Chris took over date night this past weekend, and it turned into one of my favorite date nights yet! We hiked Mt. Cristo Rey which is just a 15 minute drive from here. Mt. Cristo Rey is technically in New Mexico, but its south side is also in Mexico. The climb is always open, but it can be very dangerous if not done in a group due to the proximity to Mexico. At the peak of the mountain is a huge 29 foot statue of Jesus on a cross. Because of the Easter weekend, Border Patrol were around the mountain monitoring the activity. The weather was beautiful, not too hot nor too cold. There was a nice breeze and the sun was out. The climb was 4.4 miles round trip and took up about an hour and 45 minutes. Along the climb, there were the stations of the cross that some people were stopping to pray at. The whole experience was meant to be spiritual, and there were off-shoots that lead to outlying grottos with statues for Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Guadalupe, etc. The views were incredible the entire way up. The climb wasn't too strenuous due to the switchbacks carved in the mountain. There were all kinds of people making the climb, from children to elderly and a lot of dogs. There were spots to have picnics, remnants of old buildings, and even places that looked like Mass had taken place. It was a great workout, and a really unique perspective of El Paso and Mexico to the south. Both Chris and I were surprised that there was no border fence on the south side of the mountain, but apparently that's why the hike is so dangerous if not done during designated times, or in large groups. Overall, this was an incredible experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment