Doña Ana Mountains (Around the Peak Loop ) - Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument

 I've done three hikes in the Doña Ana Mountains over the past couple of weeks. The first was leading a group of Las Cruces Public School employees and friends on a loop hike around the high ridge that contains Doña Ana Peak. We started out with 16 people leaving from Mesa Middle School at around 8:15. We made to the trailhead  where there was just enough room for our vehicles less than 1/2 hour later and set out cross country to the southwest. In  short ways we were met with a steep sided ravine that would not let us cross. I had decision to make,  head uphill and hope for crossing spot up high, or downhill where the drainage would shallow up. I chose up, and as it turns out there was no good crossing spot. Instead we scrambled down a rocky deer crossing and then through the thorns on the other side. Soon after  I had four defectors heading back to  their cars. I felt little bad. If we had headed downhill perhaps they would've stuck with it. But, they probably made the best decision for themselves, and that it certainly was better to do it sooner  because as  the hike progressed I would not have felt good( I wasn't real happy about it as it was) about sending them back on their own.
 We continued rounding the mountain on some very faint trails in thick gravel. One hiker's dogs pursued and then wisely retreated from some javelinas trotting along far below us.  Pinhole Cave came into view and we decided to head up to it.

The steep trudge up to cave's entrance was pleasantly interrupted by the sight of half a dozen deer bounding of their hiding place and down the hill side. The smallest of the bunch were barely beyond the fawn stage. We hadn't taken but a few more steps when another 1/2 dozen followed.
 One hiker had pulled a muscle and elected to head downhill with another keeping her company and doling out ibuprofen, vitamin B and electrolytes. The rest of took our rest at the mouth of the cave before heading back down hill.

We passed NarrowArch where folks took photos and then continued on to the gully on the northwest side of  Doña Ana Peak.


 We made a brushy and rocky trek up to the little saddle and then headed down to the Pizza Boulders area, where the hiker with the sore muscle, rather than climb the longest and steepest pitch of the day,  set off down  the road  with a companion to the powerline road intersection, where we agreed to pick her up later. The rest cruised along amongst the enormous  boulders on wildlife trails  up to and then over the saddle between Checkerboard Mountain and  Doña Ana Peak. The canyon running back down to our  trailhead is a rough one, with more boulders and thorny brush and with  a scramble down a slick dry waterfall thrown in for good measure. We got through it and everyone was happy with what they had accomplished. I was proud of everyone who stuck with it, but also wished everyone who had started would've completed the trip.