This past Friday I hiked the Ron Coleman trail. It is regarded as a strenuous hike, but the views and features make the effort completely worthwhile.
The hike was organized through the Franklin Mountain State Park as part of their “peak fitness challenge” series. Previously I participated on a hike up to North Mount Franklin, the highest point in El Paso!
I woke up at 4 a.m. in order to ensure I had time for a good breakfast and last minute check of what I was taking. My breakfast consisted of black coffee, and plain oatmeal made exciting with honey, chia seeds and cacao nibs. It is important to always have some kind of breakfast before hitting the trail.
We met on the Transmountain end of the trail at 5:30 a.m. which may seem early, but I vastly enjoy the cooler temperature this early of a start time has on the hike. The early time also ensures you’ll have a spectacular view of the sunrise!
The early start time was also helpful since we needed to carpool to the Mckelligon canyon trailhead as this is a point to point hike. A FMSP van happily transported our group of 6 hikers around to the start of the trail.
At the trailhead we did some light stretching and were joined by another hiker. The group varied greatly in experience and ages! Our group ranged from early 20s to late 60s.
The most strenuous portion of the trail is the first 45 minutes of the hike that sees the most elevation gain in the shortest amount of time. After that portion, the remainder of the hike is very pleasant!
Once the sun was up we had spectacular views of both the east and westside of the Franklins, as the trail runs along a ridge for a good part of the hike.
The weather was really fantastic so early in the morning, nice and cool. The recent rain has kept all the desert plants very green. Just about every ocotillo we saw was so covered in leaves it was easy to forget why they’re also called the “Devil’s walking stick” (it’s covered in spines).
As someone who enjoys climbing around I should mention that one of the difficult aspects of the hike for some people involves the 4 chain assisted sections of trail. These occur pretty close to one another and involve climbing over rock faces in order to continue the hike. The chains are well maintained and very secure.
We stopped about halfway in order to have a break and eat our snacks. Everyone on this hike was very friendly and willing to share. I brought with me two cliff bars (one I had eaten about an hour in as soon as I felt a little hungry), and a bag of almonds and dried apricots.
It is interesting to see how the rain can impact and change the trail. This leads to a few sections where the trail may split or become hard to follow, but we never walked on any surface that didn’t resemble a trail in order to not increase the effects of erosion.
Ranger Adrianna did an excellent job of imparting good trail etiquette and practice such as pick up any trash you see, don’t leave any litter, stay on the trail, and bring plenty of water!
As far as water goes I have recently purchased a day hiking pack that came with a 3L hydration bladder (although it can hold up to 3.5L). The bag is an Osprey Zealot 15 which was designed as a mountain bike bag, but does just fine as a daypack. As we were finishing up the hike I realized I had drank all my water! Which was definitely a good thing since I’ve noticed proper hydration pretty much eliminates any soreness the next day for me.
If you plan on taking this hike:
- Hike with someone who has previously done the hike as there are some spots where the trail splits off to the “mammoth” or South Mount Franklin Peak.
- Bring plenty of water! At the absolute least a bottle that holds 500ml-1L.
- Don’t leave any trash
- Get an early start, and take your time
I had taken a few days off from any hiking or running on account of resting an achy knee, so I felt very rested and eager for this hike. I definitely felt tired throughout the day, but managed my Friday activities just fine. The following links provide more intense descriptors for the hike, so if you’re new to hiking or physical activity this probably isn’t one you want to start on!
For more information about hiking the Ron Coleman trail:
elpasohiking 
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