Trip report
Notes
Note that my total mileage was about 7 because of where I parked. You could reduce the length of this hike to about 5 miles, or have to extend it to up to probably 10, depending on how much clearance you have.
Oct 15, 2018 — A classic New Mexican desert peak that somehow I totally forgot about, Cookes Peak's rocky summit looms over the desert floor, quite a distance from any city of significance, but a great side-trip if you're on I-10. The road gets rough, but I made it most of the way there. Apparently, where the road splits, you need to keep left onto BLM land (and subsequently a worse road) to avoid private property, but the signage isn't great. This side road comes back to join the main road shortly after (see the end of the split on my map just before my start point). Depending on where you park, walk along the road for any number of miles and you'll make it to the true trailhead, which is an old eroded road. Follow this eroded road for a bit, and cairns will begin to guide you on a social trail. It's easy to follow, mostly keeping to the gully the whole way, until you reach the ridge, where the trails/cairns seemed to just disappear. You should find an old barbed wire fence that heads up the ridge: the trail seems to stay to the left of it most/all of the way. A fun, short Class 2 scramble leads you to the summit.