Big Bend Days 1 & 2
After a long drive through the desolate and beautiful Chihuahuan desert of far west Texas, I arrived in the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. The campground in the basin is surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs and buttes, most noticeably Casa Grande, which figures prominently in many photos in this post.
I set up camp at one of the last sites available, made an oh-so-delicious dinner in a bag, and watched Arrival on my iPad (truly roughing it...). I stayed up late to watch the brightest and clearest display of stars I’ve ever seen. I also listened to a couple of beautifully dark new albums on repeat: Chelsea Wolfe’s Hiss Spun and The Dusk in Us by Converge. The moon was only a couple days past full, and I was amazed at how clearly it lit up the mountains, perfectly complementing the tunes in my headphones. The sky would change drastically the next day...
I was aware that my first night in BB had rain in the forecast. I wasn’t, however, prepared to wake up completely socked in by clouds. As in very thick, 15-ft of visibility clouds. Considering the same thing happened to me this summer in the Colorado Sangres, I thought about packing up.
So glad I forced myself to buck up and accept Mother Nature's terms. I opted to check out a couple of 5-milers, the first of which (Lost Mine Trail) is pictured directly above. If I’ve learned anything about hiking in far West Texas, it's that you can expect the conditions to make you feel very special if you’re open to them. Although I couldn’t see the surrounding expanse, the beauty of the stillness was profound.
After a morning up in the clouds and a brief car ride down to the Panther Junction Visitors’ Center, I hiked the other ranger-recommended hike in the Chisos, the Window Trail. This trail leaves the basin campground and drops down an easy 1000 ft, which just so happened to be enough to get below the clouds and see some shit!
This really lifted my spirits, as the trail culminates in a slot canyon that opens up to a breathtaking view of the desert to the west. There’s a very artfully done CCC-style trail through this narrow area. I took a spur trail up to a higher point to get an even better view.
As I ascended back to camp, the clouds began to clear even more. There was hope!!!
The conditions continued to improve in the afternoon. I returned to the first mile of Lost Mine to enjoy it in a different light. One of the craziest things about this day, was that despite the abysmal start to the day, I ended up getting a boatload of cool panoramic shots! Hope you enjoy them.
