New Mexico Peakbagger Phil Robinson dscusses his experiences climbing mountain peaks around the state during a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos in the community room at Cottonwood on the Greens. Photo by Linda Hull

By LINDA HULL
Rotary Club of Los Alamos

Phil Robinson, a retired science teacher from the Albuquerque Public Schools, lives on the east side of the Sandia Mountains, but it would seem he is rarely home. Robinson, who was born and raised in New Mexico, has set out to hike all of the state’s highest mountain peaks. In hiking vernacular, he is a peakbagger.

Over the last 16 years, Robinson has summited 188 of New Mexico’s 190 highest mountain peaks and said he has found great pleasure in repeating many of his favorite hikes. Hiking all of the highest New Mexico peaks has never been done before. He would have hiked all 190, but his goal has been to hike the peaks as respectfully as possible. He still awaits permission to hike the two peaks central to Taos Pueblo. He does not count a peak towards his goal unless it is at least three miles long. Three to 55-mile hikes are his personal standard. Those mountain peaks he hikes can be done “without ropes or without encountering very difficult cliffs”. However, rope climbing can be done on many. 

Generally, Robinson blazes his own trail by himself or with a fellow peakbagger. He travels with ultralight gear and supplies, but admits that he takes two lbs. of T-bone steak on almost every long hike.

With an impressive PowerPoint of his hiking record, Robinson showed remarkable scenes of the beautiful New Mexico landscape few ever see, from vantage points few ever reach.

He described Brazos Peak and Grouse Mesa in the Tusas Range as the two peaks that have posed some of the “greatest logistical peakbagging struggles”, To hike those two peaks, the highest in northwest New Mexico, land grant owner charged Robinson a permission fee. These peaks lie in the southernmost part of the San Juan Mountains in the far northern reaches of Rio Arriba County, near the Colorado border. Both rise over 11,000 feet.

In terms of the most physically challenging, plus logistically challenging, Robinson ranks one of the hardest hikes as the one from Big Costilla Peak, 12,739 ft., to Stateline Peak, 12,867 ft. This was a 15.5-mile hike, which Robinson made in a single day, on Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch. Robinson quipped that he paid “cruise ship” prices to be a guest on the land with his son Garret. The ranch is almost the size of Rhode Island. Robinson recalls it fondly as “the hallmark hike of my life”. It was here that he observed an elk nursery, young calves encircled by protective adults:

Elk Nursey – 18 baby elk that look like they were born the same day are watched by two mother elk as about 75 adult elk form a massive circle around them. (https://peakery.com/big-costilla-south-peak-new-mexico/summits/38157/) Photo by Phil Robinson

Some of Robinson’s favorite peakbagging hikes:

• A 35-mile loop from Santa Barbara Campground in the Pecos Wilderness, up the East Fork of the Santa Barbara River, to Skyline Ridge above the timberline, to the Truchas Lakes, then hiking the second highest major peak in New Mexico, Truchas Peak, 13,102 ft., then out the West Fork of the Santa Barbara River.  This is a four-five day hike.
• Mt. Taylor, a dormant volcano northeast of Grants in northwest New Mexico.  Robinson describes this as a “wonderful short drive from Albuquerque.” He camped on top and watched the lights of Albuquerque sparkle as evening fell.
• Wheeler Peak, 13,161 ft., the state’s highest peak lying in the Sangre de Cristos in Taos County.  He has hiked this four times.
• “Ultra-High Road to Taos” as Robinson calls it, not to be confused with the familiar high road to Taos.  Here the peaks are accessed on a “tough” four-wheel drive road. Osha Mountain at 10,885 ft., in addition to several other peaks are picked up along the way. This hike is north of the Pecos Wilderness and south of Taos.

The websites Robinson recommends for the adventurer interested in hiking any of New Mexico’s 190 highest peaks, plus 100+ more, are:

Robinson is very slowly making YouTube videos of all the highest mountain peaks in New Mexico.  https://www.youtube.com/@PhilRobinson-PeakbaggingNMsHig/videos

More than 200 Trip Reports, GPS Treks, Google Earth 3D images, and more than 2,600 gorgeous high country New Mexico pictures. https://peakery.com/members/Phil-Robinson/

Challenge yourself with some of the New Mexico peak challenges. https://peakery.com/united-states-mountains/new-mexico/challenges/#order=name&page=1

The highest 190 peaks in New Mexico, a very inclusive list, with map and locations at the bottom.  https://peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=-925606&cid=1477

Robinson said he “got hiking in my blood when I joined Boy Scout Troop 166 in Albuquerque at age 11, in 1966”. He was the senior patrol leader of his troop for a year and went on to become an Eagle Scout. He was a rafting guide for 10 seasons in northern New Mexico, navigating the Taos Box and Race Course, and at the age of 50, he decided to start climbing the highest peaks in New Mexico. After 16 years, Robinson accomplished his goal in September of 2021! He has hiked an additional 100 peaks on top of those including repeats. These peaks include the highest peak in California and my longest hike at 64 miles, the highest peak in Arizona, and the highest peak in Colorado.

About the Rotary Club of Los Alamos:

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos, through its 1312 Club Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and one of over 34,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary, which now has 1.5 million members, was founded in 1905; the local Club was chartered in 1966. Rotary areas of focus include promoting peace; fighting disease, particularly polio; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; supporting education; saving and enhancing the lives of mothers and children; growing economies; and protecting the environment.

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets in person Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m., in the Community Room of Cottonwood on the Greens at the golf course. A Zoom option is available by contacting Linda Hull at 505.662.7950. Hull is also happy to provide information about the Club and its humanitarian service. The community is cordially invited to attend meetings and consider joining us in our projects, service, and friendship activities.

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos thanks the United Church for use of Graves Hall when the community room at Cottonwood on the Greens is unavailable.