February 13 - Big Bend's Chisos Mountains

I woke to another freezing morning.  Nothing like they’ve been having back in the Pacific Northwest, where Marty reports having 20-inches of snow on our back porch, and now rain on top of it.  Here in West Texas, it is clear and cool at 31° F.

I breakfasted again at the Bad Rabbit, having eggs, sausage & grits, coffee and orange juice for $12.35.  Since I wasted the morning having a good breakfast, I left the Ranch at the crack of 10 o’clock for Big Bend National Park.  I’d mis-read the maps and such, so don’t have the opportunity to find Montezuma Quail in this part of the State, so will bird-watch a bit in the Park before returning toward Fort Davis.

Loggerhead Shrike in the yucca

I drove across the Ament Lake Road, which was pretty rough, and I had to drive at about 20-25 mph most of the way.

In Texas, Purple means "No Trespassing"

Here in Texas, purple paint on the fence posts carry the same legal weight as do “No Trespassing” signs.

Enacted in 1997, the law states that the application of purple paint (typically in a shade known as “No Hunting Purple”) to property features such as trees and fence posts in a specified manner is the legal equivalent of posting “No Tresspassing” signs.  I presume that, in rural west Texas, I shouldn’t argue the fact that these purple rocks don’t quite follow the letter of the law . . .

This paint is not "... vertical lines of not less than eight inches in length ..."

I stopped at an old dam, and walked out to take a look to see if there was water behind it, but the wash was dry.

Dry Dam

There were few birds or other life in the area, so I continued on unnamed dirt roads, through the Christmas Mountains, finally finding my way back to Highway 118.

The road south from there took me through Terlingua, and I gassed up before going on in to Big Bend National Park.

I have my Golden Age Pass, so didn’t have to pay the $30 entrance fee.  I decided that I’d like to see some higher-elevation terrain, so went to the Chisos Basin Visitors’ Center and got information on the Lost Mine trail.  I also did some birding around the center grounds.

Much vertical elevation in the Chisos . . .

White-winged Doves in Century Plant Agave harvardiana

Canyon Wren

Cholla fruits

Cactus Wren in an agave

Say's Phoebe

The Lost Mine Trail starts at 5,650 feet; the trailhead is along the entrance road into the mountains, just after the high point at Panther Pass, and before the steep winding descent into Chisos Basin.

The round trip is 4.8 miles, which I decided to take on a sunny 60° afternoon.  Basic rule of hiking in the desert:  take enough water…  I took 2 quarts and used them both by the time I got back to the car.

At first, the walk is along the lower slopes of Casa Grande peak, on the north-facing side of Green Gulch, a relatively sheltered valley with pine, oak, juniper and fir trees.

After 0.8 miles the path reaches a ridge at the head of the gulch; ahead lies the much larger Juniper Canyon, with the Chihuahuan desert in the east of the park visible far beyond.

The middle third of the trail alternates between sunny, exposed land with cacti, ocotillo and lechuguilla, and more shaded patches with bushes and trees.

Weeping Juniper - Juniperus flaccida

I'd never before noticed the cool patterns on the back of the agave leaves . . .

The uphill gradient is moderate but steady, becoming quite steep as the path approaches the ridge that divides Juniper Canyon with Pine Canyon, the adjacent ravine to the north.

Steps?!?!  The trail flattened out just above here . . .

The last section is much flatter, along the ridge which is mostly bare rock, and becomes gradually narrower, coming to a dramatic rocky ridge at 6,850 feet, ending at a small summit around which the ground at either side falls away very steeply.

There are several higher peaks around the end of the trail, including 7,535 feet Lost Mine Peak, at the far side of Pine Canyon to the north.

Some of the rocks on the hillside opposite are quite colorful, hinting of hidden mineral wealth, and there are stories of a rich seam of gold being discovered in this area by Spanish settlers, then supposedly lost when all were killed by the enslaved Chizos Indians. The tale is unproven and no trace of such a mine in this area has ever been found.

The Park Service information board states that no ore is present in the area.  However, this photo shows a hole in the side of the mountain that sure looks to me like it is man-made.

The hike back down the hill was much easier than the climb up, especially as I live at sea level, and it’s 30° and snowing back at home in Olympia.  There was time to appreciate the birds

Mexican Jays ignore the Border Wall . . .

the other wildlife

Rock Squirrel - Spermophilus variegatus

and the vegetation

Prickly Pear

I don't know this cactus . . .  Cute, though!

I retraced my drive back out of the park and north on Highway 18, where I had to stop at yet another Customs and Border Patrol check-point.

I don’t like getting political, but I remember that my Father spent four years in the early 1940s, fighting the forces of Imperialism and Fascism so that Americans wouldn’t have to be forced to carry identification (citizenship) papers, be subjected to random searches without warrant, or be hemmed in by Trump's Wall.  Seems that the “Greatest Generation” finally lost their War . . .

Spanish Dagger - Yucca treculeana

I topped off my gas tank in Alpine, and returned to the Fort Davis Inn for another night’s stay, in anticipation of going to the McDonald Observatory tomorrow, then north toward Albuquerque.

Terlingua Ranch eBird Checklist is Here

Lake Ament Road eBird Checklist is Here

Chisos Basin Visitors' Center eBird Checklist is Here

Lost Mine Trail eBird Checklist is Here