Greetings from Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park covers more than 800,000 acres in West Texas on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande. Here, the concept of geologic time boggles the mind. According to the National Park Service and reinforced by Guides Drew Thate and Melissa Scott, the strata in Big Bend ranges from 500 million-year-old rocks at Persimmon Gap to 200 million-year-old geologic formations. In a way, you become a bit visually stunned contemplating the geology of this region.

A few miles inside the park entrance, a Fossil Discovery Exhibit records about 130 million years of geologic time. The park has had four historic environments – marine, coastal plain, inland floodplain and volcanic highlands. The exhibit rooms contain life-size replicas of fossils found within Big Bend, including the park’s most recent dinosaur discovery.

So, if the age of the earth is 4.6 billion years old, and visible rock outcrops at Big Bend are 500 million years old (Persimmon Gap) we are talking about a vast interval of time. As explained by our female guide Melissa Scott at the Big Bend Fossil Discovery Exhibit, when the Ouachita Mountains (Oklahoma, Arkansas) were formed by a collision of the continent on which I was now standing, the subsequent Marathon Uplift about 200 million years ago moved the sheared bottom of the ocean floor to the top of the land mass. Erosion over 160 million years left only the roots of those mountains visible.

The Cretaceous Period, some 135 million years ago, provide the remains of sea-dwelling organisms, such as clams and snails. Limestone layers formed, hence we get the dramatic walls of the Santa Elena Canyon, which we would hike later in the trip.

Near the end of the Cretaceous Period, the beginning of the mountain-building period began in Big Bend – therefore, Big Bend represents the southernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains in the US. Only 42 million years ago, volcanic eruptions occurred, and on one of our hikes, we could see large boulders blasted into the canyon walls from the force of these eruptions. There are three mountain ranges in Big Bend. Millions of years may have passed between eruptions. (NPS, U.S. Department of the Interior).

The eruptions were not like the giant cinder cone volcanos in New Mexico, for example Capulin, rather volcano eruptions in Big Bend were referred to as “upwelling magma which lifted the mass now known as the Christmas Mountains (north of the West Entrance), fracturing and weakening overlying strata, allowing massive outpourings of lava to spread across the land.” Lava layers can be seen in the lower elevations and for most of the mass of the Chisos Mountains.

A mere 10 million years after the uplift ended, dinosaurs were long gone, and mammals ruled – horses, rhinos, camels, rodents, and plants. Now, animals include the coyote, javelinas, mountain lion, bobcat, Mexican black bear, (the only bear species in the park), whitetail deer; and non-native Aoudad sheep, or Barbary Sheep; and newly introduced to Big Bend - the Big Horn Sheep. Unable to fully comprehend the enormous time and place of the past, I switched my focus to the beautiful desert in bloom in the here and now. The Ocotillo, an indicator species of the Chihuahua desert, dots the landscape. Its long spiny arms sport bright orange blooms at the very trip. They are pollinated by hummingbirds and bees. On further research, I learned that the Ocotillo is not a true cactus.

The Sotol plant resembles our local Bear Grass, but with 10- to 15-foot stalks with pinkish colored clusters at the top. The Sotol is a form of yucca plant. The Mexicans make an alcoholic beverage from the roots. They call it Sotolrita. The long straight stems are lightweight, and walking canes are made from the stems.

When entering the park after a Border Patrol check on our way to the Chisos Mountain Lodge, the Sierra del Carmen Mountain range can be seen in the far distance. We passed Dugout Wells, an abandoned homestead close to the overland stagecoach route. The homestead also has an old abandoned school from the early days.

Colorful Strawberry Pitaya clusters dot the landscape, as well as other species of cactus. We are now in a desert scrub zone, where creosote bushes reign. Creosote is uniquely adapted to the Chihuahua desert with great fields of creosote bushes as far as the eye can see. Interesting fact: creosote bushes always face southeast.

The guide discussed several issues the National Park Service is facing: 1) the air quality in the canyons are poor from generators in Mexico and Texas (“with hazy views on most days with poor conditions of less than 30 miles visibility, 6% of the time). (NPS, Panther Junction Web Cam). In days past, you could see for almost 100 miles because the air was so clean and crisp; 2) the aoudad sheep, also known as Barbery Sheep, are a non-native animal, adapted for 30 years to desert living in Big Bend. They apparently compete for resources with other hoofed animals, including the Desert Big Horn Sheep that were released in Big Bend Ranch State Park in 2011; and 3) non-native invasive river cane and Salt Cedar which use large amounts of water from the Rio Grande. The Texas Parks and Wildlife has sanctioned unlimited hunting of aoudad year-round on private land in Texas. Also, Giant River Cane, native to Asia, is crowding out native plants, and reducing wildlife habitat. (TP&W, April 2015). Salt Cedar, introduced as an ornamental plant, has also invaded the Rio Grande. The mighty Rio Grande is apparently being choked to death in places by these invasive plants.

We arrive at the Chisos Basin at the Chisos Park Lodge, surrounded by the Chisos Mountains, a very dramatic mountain range with a view of Emory Peak at 7,825 feet.

To acclimate, the guides wisely started out with a 2.5 round trip from the trailhead to the Rio Grande. The desert is trying to bloom, but it is very dry. Apparently, the monsoon rains in the desert come in July, August, and September. But in spite of the desperate lack of rainfall, the Chihuahua Desert has a lot to offer: Blind prickly pear, so called because it has tiny brown spines, not appearing to have thorns, so “blindly” people try to touch them. The Chisos prickly pear is indigenous to Big Bend, with large yellow blooms. Another succulent cactus is the Lechugilla, a thick, curved, toothed cactus with a sharp tip. The Indians used this plant to sew, stripping the plant material from the tip and using the sharp point as a needle. The first inhabitants in Big Bend were the Chisos Indians. Their leader was Alsate who was double-crossed by a friend who led him to his death at the hands of the Spaniards. The legend says he still roams the Chisos canyons.

The Strawberry Pitaya cactus with magenta blooms dots the landscape. I learned the Spanish Dagger that loves my driveway at home is a Torrey Yucca. It is blooming now with large cream to pinkish blooms. The Havard Agave (commonly called a Century plant) is all around the Chisos Village in the mountainous regions. Most have already bloomed and are now dead. Many baby agaves are in waiting to bloom again in 100 years from now. The Century plant is pollinated exclusively by the Long-nose Bat, an endangered bat species. The most beautiful cactus in the park is the Claret Cup cactus with bright red blossoms. We also identified Marigold and Dogweed plants. No paintbrush or Blue Bonnets - some small blooms on the highway right-of-way.

My favorite: A spectacular blooming tree with aromatic yellow flowers and a green trunk - the Paloverde. It sends a sweet aroma along the trail. We crossed a pond on a boardwalk on our trek to the Rio Grande. The pond was almost completely covered in invasive cane, choking the life out of this water resource. A small non-native green frog and a slider turtle sunning on a log were spotted in the pond. There was evidence of where the park service was apparently trying to eradicate the cane and Salt Cedar with controlled burns.

We heard the “Singing Mexican” - his nice clear voice echoing down the river bank. We finally made it to the river, where the Mexicans had boated across the river, and laid their arts and crafts on the side of the trail, with suggested prices and a can to collect money – all on an honor system! Then they take their little skiff back across the river and wait for the Gringos to purchase. I bought some scorpions made out of copper wire and beads for gifts. Also, for sale, (and I wish I had purchased but couldn’t figure out how to get home with two walking sticks), were hiking canes made from the Sotol cactus. This fascinating plant has small spines like my Matador Bear Grass. It sprouts a giant stalk about 10-15 feet tall. The tree Cholla is very common. It has a magenta flower and an abundance of wicked thorns.

I was late to the river with the rest of the group, and Drew, the guide, was swimming with his clothes on in the Rio Grande! “Carol, come on in, the water is great!” It didn’t take me long to shuck my hiking boots, socks, hat, watch, and roll up my pants legs and jump in. So, I swam to Mexico in the Rio Grande and back to the US. A long hike behind us and a refreshing dip in the Rio Grande. What could be better? The water was cool, clear, and flowing swiftly on its way to the sea where it never arrives. Here, the river is only about waist to chest deep, but it has a strong current. The Rio has been dammed in five different locations in Mexico. According to the guide, the Mexican government doesn’t release the water that it agreed to release because of their high population demand.

Right where I left my shoes and socks, a giant Paloverde tree absolutely loaded with yellow blossoms shaded the area. A day hike forever imprinted in my mind like a little mini video.

This day was the longest hike, about 5-miles round trip on the Lost Mine Trail. The mine isn’t lost, and probably didn’t exist, but rumors abound, thus the naming of the trail. It was a very strenuous hike, gaining about 1100 feet in elevation. I will have to tell Melinda Jameson that my aspen hiking cane has been to the top of the world, no worse for wear, at 6,850 feet.

The National Park Service has done a fantastic job with the trails. They were well worn and steep; some parts of the trail had planted posts for footholds to make it less hazardous. Mostly steep rock inclines and grateful switchbacks close to the summit. And the view – my goodness it was beautiful! I haven’t learned the names of all the mountains, but I did recognize the Chisos Village in a high desert valley in the far distance – little snake trails and tiny ant huts. I have been pleasantly surprised about this Texas mountainous region. It is thriving and wickedly gorgeous.

Today on the hike we saw the Texas Madrone tree – a very unusual tree without bark. Apparently, the bark exfoliates leaving an inner bark which is reddish or white. It has an evergreen leaf and white and red berries.

The Mexican pinyon tree survives at the higher levels; shrub oak at the lower levels – also Honey Mesquite on the lower levels, which grows to about 3- to 7-feet in the desert and 40 feet near the water. The leaves on the mesquite are miniaturized, thereby conserving energy. It has yellow elongated clusters 1- to 10-inches long and bean pods up to 10 inches. The guide also pointed out a Weeping Juniper and an Alligator Juniper (so named because the bark looks like alligator scales).

The Claret Cup cactus won the prize for beauty! It’s bright red blooms were everywhere- in rocks, along the trail, buried deep in the woods. Hikers can’t miss the Claret Cup.

This long hike was worth the effort – a beautiful view of Big Bend National Park with a little green stretch of land far below where the Rio Grande attempts to snake its way to the ocean. Hopeful, visible, quite distinct, even from great heights because of the green foliage close to the river - oddly out of place in this high desert.

This day was spent hiking along the massive walls of Santa Elena Canyon in the lower valley. The river is 1500 feet from the top of the mesa, and the Rio Grande has carved the limestone to reveal layers and layers of sediment. We followed the Rio Grande to the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon. A rafting tour entered the river right before our hike, and from the height of the canyon, we could see the little canoes snaking slowly up the river.

After this 1.6-mile hike, we traveled to Cottonwood Campground for lunch. Notable was a Common Grey Hawk posing in a Cottonwood tree and my first sitting of a Vermillion Flycatcher. This magnificent red bird is common in this area. Road Runners fleeted here and there after lizards, horned toads, and insects.

Leaving the Santa Elena Canyon area, we traveled to Castolon Visitor Center. Castolon was once a thriving community of about 300, with cotton farming and a gin. The community store is now a Ranger Station and Visitor Center. On the road, several photo opportunities included a formation called Mules Ears and a 1.2-mile hike to Burro Mesa to view a dry waterfalls area. We passed by an unusual off-white formation which consists of volcanic ash, turned stone, referred to as Welded Tuff.

The waterfall only flows during the rainy season in July, August, and September. Notable was the limestone strata and the unusual sight of small boulders that were hurled into the limestone during a volcanic eruption.

After a short rest at the Chisos Village, the group traveled to the Starlight Theatre Restaurant and Saloon in the old Ghost Town of Terlingua, about 45 miles from base camp. A totally different experience awaited the group - a restaurant with a small shopping mall attached, live entertainment and food. The menu was first class from Filet Mignon to Wild Boar Sausage, Grilled Quail, Salmon, and mesquite grilled burgers. The food at the Starlight was excellent – large portions, Texas style. I had a garden burger with guacamole. It was so big I only ate half. Live music consisted of three singing cowboys on bass guitar, banjo, and steel guitar.

The restaurant was bustling with tourists and locals. The old theater was rescued by the Ivey family when it was in total disrepair. They added a roof on the crumbling adobe walls and built a dance floor that is surrounded by local art.

Before about 1998, rafting tours head-quartered in Terlingua and it is also known as the location for the world’s largest chili cookoff. Once a year, an influx of chili cookers vying for championships converge on the ghost town. The little town, abandoned for 50 years, now has a small thriving community – art galleries, tourist haunts, and lodging opportunities.

I saw a whole different part of the park going and coming, happily gazing out the windows in the back of the van, while the rest of the group began to grouse about not seeing any javelinas, bobcat or mountain lions. The trip back to camp was uneventful, no siting’s of wildlife, in spite of the determined guide who drove up and down Highway 118, eyes peeled. Dejected, the group grew quiet.

Never one to tolerate silence for a long-extended time, I interrupted their silent treatment and told them I had been thinking I needed a part-time job so I could travel more. I told them I was going to start a little javelina zoo in my retirement and travel to Big Bend in my little trailer and lay in wait on the side of the road to Terlingua and release my pet javelinas just in time to cross the road for tourists… this statement brought the house down and everyone got in on the fun – it went from there to me wearing a Dale Evans outfit and a Mexican sombrero, and hiring a mariachi band to advertise my new business. We laughed and laughed as the story got bigger, each one adding other ridiculous ways to advertise my javelina roadside zoo. Well, you had to be there.

On our drive into the Chisos Village, we stopped at the Lost Mine Trail trailhead, and the guides set up their telescopes for a view of the night sky! Guide Melissa Scott pointed out all the visible stars and planets. As we craned our necks to take in the magnificent beauty of the night sky, Melissa sang us a song about the stars, chocked full of educational information about the universe. I wish I had the words to that song.

Sadly, this was our last day in the park. We took a small .2 loop hike at Dugout Wells. Lots of bird siting’s – mockingbirds, white wing dove, cardinals, cactus wrens and sparrows. Drew is a “tall drink of water” as they say in Texas, a man of many talents, one of which is an extensive knowledge of natural history and avid birder. He was a former river guide in Big Bend, Park Ranger in Yellowstone National Park, avid fly fisherman in Montana, and can mimic every bird call imaginable. Once he was sounding, and I thought it was an elusive bird, and whispered: “What is that?” One clever hiker said “Big Bird,” pointing to Drew.

On our way to Marfa, Tx, for our last night on the road at the renovated historic Presidio Hotel, we ate lunch at an oasis in the desert at Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa, Lajitas, TX. After five days in the desert, it was strange indeed to be eating lunch on the patio of a 4-star hotel in the middle of a green desert. The food was delicious, resort style, and the company enjoyable. But I missed the desert and worried about the water it may take to have an 18-hole, green golf course in this place. The resort is located between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park. It touts 27,000 acres close to the Rio. Water is a big issue in Texas. Pecan tree orchards also take Rio water. Large orchards can be seen on both sides of the highway.

A Short Night: The last overnight of the trip was at the Hotel Paisano, also known as the El Paisano built in 1930. It’s claim to fame was the filming of “Giant” in the surrounding area and film stars Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean stayed in the hotel in 1956. Large photos of the film stars grace the walls and halls of the historic hotel. It closed for 20 years and then the building was purchased in 2001 and a three-year restoration project took the hotel back to its 1930s glory. Jett’s Grill was the location of our farewell dinner. Dessert was my favorite - Cream Brulee with no calories.

Before retiring, I noticed an alarm clock on the floor under my bed table. I retrieved it, plugged it in, and set the alarm for 6:00 am for a 7:00 am departure, and went to bed to sleep soundly until the alarm blasted me out of bed. I groaned, rolled over, forced myself to stagger to the bathroom for a hot shower, dressed in my air travel duds, rolled my suitcases to the hall for pickup, fixed a cup of coffee, and thought, “Man I’m tired, that was a short night.” Then I put my watch on and lo’ and behold the time was 1:48 am. That blasted alarm!! So, I rolled the suitcases back in the room, fished out my jammies, and conked out again. Sometimes, the best laid plans …

Final Note: On a gas stop at a convenience store in Presidio, TX, on our way to Marfa, a headline on the front page of a local paper caught my eye. Javelinas are here to stay, for now (Marfa The Big Bend Sentinel, April 5, 2018, John Daniel Garcia and Robert Louis Halpern). Apparently, the City of Marfa has asked the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to grant a depredation permit to eliminate some of the javelina population in the city. The permit was denied. The javelina is a protected species.

“We still have a javelina problem,” Marfa City Administrator told the Sentinel. You shouldn’t feed them, you shouldn’t keep pet food outside, and – as they wander into town looking for a water source – you shouldn’t leave water out”. My javelina business is beginning to look more promising.

I finally made it home from El Paso after a 7-hour layover in Dallas due to weather. I could have driven from Big Bend to Matador in less time than I spent in the airports in El Paso and Dallas. I arrived in Matador at 2:30 am. I have my own little desert. Still no rain, two county fires, and 45-50-mile per hour winds for a week. Welcome home, desert traveler!

Sincerely,
Carol