Big Bend National Park, Texas - Part 2 of 2

Tom

Part two of our time in Big Bend national park, if you haven't read part one then it can be found HERE...

Day 3 - Santa Elena Canyon Trail and Mule Ears Spring Trail

Feeling better but not perfect the next morning, we decided to have a slightly later start to allow me to recover. Once we set out, we headed west to Santa Elena Canyon. This was another canyon on the Rio grande, at the other end of the park to yesterday, and arguably more stunning?

This was a fairly easy walk with a steep uphill section to start. This did take me a while, but by the end of the trail i was starting to feel myself again ready for the hike back.

Back at the van, we decided to head back along the road and toward the visitor centre on this side of the park. This it turns out was an old military outpost overlooking the border. After that it became a small farming town that traded freely across the border until falling into ruin and the national park taking it over when the park was founded.

Here we decided to head to the mule ear springs overlook for lunch. As it doubled as the trail head for the mule ear springs trail, we could then decide if we should do this very exposed hike or not.

We went for it, lunch sorted me out and we wanted to do something a bit more strenuous. This was a great decision as this was possibly one of our favourite hikes of the trip despite the blistering heat. It’s across open, unsheltered desert and followed a dried creek bed for 2 miles up to a tiny spring surrounded by a patch of lush vegetation in the shadow of the mule ears mountain. The name comes from the shape as you will see in the photo, the ears are solidified lava tubes that remained after wind erosion removed the surrounding softer material.

Shattered, we then returned to the campground for dinner and to get an early night. This time we would actually get up early for Chisos basin!

Day 4 - Chisos Basin, The Window Trail and Basin loop

Bright and early, we were up, bed away and in our PJ’s drive out for the hour drive up to Chisos basin. The desert in the darkness was eerie, yet the sunrise was glorious to see as we passed through the rocky ridge lines and plains up toward the basin.

We arrived in good time but the trailhead we originally wanted to do was already full and so we had to continue to the visitor centre instead. No problem, loads of room there.

So, bacon and eggs on the stove as we got dressed and hiking kit assembled. Then a quick look round the shop as it opened for some bits needed and we set off down the Window Trail. Trying to avoid the stags fighting over a doe just next to the shop.

The window trail was the longest route so far and started with us in full winter clothes on the long downhill toward the basin rim. By the time we reached the window itself, we were pretty much back into our hot weather hiking kit. The views were yet again spectacular and we spent a little while at the bottom before heading back up the long ascent.

The return was enjoyable but a slog by the end as it got steeper toward the car park and visitors centre. But, Ellen got to see plenty of birds and I spotted a grey fox crossing the trail ahead of us. Though we thought it was a coyote at first, we realised it wasn’t when we went to the visitor’s centre when we got back to the top.

We weren’t sure if we could manage another walk in the afternoon as we were so tired by this point. But after lunch and a bit of a rest we found we had enough energy for a short one before we searched for somewhere to dump the grey tank. So we set off from the car park around the basin loop, a short hike up and around some of the more lush areas of the basin. A lot more trees here than elsewhere.

Then it was off to find the dump point. Unfortunately due to drought conditions we couldn’t fill up the water tank though. This would provide some complications we would have to figure out the next day. But for now the plan was go get some fuel at the slowest fuel pumps known to man. Then get back to the campsite, have dinner and play a game out in the evening air before a last star gaze and off to bed.

Day 5 - leaving Big Bend

Morning broke, and the plan was to get on the road sharpish and make plans back in Terlingua over breakfast where we would have some signal. I’ll cover that journey in the next update.

Truth be told though, we didn’t want to leave this beautiful, peaceful place. The stars, the wildlife, the open expanse and seemingly eternal sky. But as the sun rose for our last morning in Big Bend National Park, a vermillion flycatcher came to see us off, there is more to see and do, further adventures await.