BACK TO BIG BEND
In
March of 2015 a work trip to San Antonio gave me the chance to visit Big Bend
National Park. That was a quick weekend
trip featuring a few short hikes and one long dayhike in the Chisos Mountains.
That hike was a loop that included a lengthy stretch along the top of a
1,500’ cliff. Unfortunately part of the
trail was closed for Peregrine Falcon nesting season. Also, the weather was marginal during the
hike, with a thunderstorm rolling through while I was on the southwest rim. I was eager to return in better
conditions. For my second hike, I would
include the portion of the trail I’d missed on the first visit. Also, I planned to take two days for this
hike, so I could camp up on the rim. The
campsites up there would be ideal for viewing sunset and sunrise.
I
had a mediocre breakfast at the diner next to the RV park. Then I packed up and drove into Big
Bend. I headed straight for Chisos Basin, where I would start my backpacking trip. I checked in at the visitor’s center, where I
paid my park entrance fee and picked up my backpacking permit. I was surprised to find that of the 12
campsites on the rim, 10 were already taken.
I wasn’t expecting it to be that busy on a Sunday night with overnight
lows in the 20’s! I took site NE3, which
looked like it would be close to a good area to watch sunrise. That was good, since it was going to be tough
getting up in subfreezing conditions for it.
I
loaded my pack in the parking lot and hit the trail around late morning. On my previous visit I hiked up The Pinnacles
Trail and descended on the Laguna Meadows Trail. This time I did the loop in the opposite
direction. This was nice for
variety. Plus, on my previous hike the
descent had been in the rain and the views had been limited. The weather was better on this day, so I’d be
able to see what I’d missed on my previous visit.
A
long, slow climb brought me to the top of a ridge in time for lunch. I stopped there, as it offered a great view
of the sheer cliffs of Casa Grande. From
there I hiked through the lush grass of Laguna Meadows and passed some nice
views of the Blue Creek Valley. After
that it wasn’t much farther to the southwest rim. The really great views start along here. The trail follows the brink of the cliffs,
with a vast expanse of desert, mountains, and canyons sprawling below. The view extends all the way to the Rio
Grande, and the rugged mountains in Mexico beyond the river.
Clouds
were moving in. They were high enough that
they didn’t obscure the view, but they did diminish the conditions for
photography. I ran into a guy on the rim
who said something I’d never heard before.
He said, “I’m afraid these clouds are going to mess up today’s
sunrise”. I tried to wrap my brain
around that, but failed. Did he mean the
sunrise that had already happened, or sunset, or tomorrow’s sunrise? I asked him to repeat that, and he did – word
for word. After a bit more conversation
I decided that he meant sunset. I
pointed out that it was still early, and conditions seemed to change rapidly in
west Texas. Plus, the best sunsets
feature some clouds.
The
southwest rim seemed like the ideal place for sunset, but it was only
mid-afternoon. I decided to hike to my
campsite on the northeast rim, set up camp, and then hike back that
evening. I took my time, exploring
various side paths to check out all of the views. I really enjoyed the scenery from the portion
of the trail that I’d missed out on during my previous hike. My campsite was a cozy little spot down in
the woods off the rim. I set up camp and
noted that it was only a 5 minute walk from there to a cliff with a grand view
to the southeast. That looked like it
would be perfect for sunrise.
I
put the essentials back in my pack for my hike back to the southwest rim. Conditions were rapidly improving, with high
clouds promising nice evening color. The
light show started early, with alpenglow on the Elephant Tusk, the Mules Ear,
and the mountains in Mexico. Before long
the clouds were turning pink. I was
still a good distance from the optimal viewing points at the far end of the
southwest rim, and I realized I’d never make it in time. Luckily I found a great spot well before that
point. The sun sets in the southwest in
January – in the summer I probably wouldn’t have seen the sunset from
there.
The
light show was spectacular, and it went on and on. It was one of the most spectacular sunsets
I’ve ever seen. Finally the last of the
color began to fade from the sky. The
walk back to camp was long and cold, but it had been worth it. Back at camp I made dinner and went to bed
early.
Sunrise
was harder. The alarm went off at
6:30. It was pitch
black, temps were in the 20’s, and the wind was howling. My campsite was sheltered, but I could hear
it howling through the trees above me.
It sounded like conditions on the rim would be brutal, and my sleeping
bag was warm. I reset the alarm for 7.
I
dozed for a bit but got up before 7.
After last night’ spectacular sunset, I didn’t want to miss
sunrise. Plus, sunrise had been a big
part of why I’d chosen to camp up there.
I bundled up and made the 5 minute walk back up to the rim. It was cold up there, but the wind wasn’t as
fierce as I’d feared. My timing was
perfect. The sky was just beginning to
get colorful. Sunrise picked up right
where the previous evening’s sunset had left off. The clouds turned orange, then pink, and then
fiery red. A few minutes later the sun
appeared in a notch in the mountains to the southeast. Before long it was bathing the desert and
mountains with its warmth.
I
was putting my camera away when 3 guys from a nearby campsite came running
over. They were oohing and aahing so much I didn’t have the heart to tell them that
they’d missed the best part. I returned
to camp and made oatmeal and coffee.
Then I packed up and hit the trail.
My North Carolina friends Bob and Laura were actually in Big Bend on a
guided hiking trip. It was their first
day in the park. That morning they were
hiking from Chisos Basin to The Window. That afternoon they were doing the Lost Mine
Trail. They were having lunch somewhere
in Chisos Basin, and I was hoping that I could meet
up with them before they started their afternoon hike.
The
hike along the northeast rim featured a couple of additional nice views. Then I descended into Boot Canyon, which
features a tiny stream that was mostly frozen.
I hiked through the canyon before climbing up to the ridge and the
junction with the trail to Emory Peak.
That climb was in the sun, and I was beginning to regret leaving my long
underwear on. The descent on The
Pinnacles Trail was quick and featured nice views of Casa Grande and the other
cliffs. I reached Chisos
Basin at 12:30. It had been a sunny
morning, but it started snowing as I strolled through the parking lot.
I
was loading my pack into the mini-van when Bob and I spotted each other. They were having lunch in the lodge, but he
had walked down to the parking lot to look for me. We had a little reunion there, and then I
joined him and Laura at the lodge. They
had already eaten, but Bob was kind enough to buy me lunch (soup, salad, and
bread). That hit the spot after my
hike! We only had a few minutes to chat
since they had another hike to do, but it was great to see them!
I
wasn’t quite ready to drive back to San Antonio. Instead, I made the drive down towards Boquillas Canyon to check out the hot springs. The final rough road was a bit of a challenge
in the mini-van, but it was worth it.
When I arrived it was sunny and 55 degrees. That was quite a change from the snow 20
miles away in Chisos Basin.
A
10 minute walk led from the parking lot past some historic buildings and a cliff
with petroglyphs to the river. I reached
the hot springs, which emerge below the trail before running into the river. A primitive pool was constructed years ago to
contain the hot water. There were
several people there when I arrived. I
joined them for a brief soak, which felt great after several days of
hiking. I didn’t linger long though, as
I still had a long drive back to San Antonio.
That drive was uneventful, and I made it to the hotel by 10pm.
Back to Texas
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!