: March 17, 2000
Author: Scott Surgent
From Carlsbad, drive 12 miles north on US-285. Turn left onto NM-137 for 38 miles to the
Lincoln Forest Road 540 on the left. Drive 12 miles to its terminus. Two tracks lead from here;
take the right one. Drive in as far as you're willing to. It's very rough and I parked
fairly early.
Hike a mile or so south along the track. Turn right onto a lesser track at a
camping area marked by fire rings. After a while (15 minutes), I veered off the track,
bashed through the trees and came out into the open, at which time the Eddy highpoint was
readily visible across the canyon. I descended the ridge to the west of point 7413 down
to a small bump at point 6880+, down across the creek bed at 6640 contour, and up to the
saddle just below the objective. Found a fence (!). I hiked to the east side of the fence
but encountered some class-3 bits. The west side is better since there is a rudimentary trail.
Summitted around 11 am. The register has exactly 4 names in it since 1998.
Returned the same way.
This is a strenuous hike! Keep an eye out for landmarks. It's all cross country.
Lots of agave, cactus, sawgrass and other scrubby stuff. Views are gorgeous.
Everything is bone-dry and waiting for a lightning strike. Be aware!