THE ELUSIVE BIG BEND

Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas has been on my to-do list for 15+ years. It has eluded me for all of these years because it isn’t an easy place to get to. Christy and I take a big trip out west every summer, but Big Bend is located in the desert. Summer is not the ideal season to visit. We’ve discussed taking a trip there over Spring Break or Christmas, but haven’t pulled it off.

A few weeks ago I received a work assignment in San Antonio. Curious, I checked to see how long of a drive it was from San Antonio to the park. Google suggested that it would take about 6-7 hours, depending on exactly where in the park I was going. That’s a long drive, but there aren’t many airports closer. Odessa is 4+ hours away, and El Paso is 5. San Antonio is as good of a launching point as any. Unfortunately, I was booked the weekend before and the weekend after my assignment. Squeezing in a trip to Big Bend wasn’t an option.

A few weeks later I was scheduled in San Antonio again. This time, I had the weekend prior open. I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. I booked my flight from Charlotte on Friday morning. That would get me to San Antonio around mid-day. That meant that I might reach the park before dark.

Since it was a last minute trip, all of the campgrounds in the park were fully reserved. Each one has some walk-up sites that aren’t open to reservations. I spoke with a ranger, and she told me that they would likely be full by the time I arrived Friday evening. She steered me towards the Stillwell Store and Campground, which is just outside the park on the northeast side. It looked promising. The campsites are primitive, but the store has water, showers, and even WIFI. The cost was only $7 per night. I decided to camp there, and not worry about trying to get a campsite in the park.

I landed in San Antonio, grabbed lunch, and picked up my luggage and the rental car. I made a couple of quick stops to get stove fuel and groceries and hit the road. I was tempted to drive highway 90 west from San Antonio. That is a more direct route, but a slower road. Google showed it taking 30 minutes longer that way. I wanted to get to the Stillwell store before they closed at 7:30pm. If not, I could find a campsite and check in on Saturday morning. However, they open at 8am, and I had a long hike planned for Saturday. I really wanted to get on the trail as early as possible.

I drove I-10 west. The speed limit is 80mph most of the way, so I made good time. The drive was smooth, and I actually reached the store at 6:30. On the way in I was treated to quite a bit of wildlife, including mule deer, a coyote, some sort of small cat, and lots of jackrabbits. The area can best be described as desolate. After the tiny town of Marathon (consisting of a gas station and post office) there was nothing but sagebrush, tumbleweed, and increasingly rugged mountains. It was exactly what I was looking for.

I paid for a campsite and bought some firewood. The “campground” is in scrubby desert surrounded by low hills. There are an endless number of sites, which consist of a cleared area to park and pitch a tent, along with a fire ring. Picnic tables would’ve been nice, particularly since I didn’t have a camp chair. I was able to manage without one though – after all, I rarely have the luxury of a picnic table when I’m backpacking. Best of all, I seemed to be the only person in the entire area. It was just scrubby desert, but I had it all to myself.

It was chilly that evening, so I enjoyed a campfire and a late dinner of chili and salad. The stars were quite impressive that evening, at least until a full moon broke above the horizon. I went to bed fairly early, since I had an ambitious hike planned for the next day. I woke several times that night, as I was serenaded by the singing of coyotes. I didn’t mind one bit.

THE MOUNTAINS

Big Bend is effectively three parks in one. The Rio Grande River forms the southern boundary of the park and the border of the United States and Mexico. It carves three canyons as it contours around the park – Santa Elena, Mariscal, and Boquillas. Inland is a vast desert dotted with small mountains and hills and carved by lesser canyons. In the heart of the park, the volcanic Chisos Mountains tower over everything else. With elevations over 7,000’, they are pretty impressive by Texas standards.

I started my exploration of Big Bend in the Chisos Mountains. I got up before dawn on Saturday, made coffee, and ate some cold granola cereal. It was a chilly morning, with temperatures in the 30’s, so I was glad for the coffee. I drove straight to the Visitor’s Center in Chisos Basin and got organized. The Visitor’s Center opened at 8:30, and I paid my park entry fee ($20) there. I started my hike a few minutes later on The Pinnacles Trail. My plan was to make a grand loop combining The Pinnacles, a portion of the South Rim, and the Laguna Meadows Trail. I also intended to include a side trip to Emory Peak, the highest summit in the park. The only disappointment was that a portion of the south rim is closed from January through May for Peregrine Falcon nesting season. In hindsight, that was probably just as well, as including that would’ve added 2-3 miles to an already long hike. As it was, I ended up covering about 16 miles or so. It had been quite a while since I’d last tackled a hike of that length – a fact that I became acutely aware of late that afternoon.

It was cool and cloudy when I started my hike. The forecast was for mostly cloudy skies, and highs around 50 at the higher elevations. It would be good hiking weather, though the grey clouds didn’t make for ideal photography. The forecast for Sunday was similar, but with a chance for rain. The National Weather Service had it at 20%, while the Weather Channel showed 60%. Either way, Saturday looked like the better day for a hike in the mountains.

A steady climb brought me out of Chisos Basin. Along the way I passed through forests and meadows, with frequent views of the lodge, Visitor’s Center, and campground in the basin below. I was also treated to numerous views of the Window – a narrow notch where the canyon draining the basin cuts through the cliffs confining it. I was also treated to plenty of views of the cliffs above, and an impressive mountain, Casa Grande, that forms that highest part of the wall around the basin. The trail was pretty quiet, though I met a few dayhikers on their way up, and some backpackers heading down. The Pinnacles Trail, the South Rim, and the Laguna Meadows Trail all have numerous backcountry campsites. Next time, I hope to stay at one of them.

The long, gradual ascent, partially on switchbacks, eventually brought me to a pass in the cliffs. Just beyond was a junction with the spur trail to Emory Peak. There are bear boxes here in case you want to leave your pack, but I decided to carry mine. My map shows the trail to the summit being a mile one way, but the trail sign says 1.5 miles. Early on I passed a section of trail that was rerouted, which lengthened the trail. My guess is that 1.5 miles is probably about right.

The hike was easy until the end. The trail deteriorated, and soon I was scrambling up a rocky gully. I reached the base of the summit block, or blocks. There is an impressive cleft in the summit block, creating two separate peaks. From the base, I couldn’t tell which was higher. There were no signs, blazes, or cairns, and no apparent trail heading up either one. Apparently I should’ve done a bit more research on this before the hike.

I explored around the pinnacle on the right (north), as I thought it looked higher. A talus field led to a gully on the north side, but it didn’t look promising. A more direct ascent looked possible, but sketchy. It would be a serious scramble of at least class III. I hadn’t expected anything on that level. I thought I could probably climb it, but wasn’t so sure about getting back down. I decided to try the left (south) to see if there was a more reasonable route. I went part of the way up, and found it to be much easier. The higher I went though, the more certain I was that the other peak held the true summit. Then I heard voices below. I decided to return to the base to see if the hikers that were coming up behind me knew which way to go.

They didn’t. In fact, most of them were clearly not comfortable going up either peak. I didn’t like the looks of the scramble up the northern peak, so I decided to do the other one. It might not lead to the true summit, but it would probably provide a good view. The scramble wasn’t bad, and a few of the other hikers followed me. At the top, we found ourselves a good 50’ lower than the summit to the north. But as I suspected, the view was fantastic. It was nearly 360 degrees, with the north peak blocking only a small part of the vista. Both peaks have some antenna and solar panels. They were a bit of an intrusion on the wilderness experience, but only mildly so. I had lunch there on the (almost) summit, and was delighted when some blue sky appeared in the east. That improved my photos for a brief period. Unfortunately, that window of better weather didn’t last long.

I killed a lot of time wandering around at Emory Peak, leaving me behind schedule. I returned to the main trail quickly, and resumed the hike with a descent into Boot Canyon. There I found the remains of an old cabin and some pools of water. Some of the water looked clear and clean, but other pools were full of algae. A gentle ascent brought me out of the canyon and up to the South Rim. The view from there was truly mind-blowing! I walked out to the edge of the cliff and gazed straight down, 2000’ to the desert below. That vast swath of desert is scored by canyons and small but rugged mountains with intriguing names like the Elephant’s Tusk and the Mule’s Ears. Beyond, the might Rio Grande River was visible, winding its way along the Mexican border. A hearty chunk of Mexico was visible, too, including an impressive wall of tall cliffs on the far side of the river.

I took a break to appreciate the view before following the trail along the rim. The stunning views continued, but conditions were deteriorating. A wall of black clouds was approaching from the southwest. There was no chance of rain in the forecast, but that didn’t mesh with reality. Thunder rumbled, and I was on an exposed cliff.

I didn’t have many options, but I mentally prepared to bushwhack down the slope back into Boot Canyon. That area isn’t steep, and is lightly forested. I continued to hike, and watched the storm roll along the river. Initially I thought it was heading towards me, but it continued east, into Mexico. The distant cliffs disappeared, and the rugged desert below was lost in shadow. Conditions were lousy for photography, but I didn’t care. The experience was awesome.

The storm passed, and I continued along the rim as it turned northward. This changed my view to the west. The sheer dropoff continued unabated, too. Although the cliffs aren’t as high as the Grand Canyon, I thought the view was just as impressive.

It was late afternoon, and I still had a long hike back. I headed down the Laguna Meadows Trail, leaving the thrilling views behind. Before long, another storm rolled in. I wasn’t able to dodge this one. Light, cold rain began to fall. I stopped to put on my rain jacket and pack up my camera. Unfortunately I’d left my rain pants in the car. The last four miles of the hike were a plod through intermittent showers. I didn’t get much of a sense for the beauty of this part of the loop, due to the weather and fatigue. The good news is that it was a very gentle descent with good footing most of the way.

I reached the car around 6pm. Originally I had hoped to visit the natural hot springs in the southeast corner of the park after my hike. However, I still had a 1 hour drive back to the campground, and wanted to get back before dark. I decided to skip the hot springs and headed for camp.

The rain ended shortly after I left the mountains. My campsite had received only a few raindrops. There is a big difference in the weather in the mountains and the desert! I made another dinner of chili and salad, and enjoyed another campfire despite a much warmer evening. Once again, I fell asleep in utter solitude to a coyote lullaby.

THE DESERT

I got up at first light on Sunday. That seemed early, but the beginning of daylight savings time meant that it was an hour later than I thought. It had rained briefly during the night, leaving the tent just damp enough that I couldn’t pack it up fully. I finished breaking camp, and drove over to the store to get water. I made oatmeal and coffee on the picnic table on the front porch, which was much more comfortable than cooking and eating at the campsite.

I left there shortly after first light and drove back into the park. My plan was to hike in Santa Elena Canyon in the southwest corner of the park. That is just a short hike though, and I wanted to do some other hikes on the way there. Originally I considered returning to the Chisos Mountains and hiking the Lost Mine Trail, or scrambling up Casa Grande. However, the mountaintops were lost in the clouds. The sky was completely overcast, and it didn’t look like the clouds would be going anywhere anytime soon. I needed a backup plan.

I thought about doing the hike and scramble through the slot canyon of Devil’s Den, which is near the campground. For some reason I just wasn’t in the mood for that though. Instead I drove down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. That road would take me to the river and Santa Elena Canyon, and it has a number of trailheads along it. I stopped at a couple of overlooks, where the views were interesting but limited due to the clouds. At the first, the Blue Creek Ranch Overlook, it was windy, raining, and surprisingly cold. Conditions were more pleasant farther down the road, as I dropped in elevation.

My first hike was to the bottom of the Burro Wash Pouroff. The trail follows Burro Wash through classic desert scenery, passing an interesting variety of cacti and other plants. After a short distance the walls of the canyon began to close in. The hike ends at the base of a dry waterfall. It was a neat spot, but it would really be amazing after a big storm when the canyon floods. Of course, it might be difficult to get there in those conditions.

Farther down the road I stopped at the trailhead for the Chimneys. This was a very easy trail through more scrub desert, with constant views of the surrounding mountains. The most interesting vista was of the Mule Ears – a pair of rugged peaks east of the road. Fast, easy hiking enabled me to cover the 2+ miles to the Chimneys in 45 minutes. Once there, I spent an hour exploring the various boulders, outcrops, and other rock formations. There were several highlights, including a small natural arch and a pair of rock shelters featuring both petroglyphs and pictographs on the cliff walls.

I returned to the car, and enjoyed an impressive roadside wildflower display on the way down to the river. I passed a campground and continued on parallel to the Rio Grande. I made a quick stop at the Santa Elena Canyon overlook for a photo before continuing on to the trailhead. This place was a total zoo! Apparently Santa Elena Canyon is quite popular, and for good reason. The trail enters the mouth of the canyon, which is 1,500’ deep but only about 50’ wide. After a short stretch of steep switchbacks the trail passes over a spur ridge before descending back to the river. However, before long the canyon walls close in, and the trail ends.

Originally I had flirted with the idea of wading upstream from that point to experience more of the canyon. Water levels were low, but it still would’ve been difficult. Where the trail ends, there is a fairly deep channel on the near side of the canyon. Crossing the river to the far side is technically illegal, since the international border runs down the middle of the river. Hiking upstream would’ve required crossing back and forth to avoid the deeper water.

That pesky law wasn’t stopping everybody. In fact, when I reached the end of the trail, there was an entire family hanging out on a sandbar on the far side of the river. They were Hispanic, too, which made for an amusing photo when they started wading back across. Don’t worry, there’s no need to call the Department of Homeland Security. I’m pretty sure they didn’t rappel down that 1,500’ cliff on the Mexican side of the river.

There were several folks in canoes and kayaks floating down the river. It takes 3-4 days to paddle the canyon from a town just upstream from the canyon. I definitely want to do that when I return to Big Bend.

From there, I planned to drive out to Terlingula for dinner. Terlingula is a ghost town…except that people live there and there are several hotels and campgrounds. So, it’s a pretty lively ghost town. Still, a friend told me that I had to stop at the Starlight Theatre before I left Big Bend. To get there, I could’ve driven all the way back on the Scenic Drive. However, the Old Maverick Road provides a major shortcut. At the beginning of the road, there were signs warning that 4WD was recommended. I didn’t have that, but it turns out that it definitely wasn’t necessary. In fact, I’m pretty confident I could have driven that road in my Prius. I probably averaged 30mph on the way out. That shortcut must have saved me an hour or two on the long drive home.

I reached Terlingula right at 5pm. This was convenient, because that is when the Starlight opens on Sundays. I had a fantastic burger with a fried egg on it, which was a first for me. I limited myself to one local IPA though, since I had a long drive back to San Antonio that evening.

The drive was brutal. I made it to the town of Alpine without any trouble, and was treated to a double rainbow along the way. After that, I drove through a series of heavy storms. The storms eventually gave way to fog, which was even worse. It was a tedious, stressful, tiring drive, and the conditions made it take longer than I’d expected. I finally reached my hotel in San Antonio at 12:30. Luckily I wasn’t expected at work until mid-morning on Monday.

I was able to explore San Antonio a bit that week. Downtown is quite charming. On my last evening, I walked from my hotel to downtown on the River Walk. The River Walk is a great concept – a series of walkways along the San Antonio River. The river itself isn’t particularly natural – it looks more like a canal. It’s still pretty though, and it is lined with an endless variety of restaurants, bars, and hotels. Boat cruises are offered, and water taxis are available, too. However, there was one thing that puzzled me. The walkway itself is pretty narrow – about as wide as two sidewalks – and there are no railings. Some parts of it were very crowded. I wonder how often somebody falls in the river? I posed that question to a waitress later on, and she was quite amused. She told me that someone had fallen in about a month ago, but hadn’t heard of any accidents since.

Dinner that night was fantastic. I stopped at Acnar Mexican Restaurant, which features a deck overlooking the river. It’s not your typical Mexican restaurant though. It’s pretty upscale, and I had a fantastic meal featuring red snapper and a margarita. It was a great way to end an enjoyable week exploring southwest Texas.

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