Clearing the Black Peak-Signal Peak Trail

July, 2026

The monsoon thus far has been fabulous, putting on a fantastic show almost every night for the last three weeks. But with the rain comes heat and humidity, and I long for that cool green high elevation fix we usually seek out this time of year. But since we live at the extreme southern end of the Rocky Mountains, the cool green high is not too far away. One hot July day Dennis and I decided to go in search of a trail that might exist between Signal Peak and Black Peak.

We found the trail alright, and the first quarter-mile was lovely — mature pondos, a trail of pine straws, and see-forever views.

But then we emerged on the edge of a ridge that had been badly burned by recent wildfires. In the next quarter mile, there were more than a dozen logs across the trail, and brush so thick the trail was all but invisible.

We pushed on, and mercifully the locusts and New Mexico raspberries thinned out as we neared Black Peak. But this area was scorched by the Trout Fire of 2025. The blackened soil is now covered with foxtail barley, a sterile invasive grass designed to hold the soil until native plants can take over.

The Trout Fire damage is particularly severe on the east side of Black Peak, but the trail is in good shape.

We've returned to the peak twice since then, loppers and pruning saws in hand. Clearing this trail may be a hopeless task, but it has so much potential! You can create a very nice three-mile loop by combining this trail with the Black Peak Trail and the Signal Peak Road. The entire ridge is over 8800' in elevation, and on a hot summer day, it scratches the itch for a cool green refuge. But don't take my word for it, just look at these gorgeous summer wildflowers we photographed along the way: