Thru Texas to Big Bend ; Big Bend National Park

(posted from Chisos Mountain Lodge, Big Bend NP)

(This post covers 18 – 21 March, 2010)

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Monday, 22 March-

It was only 37 overnight but we were comfortable and slept well. The sun rises late here; it doesn't clear the horizon until after 0800 but once it does the warmth streams in. With the back of the van pointed eastward, I can watch the thermometer rise minute-by-minute once the sun hits it. By the tie we had a breakfast bar and our washup, the temperature was a pleasant 50.
We drove to the nearby Mariscal Mine to look around. This mine hasn't worked since the mid-Forties so I guess you'd call it a ghost-mine. We spent a pleasant couple of hours walking through the complex and checking out the blocked-off mine shafts. One emanated warm air, like a furnace. Another has a protected species of bats. We loved being out here in the middle of nowhere just poking around and trying to envision the mine at work in its heyday of the late Teens.
After the mine, we drove back out the East River Road as far as Glenn Springs Road and turned north. This would be a longer drive to the hard road but only by a few miles and it would give us new territory to explore. The Glenn Springs Road was actually a bit better than the East River Road though it was only as wide as the van. We had met a an oncoming bus on the East River Road and had to back up about a quarter of a mile to find a place wide enough to get off. As the bus passed we saw it was a National Park Service Fire Crew-- I wonder what they're doing out here...
As it turned out we didn't meet any oncoming traffic on the Glenn Springs Road. We came close in that we had pulled off for lunch at one of the only pullouts for miles and while we were eating a pickup came in from the north. We chatted a bit-- it was three Texans from the Austin area who come out twice a year to drive the backcountry roads of Big Bend.
By early afternoon we worked our way back out to the hard road and had seen some beautiful country. I was particularly drawn to Elephant's Tusk, a curious upthrust rock monolith, and wish we had gotten closer to it on the River Road.
Once we hit the hard road, I drove back up to Chisos Basin and we picked up some supplies from the store and had a dessert at the Lodge. I had intended to post my blog update but the wi-fi link was running so slow I couldn't get past the logon so I gave up.
We spent the afternoon wondering down Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. We stopped at Sam Nail Ranch, where we found two bird-watchers intently watching an area watered by the old Aeromotor wind mill. They told us they had seen a grey fox only a short while ago and showed us photos.
We then stopped at the various pullouts for an education on the volcanic history of the Chisos and of the cattle and sheep herding heritage of the area. We then hiked back to Burro Springs, a classic desert spring. I think I'd call it more of a seep than a spring but I'm sure it would be welcome nonetheless.
By then it was getting late so we missed seeing the store or visitor center at Castolon. We took a turn through the Cottonwood Campground where we saw two friendly ladies we met yesterday who had been interested in our van. They said the campground was filled with birders and they too had seen several birds they've never seen before. They invited us for drinks later but we had to move on to our backcountry campsite.
We then drove to Santa Elena Overlook where we could see the canyon formed in the 1500-foot high rock massif by the Rio Grande. The canyon is eight miles long and at places only 30 feet wide.
As darkness approached we drove the dirt Old Maverick road to our campsite at Rattlesnake Mountain. Again we hit it big. Our campsite had views in every direction and tonight we have a very bright half-moon with a giant ring and many, many stars. The moon is bright enough to cast a shadow so I can't see the Milky Way but the sky still has many more stars than at home.
I spent the rest of the evening blogging and reading.

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Sunday, 21 March-

It was COLD last night! The thermometer showed 32 but after the cold, windy day yesterday it seemed extra cold. This morning Labashi complained of waking more than normal and it was too cold in the van to have her arms outside the covers to read. I, on the other hand, slept very heavily. And because Labashi was into a couple of hours of catch-up sleep and I was completely out of it we slept right through to 0930- a rarity for us.
After morning get-ready we drove back up to Chisos Basin and hit the store for ice and a couple of drinks. By that time it was 1100 so I took the laptop in and checked email, then we shared a good green-pepper burger before heading out.
We drove east to Rio Grande Village to look around and we took a short walk down to the river. Here it's only a stone's throw wide and it's a pretty color of light green. We saw canoeists on the river and understand this is a popular area for that.
We then drove to nearby Boquillas Canyon and walked for an hour. We followed the trail to the river where it passes between massive rock walls. Along the trail we'd see several trinkets --- walking sticks, scorpions made out of artfully-twisted wire, necklaces, etc--- laid out for sale, these by Mexicans on the other side of the river. Beside each display was a sign giving prices for each item along with a message that the proceeds support childrens schools in nearby Boquillas (which we could see off in the distance). The Park brochures tell visitors not to buy because it encourages the Mexicans to cross into the US illegally. For most of our visit the Mexicans hung out on the far side of the river and it was a bit odd. Do you wave to these folks? Does waving mean “I'd like to buy something?” or “Hola!, fellow citizen of the planet!” ?
As we approached the canyon, we heard singing. “Victor the Mexican Singer” was singing from atop a rock on the opposite side of the river and it sounded great echoing from the great walls. Periodically along the trail we'd see a coffee can encouraging us to donate (that's how we know his name) and an older fellow with his canoe pulled up on the US-side greeted passers-by and asked if they liked the music.
On the far side we saw small groups of people-- men and older boys--- sitting around and apparently joking with each other (according to the laughter). Horses stood nearby.
As we made the return trip from the far end of the trail, we were surprised to find the Mexicans on this side with their horses, apparently packing up for the day. And this seemed to encourage the tourists around us to start buying a few of the items. Interesting!
After our walk we headed for our backcountry campsite some 20 miles down a dirt road. For the most part the road was just a bit rocky and wash-boarded but we did hit the hitch receiver seven or eight times as we crossed the larger washouts.
After 75 minutes we found our site ('Fresno') and loved it right away. It sits all to itself on a flat plain of creosote-bush and the occasional yucca. There are mountains in all directions but a striking peak lies off to the west. And within walking distance is an abandoned mercury mine.
The Mariscal Mine operated in the first quarter of the Twentieth Century. At first, burro-trains took the ore (called 'cinnabar') to Terlinqua but later on-site processing was set up. The mine operated until prices for mercury dropped after World War I, opened briefly again during World War II, and then closed again, apparently forever.
After supper Labashi and I walked among the ruins of the shacks of the supervisory staff and store (the labor was Mexican). We'll check out the mine buildings tomorrow.
We spent the rest of the evening reading and blogging.

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Saturday, 20 March-

Big Bend National Park--- woo-hoo! I've long wanted to visit Big Bend after reading about it years ago in Backpacker or Outside Magazine but it always seemed too far off our projected pathway. Last Fall on our Oregon Trail trip we had trickled down through the Sierra Nevadas, then headed East to Albuquerque. From there we needed to make miles for the next weekend in Austin to visit relatives so Big Bend would have taken too long.
We woke this morning to sharply colder and windier weather than yesterday. We got underway by 0800 and drove right to the Panther Junction Visitor's Center to lay out our backcountry camp options for the next few days. The ranger told us the weekend had been extremely busy due to all the Spring Break kids but with the end of the week and the cold front passing through, the park will clear out quite a bit today. And our weather should warm up tomorrow.
After Panther Junction, we drove up into the Chisos Basin. What a spectacular drive. The mountains rise to almost 6000 feet all around and they are massive walls of vertical rock. The road is narrow and goes up, down, and all-around with multiple 10 and 15 mile-per-hour turns.
At the top of the road we ended up at Chisos Mountain Lodge, where we had an excellent quesadilla for lunch as we gazed out the lodge windows at 'The Window', a narrow valley in the rock walls through which we could look to the desert floor beyond.
After a quick look around at the Chisos Visitor Center and store, we descended the mountain and drove back north to Dagger Flats Auto Trail. We picked up a guide brochure and slowly drove the Trail, stopping at numbered posts to see and read about the variety of cactuses of the Chihuahua Desert. They included lechegulla, octotillo, sotol, prickly pear, cholla, candelia, yucca, dagger yucca, and others plus persimmon and juniper trees.
At the end of the tour road (about eight miles in), we took the circular turnaround and I noticed a Border Patrol truck coming up behind so pulled over. We had a very cordial chat with a Border Patrol agent who told us he's normally posted in Fort Stockton but they are detailed 30 days at a time to patrol Big Bend. He told us he thinks it's great to get paid to tour beautiful country like this. He also mentioned that bodies of two illegal aliens who had died of dehydration had been found in the Dagger Flats area.
Once back to the hard road, we continued north and out of the park for a side trip to the Rio Grand. We passed the Stilwell Ranch where we had stayed last night and continued on through the Black Gap National Wildlife Refuge to the dead end at the Rio Grande. There had been a border crossing there sometime in the past but the bridge is now blocked and it appears the buildings on the Mexico side of the river are all abandoned and falling down. The river here was also quite small. It was a pretty color of light green but only a few yards wide, more of a creek. We didn't tarry long there, though, since we figured we were probably under surveillance by the Border Patrol and we didn't want our innocent curiousity to be mistaken for something sinister.
We drove the 75 miles back into Big Bend and stopped at a roadside exhibit at the Dog Canyon Trailhead pull-off to make supper and watch the shadows fill in the mountains. Then we continued back to Government Spring for our primitive campsite for the night.
I spent the evening blogging and reading 'Bitterroot', a James Lee Burke novel I picked up in the book exchange at the Chisos Mountain Lodge while Labashi read park brochures and maps.

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Friday, 19 March-

This morning we had a pleasant surprise when we went over to the Rec Hall office to pay our $15. Apparently we're off-season, so the bill was only $10 and that, we learned, includes hot showers in the Rec Hall building if we want them. The showers were the high-school-style group showers but since we were the only occupants of our respective shower rooms, they were fine. The important part was the hot water!
We spent the rest of the day winding down Route 67 toward Marathon. This road is amazing in one aspect: the speed limit is 75 for cars and 70 for trucks. It's basically just an extra-wide country road but these good-ole-boys sure take advantage of those speeds. We also notice that the thing to do when you're a bit slower than the guy behind you is to let him pass by driving on the paved road-edge. It's not uncommon to see two oncoming vehicles side-by-side, one in the single oncoming lane, the other off the road entirely but zipping along at 60-70 miles per hour on the wide road-edge.
By supper time we were still miles from our goal for the night (Big Bend National Park). We gassed up at Marathon (where the gas price was .40 per gallon higher out here in the boonies) and stopped at a delightful picnic area atop a hill to make supper. I took the time-out to call Big Bend National Park and learned that even after entering the park we'd have another 50 miles to a campground and no assurance a place would be available. The ranger mentioned a private campground a few miles outside the park and gave me directions.
We resigned ourselves to having to go to what would probably be an expensive commercial campground by having saved money with a few Wal-mart nights and getting a good deal in Stephensville. We guessed we'd have to pay $30 for the night and might have to listen to an RV furnace or generator or two.
We were pleasantly surprised, though to get a dry-camping spot all to ourselves for $5 per person including showers. And music!
We had arrived just in time for live music in the Hallie Stilwell Museum right beside the Stilwell Store/Campground office. The duo playing were the Whitmans--- he on guitar, she on bass --- and they were wonderful. They sang old western songs about lonesome cowboys and some Loretta Lynn and 'Okie from Muscogee', and others I can't name but all interesting and well-done. As they played, several of the audience danced and we realized these were the long-time residents of the campground and the owner. The Whitmans were joined by a fellow from Nova Scotia, “Omer”, who is apparently a country music fan and amateur guitar player and singer. Afterwards, Nan Patton, grand-daughter of Hallie Stilwell and owner of the store/campground/museum, told stories about her grandmother and her time on the ranch. All in all, it couldn't have been a nicer introduction to west Texas.

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Thursday, 18 March-

We had arrived at Little Rock yesterday after a day of driving under clouds with an occasional short shower. But today brought the sun and a pleasant morning. Oh, yeah, THIS is what we came for!
We drove for a couple of hours to Texarkana and on the Texas side stopped at the Texas Welcome Center. We gathered information about the Big Bend area of West Texas and I used the Welcome Center's wi-fi connection to check email and post my blog update.
We spent the rest of the afternoon crossing East Texas via I-30 and reached Dallas by rush hour. We only hit minor slowing as we skirted the outside of Dallas and then headed southwest down route 67.
We had supper in a picnic pulloff overlooking a nice section of the Hill Country. Oddly, there was a small hill nearby and atop it was what looked like a near-replica of The Alamo. It was tough to tell from our vantage point but it looked like it wasn't a commercial or government building. I'd like to know more about it.
We drove south for another hour or so and decided to stop a bit early by going in to Cleburn State Park for the night. But a ranger was just leaving the now-closed building and he told us the campground was completely full. He had also talked with other government campgrounds nearby and those had been nearly full by mid-day so he suggested we backtrack to a very large campground at Fort Worth. But when we said we'd be fine at a local Wal-mart, he graciously gave us directions.
Since it was still relatively early we continued on. While Labashi was preparing supper I had found that the nearby town of Stephensville had both a Wal-mart and a city park with free campsites. We found the city park easily enough but a sign said the campsites were now $15. But it was dark by now and we had the campground to ourselves so we decided to stay.
After settling in we noticed a tent at the other end of the park so walked over and found it was a revival meeting. We listened to a hellfire-and-brimstone sermon for a short while then walked on back to the van, passing a group playing volleyball under the lights on this pleasant Spring evening.
We had gotten in fairly late so our evening didn't last long. We were SO looking forward to a quiet night after two noisy Wal-mart nights.

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