A few brief notes before I tell this tale. Research and planning are the best tools you can have to prepare for Big Bend. Here are a few important highlights.
Fuel: It is at least 25 miles between and fuel station in the park and it's usually about the same distance between attractions. Manage fuel when you can and fill up often. The park can lose power (and did shortly after our departure) and when the power goes out, the fuel pumps are down and it's about 50 miles from the Panther Junction fuel station and Terlingua. Be advised.
Take Water!: The park advises taking 1-2 liters of water per hour of hiking time. A good many of the hikes are relatively short but even in cool weather, the average humidity is around 12% and it literally pulls the moisture out of you. Dehydration can happen very quickly, so be smart.
Snacks: Most hikers know that that taking snacks is a good idea. For those that are inexperienced, take high protein snacks along since it's a long way from any lunch stop and you're going to need extra energy.
Wear Boots: Most of the hikes I talk about are quite short and relatively easy. However, Big Bend is filled with things that want to kill you, like rattlesnakes, and things that want to hurt you, like low lying spiny cacti and ankle twisting rocks. Wear the appropriate gear.
I've been trying for a couple of days now to explain to people the impact that Big Bend had on me and I keep stumbling for words each time. From the vast dry landscape to the beautiful decaying volcanic mountain ranges to the intermittent oasis, it's a land of juxtaposition to say the least. However, I will do my best here and hope that I can at least capture some of the magic in my documentation.
We work part time at the local Subway and the schedule comes out on Tuesdays and we're lucky that they work with our camp hosting schedule. When we saw that we would have 48 hours between the sandwich shop and the RV park, we knew immediately that we needed to hit Big Bend. We've been planning it for some time but really didn't know exactly when we could escape. After we closed, there was a flurry of activity to pull our tent camping gear together which we accomplished in somewhat short order. We boiled eggs for a quick breakfast (which we forgot in our haste), packed a couple of MRE's for those just in case meals, and went to bed.
The next day would be no less than a scurry as we tried to leave as soon as possible. We knew we couldn't check in to the campsite earlier than 1pm so the plan was to get there and get a few sights off the list before we set up camp. Unfortunately Free Range Adventure Dogs aren't allowed on any of the trails so we decided to board her for the first time in years. That done, we managed a quick grocery trip for the last of our essentials and headed out on the two hour drive to get there.
Our first planned stop was at the Boquillas border crossing into Mexico which was described to us a third world but with great food and a very local feel. We checked in with the Border Patrol and asked a few questions and then were asked to produce our passports. We don't have passports but we both have what is called Enhanced Driver's Licenses which allow entry into a good many countries in our hemisphere. With as much kindness as he could offer, the border guard explained that we could fly into Mexico with our EIDLs but we couldn't make a land crossing, which made no sense to me but it was the situation. A funny side note would be that he explained that he couldn't stop us from crossing into Mexico to which I replied "But you can stop us from coming back".
As disappointed as we were, this turned out to be a blessing as we would have spent a few hours in Boquillas and it would have taken too much time out of our schedule to see some of the sights we were looking forward to. Onward to the Hot Springs.
Just outside of the Rio Grande RV Park and not far from the border crossing, down a rough, dusty road lay the Hot Springs. Back in the early 1900's a sickly fellow from back east came here looking for the healing that hot springs were known to offer and it was so effective for him that he built a resort so that others could experience what he did. Those old buildings remain as well as a few petroglyphs high on the canyon walls.
We were lucky that it wasn't crowded when we went as it's one of the more popular stops in the park but there were a few people there and people are the most interesting part of any of our travels. One older man was soaking in the spring looking for and swearing to it's healing properties as he watched his wife soak in the pool and then dive into the Rio Grande that flowed past it's man made stone walls. Another gentleman was so taken by the area that he jumped in fully clothed and then decided to swim across the river to Mexico. When he swam back, I jokingly told him I'd need to see his documents to get back on U.S. soil. After buying a Sotol walking stick from a pile of trinkets with an honor box, we headed off on the next leg of the adventure. Chisos Basin, here we come.
The Chisos is what can best be described as an ancient coldera located at 5,000 feet above sea level and which is home to several species of flora and fauna and is not only a rare environment in the desert but is also 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the desert floor. One truly amazing feature (and I'll try not to use that word too often) is The Window, which is a gap between two mountainous features where one can see the cliffs that define the Mexican border some 20 miles away. There is also a campground near by which we missed booking by just a minute or two, again, much to our disappointment but we saw some truly magestic landscape and met an interesting couple who had been traveling the world in their 1984 Toyota RV, which was in wonderful condition. We gave them a sticker (oh, and I have stickers available) and headed toward Cottonwood Campground.
The Ross Maxwell scenic drive is about 25 miles of some of the most beautiful and awe inspiring views in Big Bend as it crosses over the mountains into the desert floor toward another section of the border.
We arrived at about 4:00pm and set up camp in another oasis with towering Cottonwood trees it was a balmy 88 degrees but the lack of humidity makes it easily tolerable and quite comfortable. After setting up camp, we layed into a small charcuterie tray that we picked up at the grocery and talked of the day so far. We really didn't have plans for the rest of the day but we discussed a few things and set about exploring this small, 20 site campground. There was one spigot for water at the entrance, two vault toilets, and no power there making what is called a Dry Campground and although there was a lack of amenities, there were still a few smaller RV's and truck campers. We met a couple of female friends who traveled from Indiana to see the park as well as our volunteer camp host who was as eccentric as you could imagine anyone who lived alone in the back of a pickup truck residing in the vast desert without cell service or a TV station to occupy the mind would be. Still, she was kind and her eccentricity was welcome and after a brief conversation about the surroundings, she convinced us to drive down to the river put in near Santa Elana canyon and we were glad she did. On our return trip, we witnessed some of the most prolific sunsets over various mountains that could be seen from the valley floor. As the sun sat, we returned to camp and got directly into the cooler of beer and Gina's last bottle of Michigan wine, which she had been saving for just such an event.
I woke up earlier than usual, which was about 4:00am, and sat under the stars in the chilly morning air. The moon had just set to the west and the sun was slowly marching up in the east so the Milky Way wasn't visible but the amount of stars in the sky were no less than incredible and worthy of getting up before the birds. As I waited for daybreak, I took the time to rekindle my on again off again affair with instant coffee prepared over my butane burner. That little kit was my morning sidekick over 6,200 miles on our motorcycle trip last year.
After a brief breakfast of hard boiled eggs which we purchased at one of the Big Bend stores, we headed for Santa Elana canyon for what was a somewhat strenuous but overall easy hike. The canyon itself was carved out by the Rio Grande over millions of years and if you have a geology bug as I do, you can see every layer of the formidable cliffs. The hike begins with a choice of either crossing a small backwater of the river or going around it. Crossing means you have to scramble up a sharp bank with little hand holds but it can be done, as opposed to going around which leads to a steep, slightly treacherous trail going over the rocks and then back down the other side, which is just as treacherous.
Once over that obstacle, there is a short trail that leads to steps and ramps of concrete that switch back often to get you over the cliff wall and on to the main trail, which is about a quarter mile long and dead ends into a sheer cliff that is just a few feet above the waterline of the river. When we reached the end we found the two girls we had met at the campground the night before and had a lovely conversation with them about our travels as well as theirs. Once again, everything about our adventures comes down to the people we meet as much as the amazing places we go.
As we headed back we let them go ahead of us as we are slow of pace and they quickly were out of sight until we caught up with them at the edge of the back water where they had decided to cross instead of going back over the sketchy rock face. As soon as they hit the water there were squeals and cautious laughter as they realizd that, even in the desert of South Texas, the river can be very cold. Erring on the side of caution and not having much dry gear back at the truck we opted for the rocks, which were much easier to navigate on the return trip.
A final thought on Santa Elana canyon would be that the infamous winds picked up right after we arrived and, if you're not familiar with the type of winds they get down here, your experience is going to be interesting to say the least. The winds were coming directly out of the west and shooting straight down the canyon and the strength was enough that three people in two canoes were paddling as hard and fast as they could and they weren't moving. This also means the amount of dust and sand in the air was to make me wish I had brought a bandana or a mask.
On the way out of the park we stopped at the roadside fossil and geology exhibit which lay on the edge of a wide desert plain, which was fully exposed to the winds. We debated whether to get out of the truck or just save it for another day but we braved the winds and found a very well done display of the evolution of the area that was once an inland sea and transformed into what we see today alone with an impressive fossil display, most of which were only very close to that spot.
The events of the two hour drive home aren't worth recording as it was a typical drive back to our base camp with stops to get dinner and to recover Free Range Adventure Dog from the kennel. Two things that are worth noting would be that the pupper was visibly upset with Gina for having left her there for 24 hours since she would love up on me but avoided her for at least a few hours until she once again found favor. The other would be that after we got settled back in, I took a shower in the camper. Unremarkable to be sure except for the pile of sand that was left behind.
There's a lot more to see of Big Bend National Park than I have recounted here and we will back, making a return trip in the near future. We're told there are numerous back country campgrounds that are worthy of exploration and the sheer beauty of it all is something we must return to witness again.
Have a great day!
