SIERRA BLANCA PEAK | New Mexico’s Most Prominent and Isolated Peak - Mountain Climbing in Ruidoso

Описание: Sierra Blanca Peak (11,973') is New Mexico's most prominent and most isolated summit. Its 5,583' of prominence makes it New Mexico's only ultraprominent peak (at least 1500 m/5000' of prominence) and means that one has to descend over a mile of vertical distance before reaching the saddle between it and a higher peak. It is also 165.7 miles as the crow flies from South Penitente Peak near Santa Fe, which is its nearest highest neighbor.

There is not much to say about Sierra Blanca (Peak) that has not already been said. It is a mountain of superlatives. It handily takes the New Mexico Prominence and Isolation titles. It is New Mexico's highest peak outside the Sangre de Cristo range. Before it was resurveyed sometime in the last 40 years, its elevation was over 12,000 feet. It is the furthest south ski area in the U.S. and the furthest south area above treeline in the continental U.S. (I think - it depends if Mount San Jacinto is considered "above treeline").

10-12 years ago when I first began researching this peak, it was an oft-repeated "truth" that it was illegal to climb this peak without a permit from the Mescalero Apache reservation. People often quote this nowadays, but I have scoured the internet searching for any evidence that this is true and not found any. Nowhere on the reservation website or the Ski Apache website does it say it is illegal to climb this peak, and there are actually hiking and biking trails that travel the slopes of the mountain. I personally saw no signage indicating this hike was illegal. If it is illegal, I apologize, but there is no indication that is the case whatsoever.

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