Tanya and TJ's Big Bend Trip
September 2004

Day 1: We arrived at Big Bend National Park at noon on Friday (Sept. 3). At the park headquarters, we arranged to camp near Pine Canyon (PC4) for our first night and then at Ernst Tinajas (ET1) for night two. We set up camp that afternoon at PC4, and then hiked most of the Pine Canyon trail that evening. The weather was cool (low 80's for the highs) and dry. It was very pleasant! Big Bend had received a lot of rain in August, so all the plants were green and blooming.

Hiking in Pine Canyon, Day 1		Colorful Grasshopper	Our camp near Pine Canyon, Day 1	At Night



Day 2: A beautiful sunrise greeted us the next morning. We packed up and drove to Rio Grande Village to get cleaned up and take showers. The showers are coin-operated, so take change if you go!

Sunrise on Day 2: Looking towards the trailhead in Pine Canyon



Facing East at Sunrise		Desert Life out for Breakfast	Beetle on Cactus	Desert Flowers



After our showers and lunch, we checked out the hot springs. These occur naturally and bubble up in a certain spot on the banks of the Rio Grande river. Unfortunately, the water level of the river was high due to heavy August rains. The hot springs (which are sectioned off by old rock walls) were overflowed by the river. Day 2 (Saturday) saw hotter weather. We also had descended in elevation (from Pine Canyon) which contributed to the heat.

Ocotillo plant		Rio Grande Mud	Road Runner at Rio Grande Village	Hot Springs on the Rio Grande



That afternoon we headed to the Ernst Tinajas and our campsite for the second night of our trip. Upon arriving, we had to deal with a flat tire and temperatures near 100°F. In the evening, after it cooled off some, we hiked into the canyon to see the Tinajas. Tinaja means "earthen jar", and they are small to giant pot holes that retain water in the floor of the canyon. The canyon is incredible- the colorful layered limestone walls have been tilted, contorted, and faulted over time.

Mountain Man		Canyon in the Ernst Tinajas	Tanya in the canyon	Our camp near the Tinajas: Sunrise on Day 3



Day 3: The sunrise was quite beautiful and colorful, and a rainbow briefly appeared over the Chisos mountains.

Sunrise on Day 3: Looking west towards the Chisos mountains from our campsite



Ocotillo and the Chisos		Camping in the rough	The Chisos at Sunrise	Main road to Rio Grande Village



Day 3 was hot and humid. It rained a little that morning, and most of the day was cloudy. Our task for the day was to find the "hidden" water source for the park- Cattail falls. It was a spectacular hike and seeing the falls was well worth it. They are located on the western side of the basin, and fortunatly this area is much higher in elevation that the tinajas area (means cooler temps!).

Turkey Vulture		Another Grasshopper	Desert flower in the rain	Cattail Falls



Top of Cattail falls		The stream below the falls	Full shot of the falls	Tanya at the trailhead to Cattail Falls



We spent the night of Day 3 at the Chisos Mountain Lodge in the Basin. The lodge is decent and it was quite pleasant to be higher up in the mountains. Day 4: Our last day in the park! We started early and hiked the Lost Mines trail. This is probably one of the most spectacular hikes in the park due to the views offered along the trail.

The "Window" from the west side		The "Window" from the east (from inside the basin)	Stink bugs on a century plant	At the end of Lost Mine trail



Panoramic view from the end of the Lost Mine trail Casa Grande is the peak on the right



After we packed up and left the lodge, we drove to Terlingua / Study Butte. We had lunch there and then checked out the Terlingua ghost town.

Unique place to eat in Terlingua		Job offer in Terlingua/Study Butte	Old church in Terlingua ghost town	Cemetery in Terlingua ghost town

	Terlingua Ghost Town a poem by Tanya C. Avery We wait for the rain to come But all we see is gray And the clouds just drift up north from here Never intended to come our way Rain would be a welcome change For a land that knows only dust It would fill wells and quench mouths But the gods have lost their trust We have sent them prayers and sacrifice We've sent them women's tears But the ground is cracked and the trees are dead Our pleas have fallen on deaf ears Some would say this barren land Is beyond civil habitation But we don't need a church built here Just simple precipitation The clouds they tease and weather vanes fool But I have faith in storms tomorrow So I lay with palms outstretched Until the rain floods this sorrow © 2004 Tanya C. Avery (See more of Tanya's work at Deathandbutterflies.net)



Extra Pics

Cute, cuddly critter on the trail		Unnamed peak near Pine Canyon trailhead	Red flowers in Pine Canyon	Crown Mountain near Pine Canyon

Rock outcrop in Pine Canyon		Century plant in Pine Canyon	View from old church in Terlingua ghost town	Close up of ocotillo plant




This was a great first trip to Big Bend for us, and we definitely will return soon. We only saw a little bit of the park, and there are so many more interesting things to see. I think next time we'll try to go when it's cooler :-) or at least stay near the basin area where it's 10-15° cooler than the rest of the park.

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