More hikes in Big Bend

Just two days ago we spent Thanksgiving at the Visitor Center. We were expecting nearly 400 visitors to come through but we did not even have 200. The weather was forcast to change from the balmy 80 degree temps we have been enjoying to below freezing temps with rain and snow. Although the Park did fill up for Thanksgiving, there are quite a few visitors departing early because of the cold, rainy conditions we have now.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Lodge in the Chisos Basin in the center of Big Bend National Park with Bob and Deb Hamilton. Bob is a seasonal ranger that we met here last spring on our way to Yellowstone only to find out that he would be working with us at Yellowstone. He's back here in Big Bend so we went out with him and his wife Deb for a nice dinner and evening.

The weather has gotten cooler. A very cold rain is falling and I expect that snow is a probability. We have the next few days off and will probably just stay inside until the weather starts to warm up again into the 70s by mid-week.

We have taken a few hikes. I put on my pack and took off across the desert for a couple of days. I wanted to try some desert wilderness camping. Except for about a mile or so, I was never on any trails--just bushwhacked up to the base of Persimmon Mountain then followed the Santiago Mountains to Dog Canyon where I cut through and returned.
It was my first experience with desert hiking and camping and I am ready to try it again. I really did not see much other than the great scenery and the desert plants. Lechugilla, Prickly Pear cactus, Christmas Cactus, and Cholla--all made hiking difficult. I found a nice campsite not far from a dry streambed and the evening under the desert sky was awesome. On my hike out I did see one tarantula spider,
a few mule deer and stumbled upon an indian tipi circle. It was on a remote hill and the site was only large enough for the one tipi. The circle of rocks outlined an extremly smooth flat area. All rocks had been removed and the remaining sandy soil was a deep sulphur yellow. My guess at this time is that this may have been a vision quest location for a Comanchee or Apache shaman and the soil was colored by the smoking or burning of herbs and the like. I'll be going back to get some photos and information to take to the park archeologist.
Sandi and I took our Special Project day to visit many of the roadside display sites in the park, look at some of the drive-to back country campsites, and took the hike back Grapevine Trail to the Balancing Rocks.
Except for the short clinb up the mountain at the trail's end, the hike was an easy stroll for about a mile through an arroyo or dry stream bed. this is one of the favored hikes in the park. We drove down 7 miles of dirt road to get to the trailhead but the hike in was worth the drive and the effort. Like most of the park, this is Chihuhuan Desert with overwhelming geologic features and an abundance of cactus and other desert plants armed with wicked spines. This Prickly pear cactus did not do Sandi any favors.