ramblinChet
Drinks Alone
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Exploring Big Bend in Texas has been on my list of things to do for some time and I was bound and determined to visit one of them next time I was in the area. One of them? Well, I am embarrassed to admit that it was not too long ago that I learned there was Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. The National Park is east of Terlingua and the Ranch State Park is to the west. Just in case you are interested, Terlingua is a ghost town now inhabited by around one-hundred people which has food and drink, and lodging, plus an annual international chili cook-off competition.
Getting back to Big Bend - it seems most folks are talking about the National Park when they mention Big Bend so that is where I planned to visit. Although there are a few routes available I decided to use the 188-mile Big Bend Adventure Route as published by Overland Trail Guides. They recommend three to five days although I would suggest slowing down and enjoying a full five or seven days if this is your first time visiting. There is lot's to do an see here.
One cautionary note - fuel is limited in this part of Texas so my suggestion is to stop up north in Alpine, Texas, fill up your tank, drive south into Study Butte/Terlingua, and top off once again before you enter the park. It also appears that there was gasoline available for a sale at a few of the campgrounds but I would not depend upon them.
This is Luna’s Jacal which was hand built by Gilberto Luna who lived here with his large family until he passed away at the age of 109 years of age. The roof is around chin high so you really must bend over and walk like a duck to get around inside. Since it was a warm day I ducked inside and enjoyed the cool shade for a bit as I studied how Gilberto built this home using locally sourced materials that have lasted a long time.
My next stop was the one place you must visit: Santa Elena Canyon. One of the difficulties I encounter when taking pictures in some situations is how to accurately capture the scale of the objects I am photographing. In this case, the walls of the canyon are 1,500 feet tall and I'm not sure any picture would be capable of capturing their true beauty. My suggestion is for you to visit yourself and make sure to follow the trail and hike back into the canyon as far as you can. To the left is Mexico and these United States are on the right. Maybe next time I visit I will paddle a kayak through this natural wonder.
For those who are not interested in hitting the trail, there are a series of paved roads connecting major areas of the National Park. Don't ignore these scenic drives since they quickly transport you from one beautiful area of the park to another.
While enjoying a trail named River Road West I came upon what I believed were wild horses. What I discovered later is that Mexican vaqueros have been driving their horses and cattle across the Rio Grande River for hundreds of years to graze in these rich areas. Since the area is so large and the rangers are so few and focused on other areas, this "illegal" grazing continues.
Much of my time was spent alone in the desert driving on rough roads that seemed to never end. At times I felt like a hamster in a cage but then I would remember and smile that I successfully escaped that trap years ago and I am not truly free. There is a feeling I am unable to describe that you feel while alone in the desert - it's the essence of pure beauty. Airing down your tires will significantly knock the edge off the harsh ride and moving too slowly sometimes hurts more than moving too fast. That's a life lesson for you...
When exploring nature, man-made objects really stick out from far away. I stopped at this grave and took some time to wonder who this young man was. He was a child to a father and mother, possibly had siblings, or maybe even a child himself. I sat there in the desert and although I never met this young man - I prayed for him and while driving away though of this following quote...
"War is a place where the young kill one another without knowing or hating each other, because of the decision of old people who know and hate each other, without killing each other." ~ Erich Hartmann
And here we have another interesting photograph of my AEV Prospector on the edge of a windy cliff complete with a never-ending view to the horizon. It's really an interesting feeling to be able to look dozens of miles in every direction and not see another human being or anything man-made. If you have not felt that before you need to. And no, having someone with you will not count - go out alone into the wilderness and be free even if it's only for a few hours. Once you experience what I am struggling to describe you will have that gift forever and no one will be able to take it away.
Interestingly enough there were a few springs in the Chihuahuan Desert so it was strange to drive through these puddles in the middle of a seemingly dry desert. I am certain that all the wildlife in the surrounding area knew exactly where all the springs were. It's disappointing how detached we have become from nature in just a hundred years or so. Do you consider yourself to be somewhat detached from nature and if so, how are you actively working to become reattached?
Here is a final shot for all of my fellow adventurers. Of course there was a rocky ledge in front of my vehicle that I initially stopped to take a picture of but when I looked around and realized I had all of the time I wanted, I climbed up this small jagged hill and snapped a picture from above. Big Bend is a different sort of park to visit but I can assure you that once you visit, you will smile and never forget. Happy trails!
Getting back to Big Bend - it seems most folks are talking about the National Park when they mention Big Bend so that is where I planned to visit. Although there are a few routes available I decided to use the 188-mile Big Bend Adventure Route as published by Overland Trail Guides. They recommend three to five days although I would suggest slowing down and enjoying a full five or seven days if this is your first time visiting. There is lot's to do an see here.
One cautionary note - fuel is limited in this part of Texas so my suggestion is to stop up north in Alpine, Texas, fill up your tank, drive south into Study Butte/Terlingua, and top off once again before you enter the park. It also appears that there was gasoline available for a sale at a few of the campgrounds but I would not depend upon them.
This is Luna’s Jacal which was hand built by Gilberto Luna who lived here with his large family until he passed away at the age of 109 years of age. The roof is around chin high so you really must bend over and walk like a duck to get around inside. Since it was a warm day I ducked inside and enjoyed the cool shade for a bit as I studied how Gilberto built this home using locally sourced materials that have lasted a long time.
My next stop was the one place you must visit: Santa Elena Canyon. One of the difficulties I encounter when taking pictures in some situations is how to accurately capture the scale of the objects I am photographing. In this case, the walls of the canyon are 1,500 feet tall and I'm not sure any picture would be capable of capturing their true beauty. My suggestion is for you to visit yourself and make sure to follow the trail and hike back into the canyon as far as you can. To the left is Mexico and these United States are on the right. Maybe next time I visit I will paddle a kayak through this natural wonder.
For those who are not interested in hitting the trail, there are a series of paved roads connecting major areas of the National Park. Don't ignore these scenic drives since they quickly transport you from one beautiful area of the park to another.
While enjoying a trail named River Road West I came upon what I believed were wild horses. What I discovered later is that Mexican vaqueros have been driving their horses and cattle across the Rio Grande River for hundreds of years to graze in these rich areas. Since the area is so large and the rangers are so few and focused on other areas, this "illegal" grazing continues.
Much of my time was spent alone in the desert driving on rough roads that seemed to never end. At times I felt like a hamster in a cage but then I would remember and smile that I successfully escaped that trap years ago and I am not truly free. There is a feeling I am unable to describe that you feel while alone in the desert - it's the essence of pure beauty. Airing down your tires will significantly knock the edge off the harsh ride and moving too slowly sometimes hurts more than moving too fast. That's a life lesson for you...
When exploring nature, man-made objects really stick out from far away. I stopped at this grave and took some time to wonder who this young man was. He was a child to a father and mother, possibly had siblings, or maybe even a child himself. I sat there in the desert and although I never met this young man - I prayed for him and while driving away though of this following quote...
"War is a place where the young kill one another without knowing or hating each other, because of the decision of old people who know and hate each other, without killing each other." ~ Erich Hartmann
And here we have another interesting photograph of my AEV Prospector on the edge of a windy cliff complete with a never-ending view to the horizon. It's really an interesting feeling to be able to look dozens of miles in every direction and not see another human being or anything man-made. If you have not felt that before you need to. And no, having someone with you will not count - go out alone into the wilderness and be free even if it's only for a few hours. Once you experience what I am struggling to describe you will have that gift forever and no one will be able to take it away.
Interestingly enough there were a few springs in the Chihuahuan Desert so it was strange to drive through these puddles in the middle of a seemingly dry desert. I am certain that all the wildlife in the surrounding area knew exactly where all the springs were. It's disappointing how detached we have become from nature in just a hundred years or so. Do you consider yourself to be somewhat detached from nature and if so, how are you actively working to become reattached?
Here is a final shot for all of my fellow adventurers. Of course there was a rocky ledge in front of my vehicle that I initially stopped to take a picture of but when I looked around and realized I had all of the time I wanted, I climbed up this small jagged hill and snapped a picture from above. Big Bend is a different sort of park to visit but I can assure you that once you visit, you will smile and never forget. Happy trails!