Big Bend Trip Report - Dec 13-17

A handful of hardy souls took a chance on heading out to Big Bend with me in the middle of the 12th month in 2021. From Austin, Houston, and St. Louis they came to be part of the company. This is a report of those fleeting days when we feared, laughed, hurt, loved, and grew. And that probably sounds too meta or romantic but if you were out there in the field, you know the feelings all too well.

I've been to Big Bend maybe 15 times and still have not seen all of it. It's a vast park with a diverse array of geographic, geological, and climate settings. The weather in this remote area of Brewster County is a living, breathing thing. More often than not the park itself is the fiery furnace in the belly of a dragon; an inhospitably hot place that has claimed lives. And though usually winter is a great time to visit, I've been there when the entire park is coated in a thick, cold ice. I've barely missed epic snowstorms that have stranded people in the mountains for days. It’s an austere place of a special beauty, I dare say an acquired taste, but it’s a section of the chihuahuan desert that takes root inside of you like the hearty creosote bushes and stays there. And grows. And smells good.

As the dates drew near, the weather forecast looked increasingly favorable. Since we were staying in the Chisos Basin (7825 feet in elevation) temperatures are usually cooler than most indicated forecasts. I can say now in hindsight we had favorable weather that was idyllic for our forays into the heart of the park. We had a group of people excited and willing to do new things and experience whatever the park would offer up (it seems locations, visitor centers, attractions close on a whim these days).?

Day 1: Comanche Night Raid

Most folks opted to drive themselves to the park rather than take the carpool option which worked well. I met Brian in Austin and then we meandered through LA traffic to get out west. We arrived around 3:30 and began setting up camp and shortly after the others rolled in. We set up our tents and equipment for the week as the mountains turned vibrant warm shades of red and orange. When camp was sort of established, we all headed down The Window trail to glimpse sunset.?

Though we had headlamps, the moon shone with such a clear and bright white light that we never turned them on. The hike back did seem to take longer at the slower pace, but ever since my TPWD days I’ve loved the idea of night hikes. It was an impromptu thing but one of my highlights of the trip, personally.?

Day 2: South Rim Death March

When the activities of the morning were mostly complete we got in cars to get closer to the Chisos Basin Trailhead. THe plan was to go up Laguna Meadows and loop around to Emory Peak (Tallest point in the park) and then come down the Pinnacles Trail. The elevation gain is slightly more gradual this way.?

However…There was a trail reroute in progress and the park signage was not clear on how to get to the Laguna Meadows trail so we ended up on the Pinnacles Trail. It’s a fine trail, the first one I ever hiked in the park and a direct assault up to the top of the spires that enclose the basin itself. It does have a 2000ft elevation gain though, and the bulk of that is in the last mile or so. It’s tough no matter what. So slowly we ambled up switchbacks and scree fields, looking for bears but finding none. By lunch time we were at the top of the trail and took a break for much needed rest and reflection on what we were doing in life.?

With the junction to Emory Peak looming, and knowing that would involve more elevation, I offered the group an alternative of heading to the south east rim. A mostly flat hike but one that would involve a certain addition of miles to the day.?

Now, I take a lot of pride in my navigational skills and travel punctuality. I have more maps than most people. But… Due to a recent move, all of my possessions are scattered in 3 locations around Texas and 1 location in Maine, and I could not find my good Big Bend map. Don’t mistake me, I had high quality topo maps digitally but they didn’t have known mile distances so I was left to interpret our distances by comparing the dashed route on my screen with the scale bar on the map. This resulted in some creative differences between the numerical figures I estimated when compared to published data from the park.?

Anyway, we set off from the Lunch spot under Toll Mountain and headed through Boot Spring Canyon. A fire recently devastated the area and the remnants of the few trees stand mostly as charred figures on a hill. Grasses have come back and the hearty desert plants still live but the trees were impacted greatly. We began to slow as a group, tired of walking, tired undulating with the mountain landscape. Before long we made it to our viewpoint which, as I’ve said, is the best view in all of Texas in my estimation. But it was coming at a price. Blisters were forming or worsening, pains and aches complained louder, feet hurt more and more with every step, and after resting and soaking in the view everyone was sufficiently ready to be at camp. However, the descent stood between us and comfortable camp chairs.?

Sparing a long drawn out account- It was a slow, painful hike down for pretty much everyone but we made it back to the cars by sundown. Camp brought some respite and some pain relievers, and the hike took so much out of everyone that I think we all slept well that evening under the clear canopy of Texas stars and the streaking lights of the Geminid meteor shower.

Day 3- Ride the Donkey, Eat the Goat

Laura had a birthday coming up in a day, and I thought that apropos of walking all over the mountains in the park, I’d buy her a Nat-Geo map of the park as a souvenir and as a tool to keep me honest just in case I decided to get ambitious in the next couple of days.?

The plans were simple on this day though. Go soak in the hot springs until we were healed, and then go to Mexico until we were happy. The drive to the Hot Springs took us to the east side of the park and though we got to the parking area about 1030 there were a few people already soaking. We made quick friends of them all, including a nomadic couple who was in the process of traveling to every National Park. The professional move seemed to be bouncing from the perfectly hot water of the springs and going into the cold winter Rio Grande, so with some trepidation I did that. Eventually I opted for the warmth of the springs. But even the winter sun in the lowlands of Big Bend gave us temperatures in the 80s so drying off was comfortable.?

A quick stop at the Rio Grande Village Visitor Center for a $2 5-minute long hot shower, and then we were off to Boquillas Crossing for lunch.?

The border crossing has been closed since September 11th, 2001 and only recently reopened so it was a unique opportunity to visit the village. I had suspected for some time (as a connoisseur of Texas country music) that? Robert Earl Keen’s “Gringo Honeymoon” was explicitly written about this border town and the experience, but it was only speculation.??

We walked to the river and had the option to hire a row boat or walk across since the water was low. I took my shoes off and legally walked into Mexico. Immediately we were greeted by friendly faces offering a ride on a horse, truck, or donkey. Or we could walk. Somehow Daniel suggested donkeys. At $5 round trip, I guess it’s a steal but I had some reservations. Fortunately I had no time to process and was forced to agree and hop on a donkey with the group.?

Our guide Martin walked beside us and took us to the first bar that we could see, and we had some cold beers in the shade.?

Martin then took us on a tour of the town, stopping at the visitor center, the church, and his own personal home. Hospitality and kindness like we had gives me hope for the greater world. If you go to Big Bend, visiting Boquillas is a must. They’re entirely dependent on tourism and have been without for 20 years.?

The border patrol officer was adamant that we had to be back by 4pm (through the checkpoint, on Texan soil) so we saddled up our burros and walked across the river about 3:30. After an uneventful stop at the checkpoint, we all got through and headed back to camp to eat, sit, talk, paint, read.?

Day 4- How many times have you drank a Klondike Bar??

In the morning we piled into one car and went to the other side of the park to see Santa Elena Canyon, Tuff Canyon, and Terlingua.?

I’ve not seen the Rio Grande so low in Santa Elena in many many years. We were able to walk the trail to the end without stepping over anything more than a puddle. There’s something enchanting about the limestone walls and the way the light reflects off of the angles of the canyon. On the way to Terlingua for lunch we viewed Tuff canyon to marvel at the pyroclastic flows and ash deposits, as well as the erosive power of water. Following the brief lunch stop we went back to camp in the early afternoon to relax and just enjoy the basin. It was Laura’s birthday as well, and her husband Randy was planning an extravagant dinner to which we were all invited.?

He prepared a wonderful spread of fire grilled sausages, roasted vegetables, salads, mead, chicken, and sweet potatoes. It was a true culinary experience and delicious. We all sat at the picnic table eating and talking about the trip and whatever else came up as the sun set below The Window off in the distance. In the darkness we listened to “Gringo Honeymoon” so the others could marvel at the accuracy of the lyrics to our experience the prior day. We all sang happy birthday to Laura, and then Randy pulled out dessert- Klondike bars. Only due to the passage of time they had melted some. But having anticipated that, he suggested we cut the corners and drink them. It was the first time any of us had consumed a klondike bar in such a fashion, but I can say it was by no means bad. Infact, in some ways preferred. After laughing and cleaning we wandered to our nylon homes for a final night knowing we’d be packing and leaving in the morning about 7am.?

We went our separate ways in the morning. Even though the mountain hike on day 2 turned firmly into Type 2 fun (the kind of fun that you hate in the moment but look back on and smile), everyone did well and we had a great time. For my money, it’s the best trip I’ve ever had in Big Bend. It’s rare that the weather is great, the park attractions are all open, and your travel companions are excited to take it all in.?

This trip has a special place in my heart because it’s the first public one we’ve done. Years ago I was working at RPS and had a dream for how to run trips for industry and also reach folks who like geology but just want to be outside. And I outlined my business plan in detail to an instructor while I was on a field trip in Canada. Not long after that, a different company (not mine) popped up with that exact business plan. I’m not saying they took my idea, it’s a pretty generic idea. But I am saying I feel a great amount of thankfulness that I’ve been able to do this my way and that it’s working.?

I don’t concern myself with what others do or don’t do. From my days in college, my calling has been sharing the outdoors with people because it makes us happier, healthier, smarter and that’s what I’m going to keep finding ways to do. I’ve been blessed on this journey and the Big Bend trip was a tangible show of that, so it will always be special to me. And to the people who made it out there- Daniel, Brian, Laura, Randy- I’ll never forget you for many reasons, but chief among them how grateful I am to have shared time with yall under the clear Texas stars.?

See ya’ll on the next one,?

-C