In Recess March 2023
The West in a Fraction
Marfa-based immigration attorney Samuel Onyegam's love of hiking spans across the Trans-Pecos
Interview by Eric Quitugua
Marfa attorney Samuel Onyegam poses at the desk on Hancock Hill near Alpine. Photo by Samuel Onyegam.
The world of West Texas is vast. Surrounding the sun-blasted towns of Alpine and Marfa is the Trans-Pecos high desert in the state’s westernmost stretch. Isolated mountain ranges called sky islands jut out from the desert floor here. Spiny ocotillo trail the highways. Up in the hills and mountains—where cellphone reception is just out of reach—mountain lions, elk, and javelinas roam. Though it may seem intimidating on paper, the experience of venturing out in the Trans-Pecos is a peaceful one for Marfa-based Department of Homeland Security attorney Samuel Onyegam. For the fourth-year resident of Far West Texas, hiking there has been a spiritual renewal.
YOU MENTIONED HANCOCK HILL BEING A PLACE YOU LIKE TO GO TO.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER PLACE YOU REALLY LIKE HIKING?
When I want to do a quick hike in Alpine or Marfa, I will head out to
Hancock Hill. It’s got a nice elevation and I can do a quick hour-and-a
half to two-hour hike. For a longer weekend hike, I can go out to Davis
Mountains State Park. It’s got a nice hiking trail with one that goes
all the way to the peak. I do this hike from time to time. You can do
overnight or weekend camping there and hike the trails in the park and
surrounding area by Fort Davis. If I want to do something more thrilling
or harder, I make arrangements to go hike Mitre Peak, which is roughly
halfway between Alpine and Fort Davis on 118 going north. That’s about
10-15 minutes from Alpine. There are also a number of places along the
Rio Grande with a couple of hiking trails. If I’m doing a scenic drive
along the River Road, I can easily get out and do some quick hikes,
including the Hoodoos—kind of a short hiking trail.
MITRE PEAK—THAT’S THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A REALLY SHARP
TRIANGLE THAT SHOOTS UP INTO THE SKY, RIGHT?
Let’s say you’re coming off of I-20, branching off of Midland, and
you’re doing the long flat ride coming into the valley. You see Mitre
Peak. It is the highest peak you see when you’re driving from a great
distance. If you’re in any elevation in the area, whether you’re in
Marfa, Alpine, or Fort Davis, you see Mitre Peak. It’s pretty high. And
yes, it does look like a triangle that shoots up into the sky.
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FIND ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN THE REST OF
TEXAS.
The next time you come back to this area, put on your list the 505/118
scenic loop. That right there is a mesmerizing experience that I never
thought I could get in Texas. There are a couple of public camping areas
along the route with hiking trails. Depending on how much scenery you
want to experience, you can do a scenic loop in about three-and-a-half
hours—four if you’re not in a big rush. I suggest not being in a rush.
I CAN’T IMAGINE TRYING TO BE IN A RUSH TAKING A DRIVE LIKE
THAT. JUST DRIVING ANYWHERE THERE IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
This one especially is even more impressive. Depending on how you do it.
If you are starting in Alpine, I recommend taking 90, go through Marfa,
go through Valentine, and then hang a right on 505, which will take you
all the way through the very high peaks that you’ll see from 90. You’ll
get on there and then you connect with 118. That snakes you through the
top of those peaks and all the way to the McDonald Observatory. You can
actually do some hiking there in the observatory complex and then stay
on 118, which will take you through the state park and then to Fort
Davis. If you want more time or more driving, you can hang a left on 17
and that takes you to Balmorhea, which is another scenic drive. Plenty
of hiking. And then it’ll take you to I-10. That’s a truly spectacular
experience.
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEAL TYPE OF TERRAIN YOU LIKE TO BE IN?
That’s easy. I like mountainous terrains and/or coastal terrains with
mountains. For coastal mountains, there’s none more thrilling than along
California’s Pacific Coast Highway up through Oregon. I’ve camped and
hiked all along there. One time I spent six weeks on a road trip along
the PCH and did some truly unforgettable camping and hiking in beautiful
places. You go through some spectacular landscapes like Pfeiffer Big Sur
State Park with plenty of camping and hiking options. You go through
places like the Napa Valley area. You go through Bodega Bay. The Big Sur
region of that route is simply unrivaled. You have these jagged
mountains thrusting into the Pacific Ocean and you have the water
heating and you are right there on the edge. That is one of my
favorites.
The other one is mountains wherever they are. I’ve hiked and camped all over the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. I’ve camped the Shenandoah National Park up in Virginia, which is why I like the Big Bend area because it reminds me of places like that. I have been all over the Rocky Mountains in the Vail Valley region of Colorado. I have camped and hiked all the way up the peaks of different passes—Independence Pass, Monarch Pass, and Vail Pass. I’ve been to many of the scenic towns in the area, including Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge. Give me the mountains and give me the mountains along the coastline and I won’t have any complaints.
WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOU HIKE UP TO THE PEAK OF ANY OF THESE
MOUNTAINS?
When you get up 10,000 feet and you look over and you see the top of
the mountains and you see the sky and you see the water below you, you
realize how very small and insignificant you are. And then for me, there
is this calming, relaxing, and renewing experience. It happens to me all
the time. It happened to me yesterday. It happened to me on Saturday
when I went up to the Davis Mountains. I really feel refreshed every
single time.
DO YOU EVER GO OFF-TRAIL?
Generally, I try to be safe because a lot of these places don’t have
phone service. Although I carry two phones, neither may have reception.
So I try to hike along trails where if something happens to me, somebody
can find me. So am cautious and mindful of risks. And there are wild
animals. You see all kinds of wild animals because you are in their
home. Whether you’re talking about javelinas, which can charge you, or
mountain lions. Yeah, you see them. There are mountain elk, and they can
charge you. Those are mighty looking animals. You have rattlesnakes all
over the place. This is rattlesnake country. You have hogs. I have seen
all these when I’ve gone hiking. You want to make sure you’re on the
trail where you’re not veering off and encountering anything. Even the
hawks will come swooping you. I’ve had a desert hawk charge me a couple
of times, including yesterday. They come buzzing over your head. You can
hear their feathers. They’re coming to investigate whether you’re a
potential meal. These desert hawks are pretty mighty. I don’t know if
you’ve seen them—long wing spans and they roam the skies comfortably.
WHAT ARE SOME TIPS YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY WANT TO HIKE
WHETHER IT’S IN ALPINE OR MARFA OR NORTH CAROLINA OR ANYWHERE?
Start small. If you go into a place and you’re in the woods, up in
the mountains, and you have a bad experience because you’ve bitten off
more than you can chew, you’re unlikely to return. So perhaps find
somebody who shares that passion and then go with them in the beginning
stages. That way you can appreciate a positive experience without being
discouraged quickly. Also, don’t be afraid to venture on your own and
explore without biting more than you can chew. If you’re a beginner,
nurture that passion and create positive experiences. That is how I
started. Don’t try to be in a big hurry or to overdo it. It’s a big
world and you can only explore a fraction of it. So do the little that
you can. TBJ
