Two Days to Home

March 12th, 2023, began the two-day finale of our OBP (Off the Beaten Path) tour of the Big Bend National Park. We departed early, before dark, to reach the nearby parking area for the Lost Mine trail before it filled up. Melissa, our guide, grabbed one of the last spots; it's a popular hike.

There was barely enough light at at the beginning. We were aiming for a good viewing location partway along the 2.4-mile (one way) uphill trail, and reached it without difficulty as the darkness began to lift. Here, Melissa is taking a photo. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

That bright spot is a half-moon (waning).

The view to the east.

A panoramic view, as the sun begins to strike the heights.

A few minutes later, at about 8:10, nature's art had begun to come alive. You must click on this one.

Half an hour later, on our downhill return, it was truly daytime.

We arrived at the van and began our drive. On regaining the desert floor and passing the west entrance, we were astonished to see a backup of incoming traffic as far as we could see. This was not due to an accident or other calamity; it was spring break. Sort of a calamity. You do not want to attempt a visit here during spring break, and OPB does not schedule any.

 

Before reaching the town of Alpine, we stopped to stretch our legs and peruse refreshments and novelties at the Little Burro country store.

The establishment's setting is dry, southwest Texas dry.

Image from Google StreetView

I took a closeup of the jalopy parked next to the highway.

Then we drove on. In the afternoon, we arrived at the Chinati Foundation, established in 1986 by the artist Donald Judd as a site for "permanent installation of large-scale works of art" in which "art, architecture, and the surrounding land are inextricably linked." The Foundation is expansive, covering multiple buildings and fields, and is definitely about conceptual rather than representational art. Inside photography is forbidden. Here's one of the buildings.

A peek through the glass.

That exhibit was about the different forms a stainless steel cube could take, employing open or missing sides, diagonal panels, etc.

OK. Now, we shall see three forbidden photos from the interiors of different buildings. The photographer shall remain nameless. First, a historic structure used to house GIs during the Second World War.

Several buildings were dedicated to the moods and tricks of light, color, and orientation.

And this one.

It was a short hop from the Foundation to our lodging for the night, the Hotel Paisano. It's proudly aware of the hotel's role in the production of the movie Giant (1956), having hosted Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Here's an image from StreetView ...

The next morning, March 13th, we drove in the AM darkness to the Buns 'n Roses for breakfast. Ordinarily, it would not have been open on a Monday, but Melissa had arranged our visit beforehand. As we had a fabulous breakfast, other visitors wandered in, seeing it was open. Here's a Google StreetView of the establishment.

Half an hour down the road, we paused at the Prada Marfa, a roadside exhibit of Prada goods inaugurated on October 1st, 2005. It remained unnoticed by the Texas Department of Transportation until 2013; then TxDOT considered it an advertisement that required a permit to be displayed along a US highway on unlicensed land. But there was no company behind it, just a solo artist, so in 2014 TxDOT classified it as a museum, with the Prada Marfa as its only exhibit! Unfortunately, all I have is, again, this StreetView:

While we were there, a van pulled out and a model in a black dress posed in front of the Prada for a photo shoot!

 

Then we climbed back into our van, traveled for 2½ to 3 hours to the El Paso airport, and thence home. If you haven't already, you must visit Big Bend National Park someday.

The Hike to the Window

Our main activity for the next day, March 11, 2023, was hiking the famous Window trail. This jaunt would be 5.5 miles round-trip, with an elevation change of 900 feet each way. After a short van ride to the campground we reached the trailhead. An early start meant cool temps and long shadows.

Volcanic mountains and running water created the Window. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

A Havard Agave, which can reach up to 22 feet, impressed us.

We continued down the trail ...

and the heights on either side drew closer.

The ground of the stream bed absorbs enough water to support more vegetation.

We continued to descend.

Soon, we were definitely in a channel.

Here, we're admiring a Texas Mountain Laurel.

We were fortunate enough to see it blooming.

The final stretch was so steep that it required stairs.

We arrived at the window of the Window. We're at the top of a pouroff, the opposite of our visit to the Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff, where we stood at the bottom.

As you would expect, the rushing water has scoured a smooth surface. Walk carefully!

A fellow hiker provided scale for this photo.

Some serious photographers (not I!) brought their equipment, inspected the angles, and waited their turn.

This photo was taken from within the window. It doesn't look flat out there.

Then, it was time to head back ...

On our way we spotted a scrub jay.

After the long climb, including some pauses, we could look back and drink in the view. Six hours after setting out, the lighting was quite different.

Zooming in on the gap created by the Window. The terrain beyond is more distinct at this hour.

Joan and I used the time before dinner to relax. She had done well on this extended hike, but wanted to give her ankle a rest. My final photo of the day is this view of the sunset looking towards the Window. The brighter object is Venus, the lesser Jupiter. The two had formed a conjunction two weeks earlier.

The next day we would leave the Chisos for our two-day return journey.

Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Starts the Day

On March 10, 2023, our OBP (Off the Beaten Path) group's exploration of the Big Bend National Park continued, to the southwest of the Chisos Mountains. (Yesterday's quest lay to the southeast.) Many of the sites we'll visit this day are on this map:

We stopped at the Sotol Vista viewpoint on our way to the Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Here's a wide shot taking in that view.

Nearby, a cluster of prickly pear cacti with a crown of buds.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the trailhead.

The mesa wasn't far away!

The walk in was gentle.

There was much to see along the way. Volcanic activity plus erosion created aggregate boulders such as this one,

and layers and formations such as these.

Closeups further revealed the layered yet inhomogeneous nature of this landscape.

The intermittent runoff supplies more water to vegetation than does the outside desert.

We were here in time to see Mexican buckeye blooms.

Almost at the pour-off.

Rain from the mesa top cascades down as a rock-carving waterfall. (It's taller than it looks -- 100 feet! I should have taken a shot with a person for scale.)

Looking straight up from the bottom ...

We wandered back to the van, inspecting more plants and geology along the way. An hour later, we were at the Chimneys Trail.

It was hot; our goal was not to reach the Chimney rocks,

They are in the middle distance.

but to observe the desert as we walked towards them. Here, Melissa, our OBP guide, is documenting a Warnock's pineapple cactus that's beginning to bloom.

My closeup.

A Texas Rainbow cactus. Just how many species of cactus are there? Lots.

It's not all about cactus, however. Here's an avian friend.

And a Greater Earless lizard, basking. Cautiously. Maybe he's admiring the flowers?

After returning to the van, we drove to a campground and picnic area near the Santa Elena canyon. During lunch we spotted a handsome Vermilion Flycatcher.

Then we drove to the downstream mouth of the Rio Grande, the Santa Elena Canyon. (My apologies for the focus on this photo.)

Our look up the canyon.

There's a short hiking trail (1.6 miles round trip) on the US side of the canyon. However, as the Park Service phrases it, "To access the trail, hikers must first cross the bed of Terlingua Creek, and climb a short but steep bank." And if the creek is high ...

We enjoyed walking in the Rio Grande water, carefully.

A flotilla of kayakers arrived.

A deeper look into the canyon.

High up but not far away, there is a small area with historic and currently used sites to explore, including the Garlick House. (Photo taken from NPS website.)

Also nearby are quarters for housing Mexican firefighters. If a fire here grows out of hand, the Mexican pros come across to assist for as long as it takes. Again, razor wire and steel walls are not needed here.

 

On our drive back to the Chisos Mountain Lodge, we paused at times along the way. Here, a formation called "Mules Ears" is prominent.

Just a bit up the road is the viewpoint for Goat Mountain.

My photo ... yup, that's what it looks like!

As today's adventures came to a close, the Chisos Mountains rose ahead. Up there, our lodging sits at 5,400 feet.

Dinner, rest, and relaxation followed at the lodge. Wispy clouds were illuminated by the setting sun.

Tomorrow, more hiking adventure beckons.