See 63

(1/63)

Saturday – 2/8/25

Where better to start than with our home state? After an early 5am start, Erica and I left our 8 month old AJ behind for the first time and set off for Big Bend. A grueling 8 and a half hour drive with very few stops punctuated by radio scanning and audiobooks, we stop in Marathon for a quick bite of BBQ. With a pulled pork sandwich and some peach cobbler in tow, we finish the drive.

Arriving near the heat of the day, and a bit before check in, we decide to pull off the main road and visit the Fossil Discovery Exhibit. Big Bend is notable for its rich Fossil Discovery Research, some of which date back to about 130 million years ago! A shallow sea, as it were, means marine fossils dominate the exhibit.

Our legs stretched and itching for more, we pull off to an unpaved gravel road, taking our time as calling this a gravel road is a generous compliment. Slow goings bring us to our first trailhead and opportunity to break out the gear, warm up and experience the Chihuahuan Desert firsthand. Beside a rocky bluff, we have a short jaunt in the late afternoon sun taking in our surroundings.

The well maintained trail meandered through sotol, cacti, and most notably windworn boulders, eroded as they stood watch over the trail meandering through the valley. The high 90 degree weather was a significant change from the chilly 40s we had left the early morning, and was odd to experience early February. Towards the end of the hike, a small rocky scramble that demanded four of our limbs compared to the two the trail required brought us to the first of our Big Bend sights to see: Balanced Rock.

This boulder, perched precariously above the foothills of the Chisos Mountains makes for a wonderful photo op, and an even better view. The desert below showcases what Big Bend encompasses: an entire mountain range and basin, an arid and blisteringly hot desert, a vegetative plain (though, no less dry), and an otherworldly badlands. In a way, Balanced Rock was really a perfect foreword to the rest of our trip.

A quick drive from Balanced Rock brought us to the Chisos Mountain Basin Road. Largely unimpressed by the Chisos Mountains from the outside, we were quickly corrected in thought as the highway ascended to the basin, and began to vaunt its foliage. The basin itself sits a few thousand feet above the flatlands below, garnished with Pine and Mesquite trees making for a completely different biome. The peaks of the Chisos themselves stand tall, thin, and jagged, showcasing the millennia of rainfall and wind lashing required to carve their points.

After a satisfying dinner from the Chisos Mountain Lodge, unpacked into our rooms, a quick FaceTime to check on AJ (or rather, a check in on Nonnie and Pops), we laid down and waited for the next scenic view. While not particularly a BiBe exclusive, the Dark Sky designation is a sight to behold.

Despite the near full moon, the sky was perforated with innumerable stars. Erica cheered me on while I took my first foray into astrophotography.

Sunday

Alarms blaring at 5am (again…) we saddle up and take the car for a quick 2 minute drive up the hills to the top ridge of the Chisos themselves. The Lost Mine trailhead was washed in the deep dark of the moonless twilight. The clear skies this morning gave us more pause than the night before, as the lack of moonlight showcased even more stars than what we saw before. Trail bars in hand we began the ascent. With headlamps lighting our way, gentle encouragement from me to Erica kept us moving forward, determined to catch the sunrise over the ridge.

While the trail length is a moderate 2mi, its the 1,400ft elevation gain that kept us winded as we ascended the mountainside. Towards the top of the trail, the sun broke the horizon and began its brushstrokes. The northwestern ridge awash in the morning sun was a wonderful way to say good morning to the Chisos Mountains.

I took some time to photograph our destination along side the morning sun. To my shock, I turn to see Erica climbing a boulder near the peak of the mountain trail! A few poses later, and I’m sheepishly asking for her to come down, as my own fear of heights were overcoming her newfound sense of exploration.

Making it back in time for breakfast at the lodge, a homely buffet style and rather protein heavy by my choice. With full stomachs and a lighter wallet, we decided to take a look at Panther Junctions Visitor Center and grab some souvenirs. Santa Elena Canyon was on the list for today as well, but we had decided it would make a great sunset vista, and a dinner at Terlingua nearby.

With several hours to kill, we set off west towards Boqillas. Having seen the horizon from the fossil exhibit the day prior, we knew we were truly getting to the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert. A lonely highway sign pointed to a hot springs behind another offroading experience. Erica’s poor car didn’t sign up for this. In the gravel parking lot, a honor system crafts shop could be found selling Mezcal or Sotol shot glasses and carafes, wire sculptures, bracelets, and other crafts. Erica packed a quick sandwich lunch for us, and we hit the short trail.

Walking through the abandoned hot springs village nestled alongside craggy cliff sides, the Rio Grande came into view. Running between the Mexican plains and the Texan cliffs, it meandered around a corner as if to greet our trail. Just behind some tall reeds, we heard some festivities and caught a glance of a dilapidated foundation. If the arid heat wasn’t so oppressive, the mineral water bubbling up from the bathhouse ruins would surely be steaming. I kicked off my shoes and socks, and hopped into the bathhouse waters. It was definitely hot! Even still, stepping back out of the water felt cool again, and while I didn’t stay long enough to enjoy much of the mineral benefits, I like to pretend I got something out of it.

Hiking up a tad further down the trail towards Rio Grande Village, we stopped to watch some wild horses graze on the sparse options along the rocky bank. They seemed well adjusted for being wild, and didn’t mind our company. Ready for lunch, we head back to the district where we find a very full and tall palm with convenient picnic benches to have our lunch in the shade.

Surprised by what we’ve found in the western end of the park, we decided to take the rest of the highway past the port of entry and to overlook the village of Boquillas and the Boquillas Canyon. At the vista, more crafts from the village await perusal, as many did. Knowing we had a few hour drive to get to Santa Elena, we got back on the road.

Driving through Ross Maxwell scenic highway for the first time was interesting to say the least, as it felt as if we passed through all of what BiBe has to offer in less than 45 minutes. Taking note of stops we want to see on our next day, we head for Santa Elena.

Driving along the bluff itself was amazing, a massive and almost oppressive wall of stone reaching 1,500ft bearing down above us. Despite its size, an equally impressive canyon came into view as if a giant cleaved the cliff in twain. Parking along the riverbank, we walk towards the cliffside. The trail here was unclear, some intrepid adventurers had stacked some tree branches to cross the riverside, but we opted to take the sandy route some hundred feet down the bank.

The trail itself was mostly paved, to my surprise, and came equipped with several podiums and information along the way. As we plod up the cliffside and bank down to the riverbank, our footsteps echo a bit further and a bit louder. Bamboo is pervasive here, and beaver dens dot the undergrowth. The frigid waters of the Rio Grande flow gently and quietly, as if a courtesy to the silence and isolation. The evening sun sank below the cliffside, and the canyon wren’s began their song. Meandering under boulders and bamboo, we reach the end of the bank, looking deep into the canyon proper. Looking up along the canyon walls really tells the story of how long the river took to carve its way through. Maybe not a giant, but grand nonetheless. We exit the canyon to an amazing deep violet sunset, complimenting the southern rim of the Chisos.

Dinner at the Starlight Theatre in Terlingua was satisfying, refreshing and fun, even if the Super Bowl wasn’t.

Monday

Beyond exhausted from our hikes, we told ourselves that the Window hike might not make it to the list of to-dos. Relative to the past few days, we slept in until 8am, and went back for the lodge breakfast once more. More of the same, cant complain. I burnt the toast, a skill honed from my Davis/Taylor heritage.

A full day ahead, and a full stomach re-invigorated our desire for the hike, and we ultimately decided to take on the Window. The Basin itself is nestled high above the lowlands and due to its bowl shape encircled by the Chisos water, and cold mountain air, have only one place to go: down! The Window is so named as it is the “window” to the desert from the basin, and the view matches! We set off from the lodge and began our descent into the plains. The trail meandered under mesquite and pine, until it met with a creek. Well, the creek didn’t exist for us but during the rainy season I’m sure it does. From the lodge, the mountain ridges seem so small despite only being two miles away, but we soon discovered during our descent they are no less grand than the other’s we had seen prior.

As we reach the base of the “V”, the crisp mountain air picked up speed and began to chill. We weave through the base of the mountains and the stone beneath us smoothed, describing for us the millennia of erosion the creek has performed. Paved staircases align themselves to the mountainside, granting us well reprieve from the slick rock.

We wrap around a corner and with a gasp Erica launches forward for the view. Once again, my fears get the better of me as I watch her inch closer to the sheer cliff on the slippery stone. With plenty of posing for photos and soaking in the view of the window, I admire the geological phenomena of the pour off.

The ascent back was brutal. Nearly 15 miles of hiking has surfaced as pain and exhaustion. We spot a bench we saw on the way down and decide to rest. A Mexican Jay drops by, and grants us his company for a while. He seemed as interested in me as I was him.

Back at the lodge, we take a much needed rest over lunch and discuss the last half of our day at Big Bend. The scenic route is back on the menu, specifically Mule Ears and Tuff Canyon. The cloudy and chilly day was great for staying in the car more, with shelter from the wind and access to the heater. Mule Ears are certainly so, and have been used for navigation due to their iconic look and easily spotted vista. Tuff Canyon, while more diminutive and being deeper rather than taller, showcases the volcanic nature of Big Bend and how violent it had to have been to create the Chisos and surrounding features across such a large area.

Returning back, with the sun peeking through the clouds and shining beautiful rays down, we stop at Sotol Vista and take in the view. Seeing Santa Elena once again, with a backdrop of several other smaller mountains in the view felt like a great cap to our journey – showcasing the unique blend of desert, river, canyon and mountains. Big Bend is certainly big, and has its fair share of not-so secrets within.

Tuesday

A cold and rainy drive back, started early, gets us back home to a warm and shining AJ. Despite the exhaustion, we still turn our attention to whats next. After all, 1/63 looks so low and bland, we certainly have to have something done about that. So whats next? Fall of ’25 will have a woolly great time.