Sorry for the delay folks... We've been having too much fun!
Unfortunately, we couldn't get out of Texas quite as fast as we wanted. We
ended up spending nearly two days in Alpine, Texas
area trying to get our Big Bend video up. While we finished the video, we
didn't get it online until a bit later after I had a chance to talk to
Larry "Coyote" Smith about using his music. After Alpine, we hit
Prada Marfa,
Davis Mountains State Park and Fort Davis
in Texas. Nothing spectacular to report here except some decent views and
interesting history, although Teresa found the restoration of adobe buildings interesting.
During our time in Texas, we spent the nights at some interesting places.
Although Texas has plenty of open space, most of it is private ranch land.
Thankfully, they allow overnight stays in their rest areas so free camping is still
an option. The first rest area we stayed in was the
Marfa Lights rest area, where people have seen "unexplained" lights;
these lights have supposedly been reported in the area before electricity or cars
existed. It was recently explained
here, although many people still believe they are something special.
We experienced nothing other than headlights on a far-away road and some intense
wind. Another rest area was 10-20 miles south of Alpine, TX. About 10pm
or so, a cop comes blazing into the rest area and shines his high-beam headlights
on our camper. I would have felt better if he had at least said something
to us, but after he saw some movement in our camper, he just returned to the highway
and left. I guess he just wanted to make sure our vehicle wasn't abandoned.
Finally, we had parked at another roadside park just outside of Davis Mountains
State Park. It was a pretty nice pull off, with some picnic benches wedged
into some rocks, but it was totally trashed. Tons of broken glass, beer bottles,
etc.. Turns out, we ended up camping at some locals' favorite party spot.
At about 10pm, three trucks pull in and apparently have a conversation across their
open windows. They left blowing their horns, apparently pissed we had decided
to sleep there for the night. It's nice to now be in New Mexico and Arizona,
where there is plenty of open BLM or National Forest land for free camping, or so
I thought (see our Southern Arizona entry). :-)
Finally, we meandered our way up into Carlsbad area of New Mexico and Northwest
Texas which includes Guadalupe Mountains National
Park and Carlsbad Caverns.
The day after we arrived, we had more intense wind. The wind was so intense,
we decided to go into the caverns to get out of the wind. When we got up to
the top of the ridge where the Carlsbad Caverns visitor center sits we had to fight
60 mph gusts from our car to the visitors center. (Turns out that Guadalupe
Mountains was reporting 80mph gusts at Guadalupe Pass, and that's at the base
of their mountains!) The wind was so strong, a piece of weather stripping
blew out from under my Thule faring on my roof rack. Yikes! We had a
nice walk in the cave, and I got some good photos thanks to a tripod I lugged around.
(The flash will not reach most formations!)
The following days were spent doing some fun hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National
Park, including a hike up to the "top of Texas", Guadalupe Peak at 8749 ft with
an elevation gain (and loss) of 3100 ft over 8.4 miles of hiking; we decimated a
Chinese buffet in Carlsbad after that one! We also walked out to the Devil's
Hall, which is pretty cool box canyon with very high walls on either side of the
trail. On the way to the hall, you pass by a "staircase" formation in the
rock. Pretty neat stuff.
We headed a little further west and North to spend some time at
Three Rivers Petroglyphs. This was another serendipitous discovery,
recommended by number of folks we met on the road. While touring the southwest,
you can experience a bit of overload on prehistoric dwellings and drawings, but
I have to admit, this site should not be missed if you have even a passing interest
in petroglyphs. The area has over 20,000 documented Jordana Mogollon petroglyphs
scattered over 1-2 miles of terrain. There is still much debate on what they
mean. Some theorize that they have deep spiritual meaning, while others think
they are simply ancient graffiti.
Heading back south, we stopped for a very brief overnight backpack in
White Sands National Monument. Basically, the monument is a huge pile
of white sand. It is formed by gypsum mineral deposits that wash into the
Tularosa basin, eventually evaporating and crystallizing on the shores of Lake Lucerne.
Over time, the gypsum material literally blows apart (remember the aforementioned
60mph winds?), eventually forming sand and blowing into the huge sand pile now known
as White Sands National Monument. It's an incredible place for photography
early in the morning or late evening when the shadows play on the dunes and the
surrounding mountains. Although we had been to White Sands before on other
trips, we had never spent the night among the dunes. As opposed to our
Big Bend backpack, this time, we smartened up and did not carry a stove.
We just ate dinner before we left and breakfast after we got back to the truck.
Camping in this manner, we didn't have to carry pots, pans, stove, or too much water
(to re-hydrate meals). It was a full moon, but unfortunately, the clouds blocked
our view much of the night. Still, we got some great photos in the morning
at sunrise.
The next stop was Gila Cliff Dwellings and
the Gila Wilderness. I have always
been "enchanted" by the Gila area, and it is not because New Mexico is the "Land
of Enchantment". 
The Gila is one of the nation's first
Wilderness areas, created in 1924 thanks to Aldo
Leopold's bold moves to save this area from development and nearby mining
abuse. This time, we hit
the area on my birthday. Teresa and I celebrated with a trip to
Silver City Brewing. Surprisingly, the place had some outstanding
brews! We even ordered a growler (0.5 gal jug filled with draught beer) of
IPA to go, and devoured a pizza with delicious roasted green chilies (which threw
Teresa's taste buds into a 3 alarm fire). Unfortunately, we couldn't hang
out as long as we wanted because I had made a reservation at the
Grey Feathers Lodge. I should have learned from my good friend Gautam...
If you are going to enjoy a brewpub, best to stay within stumbling distance.
Anyhow, we had to drive for an hour up a very curvy New Mexico Highway 15.
But the lodge in the mountains was nice, and Teresa and I thoroughly enjoyed the
hot showers and queen sized bed. After relaxing for a day camped
by the Gila River, we did a quick 3 mile hike in the Gila, but left enough time
for us to catch a guided tour of cliff dwellings where we could learn more about
its former Mogollon
inhabitants.
Teresa and I planned to explore the Gila more thoroughly by driving in between Gila
and Aldo Leopold wilderness areas on FS-150 (forest service road). I built
our first campfire with the plentiful downed wood in the area and we enjoyed a nice
evening out in the mountains. In the morning, we woke to 20 degree temperatures
and a beautiful half inch of snow on our vehicle. Unfortunately, as we started
up the truck to head further up the road towards the wilderness areas, I watched
in horror as my gas gauge, in as little as a minute, dropped down to below empty,
and then bounced back up. With a finicky gas gauge, we decided to abort our
trip and head for a Toyota dealer just to make sure everything was functioning (and
it was). Unfortunately, we also decided to abort the rest of our Gila plans
and head for Arizona as we are already running late on our itinerary. We definitely
would like to return, perhaps next winter, and spend a week or two in Gila/Aldo
Leopold, enjoying some of its hot springs and beautiful wild country. For
now, we are Arizona bound, but do expect a podcast of Carlsbad and Guadalupe very
soon.
As I start to write this entry, we are sitting in our vehicle at Nine Point Draw
in Big Bend National Park, in the dark, inverter fan humming away as Teresa and
I type up our Big Bend blog entries. Big Bend National Park is one of my favorite
destinations. It was my first major national park during my last
journey, so it has a special place in my heart. Simply put, it is
a land of extremes. Parts of it are extremely desolate. For example,
where we are camped now at Nine Point Draw, we have heard nothing but the wind whipping
around our vehicle. There are a few scattered bushes, cactuses, birds, and
coyotes in the distance, but otherwise, there is nothing but rock, sand, and sun/moonlight.
But if any amount of humidity hits the lower elevations, the smell of creosotebush
fills the air with its intoxicating medicine-like smell (it is NOT like the tar-like
smell of creosote railroad ties). But, move a few miles South, and you end
up in the Chisos mountains. The Chisos mountains are the park's centerpiece,
full of trees and animal activity with elevations ranging from 4600ft at the top
of the Window pour-off, to 5400 ft at Chisos Basin, to 7825 ft at Emory Peak. Move
yet further South, and you hit the Rio Grande river (1850 ft at Rio Grande Village),
home of a wonderful hot spring we visited multiple times on this trip, and again
full of life. Big Bend is named aptly for the big turn (bend) the Rio Grande
makes through this part of Texas.
In addition, the park is configured perfectly for boondocking (free camping).
All you need is a free permit (after park-wide entrance fee [or, as in our case,
National Parks Pass]), a 4wd high
clearance vehicle, and the entire park is yours to explore with more free drive-in
camping spots than you can see in one trip. The sites are designated and marked,
but I'd say 90% of the camping sites are configured where you cannot see another
camp site. (I wish more National parks, given the space, topography and low
visitation, would adopt this model!) It works incredibly well for campers
with a desire for a semi-wilderness experience on a tight budget such as ourselves.
We pull into our spot and call it home. A few times, we've shed our clothes
and sat out in the shade of our truck. More than a few times, we've stripped
down to enjoy a hot solar shower before bed.
So before getting into Big Bend, let me roll back the clock a little bit and get
everyone up to date. We had just ended up spending a 24 hours or so in
Truth or Consequences, NM and a couple of days in
Las Cruces, NM area exploring the surrounding BLM/Forest lands.
(More info on these experiences in
Teresa's
Daily
Diary
here). I figured we had to leave the Las Cruces area by
a certain time to be able to make it into Big Bend with enough time to reserve a
back country campsite. I, however, did not take into account the time change
between New Mexico and Texas. While New Mexico is in Mountain time, Texas
is in Central, even though the two areas are nearly at the same latitude.
I realized, half way enroute, we weren't going to get our backcountry site in time.
So doing some research, I found
Elephant Mountain WMA (Wildlife Management Area) on the way to Big Bend.
Usually, you can camp for free in WMA's, but this one, oddly enough, was state land
(instead of national land) and charged a significant fee. However, as we were
driving down highway 118 from Alpine, TX, we discovered that Texas DOT has put up
some picnic areas, and the picnic spots even allow for overnight stays (so long
as you don't set up a "structure" [IE Tent]). The only drawback?
No bathroom! Not even a portapotty! Who in their right mind would create
a picnic area without a bathroom facility of some type? Weird! But that's
West Texas for ya. Aside from some of the towns, it's a very strange desolate
place. As an example, check out the
Marfa Lights (explained
here) or Prada Marfa (El
Paso Times Article Page 1,
Page 2).
Anyhow, our first night in Big Bend started at a beautiful campsite (La Clocha #1)
overlooking the Rio Grande (and Mexico) and a dip in the Hot Springs. The
next morning, we hiked along the Rio Grande through Hot Springs Canyon from the
Hot Springs to Rio Grande Village (where I enjoyed a bag of Habanero Doritos and
a cold drink) and back. It turned out to be 8 miles round trip to the store
instead of 6 miles as advertised. (The store is one mile from the trail's end at
Daniel's Ranch.) It's a beautiful trail with views of the river canyon.
Even after hiking through intense desert heat on the way back, I thought the dip
in the hot springs still felt pretty good on the way back. Teresa on the other
hand, was experiencing mild heat exhaustion. It's gonna take us a while to
get used to this desert heat!
[PICTURE]
Our next campsite was Pine Canyon, on the edge of the Chisos mountains, a bit higher
up in elevation than our Rio Grande campsite. The following morning, we did
a 4 mile Pine Canyon hike to the bottom of a dramatic pour-off where water, when
flowing, pours off the edge of a cliff into the valley below. Being in a 7 year
drought, there was no water, but being in the shade was quite nice.
[PICTURE]
Our next night is spent at La Noria campsite out in the middle of desert off of
the Old Ore road. The following morning, we mountain biked out to
Ernst Tinaja (tinaja means earthen jug) and scared up a bunch of birds as
we approached the tinaja. We found a dead vulture floating in the pool.
There were obvious claw marks along the edge of the pool where exhausted animals
have tried, in vain, to climb out. This vulture had probably gotten its feathers
too wet to fly out and died in the pool. According to rangers, this happens
quite frequently when the pool is so low. They have found dead mountain lion
and deer in the pool.
[PICTURE]
While hanging out at the tinaja, a few folks hiked up. One group of younger
guys from East Texas showed up and told us about a little festival in Terlingua
Ghost Town. Perhaps some of you have heard of the Terlingua
Chili Cookoff? It is quite literally world famous, even though the town of
Terlingua has a pretty meager population. Well, we missed the Chili Cookoff
by a few months, but managed to watch the Chihuahua races. Pretty hilarious!
[PICTURE]
Arriving back in the park, we headed for our Paint Gap #3 campsite with gorgeous
views of the Chisos range. For anyone coming from the East coast visiting
the park for the first time, I highly recommend spending the first portion of your
trip in the desert, saving the Chisos mountains for last part. For no other
reason, the stark contrast between a nearly lifeless desert and the treed mountains
makes for an awesome end to any trip. Our trip pretty much ended with a pretty
rough backpack trip in the mountains... we ended up hiking 22 miles, including a
3 mile slog up to Laguna Meadows with nearly six gallons of water on our back and
outstanding views from the Chisos Rim. We also summited Texas's second highest
peak, Emory Peak, a dizzying experience due to a easy, but very humbling (due to
extreme exposure) rock climb.
[PICTURE]
We ended the backpack with a hike up to the
Chisos Lodge Restaurant. :-)
After relaxing for two more nights in Big Bend, allowing our sore legs to rest,
we headed out of Big Bend through Persimmon Gap. Then an an odd thing happened.
While driving out of our park, we saw a Sunlite pop-up camper on a truck parked
at the visitors center. It was very similar to our old camper that we sold
to a guy in Atlanta. Well, as we got closer and closer, we recognized some
of the bumper stickers on the back; we realized that we had found our old camper!
We went inside and found Greg Scott, the
guy we had sold it to and had a nice long chat about traveling. He's out photographing
birds. Be sure to check his website for some outstanding shots.
[PICTURE]
So as I write this, I am in La Trattoria
Cafe here in Alpine, Texas. The food is good and the
internet is fast, so we are quite content. Next, we are off to
Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis,
McDonald Observatory,
followed by Carlsbad Caverns, hiking to the
top of Texas at Guadelupe Mountains,
White Sands, then Gila Cliff Dwellings
and Gila Wilderness. After Gila, we should enter Arizona.
Until then, happy trails!