Wagon Mound (6,930 ft.)
Starvation Peak (7,042 ft.)

11 May and 13 May, 2010: On a trip down to Rio Rancho, I bagged my first two New Mexico peaks.
Wagon Mound is a National Historical Landmark, used by early settlers as a guiding landmark, due to its high prominence. I took a short side trip and climbed it on my way down. From the cemetery at the east edge of the town of Wagon Mound, I reached the summit in 30 minutes, via a steep gully on the north side. The west high point is the true summit. Class 3 scrambling and crack climbing to get through the cliff bands.
On Thursday, I did Starvation Pk., named for an apocryphal story about Spanish soldiers besieged by Indians on its summit. It's in an isolated portion of Santa Fe National Forest. I started from Rd. 48, off of CR B28A. I circled clockwise to find a weakness on the west side of the cliff bands, which brought me out, via Class 3 scrambling, near the south end of the summit plateau. It reminded me a lot of Fremont Fort in Colorado. The true summit is located at the far northwest end. Pictures are at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tcogwr/WagonMoundStarvationPk
Long life and many peaks!