Shumard Canyon Trail one of the most challenging 20 mile round trip trails I have ever back packed. A trail that tested me to my very core while trekking with 70 lbs of equipment some things completely unnecessary and much learned during late January 2019. This trail starts out as a very seemingly placid and tranquil trail out of Pine Springs and as one continues westward towards El Capitan gullies, hillsides and royos are all part of the very beautiful and serene hiking experience. As you continue on you will notice a set of three horse trail hitching posts that act as a landmark to the beginning of something completely unexpected. Shortly thereafter you come across a pair of horse trail hitching posts and from that point forward the experience is completely flipped on you. At that point you are directly underneath El Capitan and you begin a northwestward direction underneath the towering faces of El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak. Scenery that leaves you incapable of assembling a sentence, you are left in utter awe of the dynamic trail that you are now observing before you. High winds are now accompanying you at the second set of hitch posts, and you are welcomed by avalanche fields of boulders the size of two-story homes, strewn across the trail path and all the way down into the valley below. Incredible boulders, sizes which leave you feeling completely minute when standing underneath them. After crossing the avalanche field you are then trekking across high shelfs that greet you with very steep drops, where that if you are not paying attention and concentrating on where foot placement is and being ever concerned with the trail in front of you, a misstep or slip could be extremely difficult to recover from and as a result you are now descending along a steep rocky cliff, littered with several types of cactus greeting you along your fall. No question that these parts of the trail are to be navigated with complete focus and not under fatigue or fright. So long as one is mindful of balance, foot placement and confident concentration on the trail, several of these treacherous parts of the trail can be navigated easily while walking underneath the towering faces of the mountains above. The descent to Shumard campsite is actually breathtaking and along the way into the valley below majestic scenery from the erosion and effects of the unbelievable geological uplifting forces that creates the topography and strata is absolutely amazing. A small set of hoodoos exist along the descent and are a neat treat on the way to the campground. At one of the three cleared campsites you arrive to an expansive view of the valley below. The setting sun reveals reflections of structures in the distance and horizon, Dell city is within view at night as it sparkles from its lights and so is a glimpse of Van Horn to the south. Trekking poles are a must! We started our trail hike in at about 7 a.m. in the morning and arrived just before sunset to the Shumard Canyon campsite about 6pm with barely just enough sunlight to set up camp. After a great dinner some Advil before bed and a hefty breakfast, we set out on the ascent and departure of Shumard Canyon at 7a.m. A longer stride, less stops except for water/energy bar breaks and an increased pace allowed us to arrive back to the ranger station at approximately 2:30pm. I can genuinely say that even the hike up to Emory Peak at Big Bend competes head-to-head with this trail. I have climbed the Guadalupe Peak and those vistas are majestic in there own way at the top. However in my opinion the Shumard Canyon Trail is a trail that will challenge anyone far greater than the popular Guadalupe Peak Trail, there are hidden gems that cannot be seen from Guadalupe Peak Trail that can only be seen on the Shumard Canyon Trail. A powerful trail I will revisit some day soon but only in the winter season I would not attempt this trail in the late spring or the summer.