Alan Rowsome, senior director of government relations at The Wilderness Society:
“This is the worst Congress for public lands ever.”
Congress just made it easier to sell off federal land, including national parks
Guadalupe Mountains TX – Bowl Loop
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- 8.5 miles
- 2380ft elevation gain
- side trip to climb Hunter’s Peak
The Parks recommends a (strenuous) 6-8 hours. In a rush to finish before dark, I did it in 4.5 hours.
Trailhead is the Pine Springs Visitor Center. I checked in with a Ranger on trail conditions. She neglected to tell me there was a LOT of snow up in the Bowl.
My guidebook recommended to climb up via the Tejas trail.
A very easy way gain all that altitude. Very well maintained.
Up top in the bowl it looked like the Canadian winter I’d fled.
I met only one other hiker. She too was surprised with the snow.
It’s a different ecosystem up here.
A beautiful coniferous forest of pine and Douglas fir … awaits those who are willing to hike up 2500 feet from the Chihuahuan desert below.
Close to the turnoff for Hunter’s Peak I saw a herd of mule deer. I’m not sure why they are so high this time of year.
Behind me is the highest point in Texas – Guadalupe Peak. I left a Summit Stone.
Great vistas.
From there I needed to either backtrack. Or finish the loop.
Signage in Guadalupe Mountains National Park is not nearly as good as in Big Bend. The free Parks trail map is not detailed enough to do many of the hikes it recommends. Get a better map.
Happily I did find the sign to Bear Canyon Trail. The descent was much different — and much steeper — than how I got up.
I saw some strange wreckage. An airplane crash, I assume.
It was much quicker down than up.
In fact, for most people it’s better to climb on Bear Canyon, descend on Tejas. Easier on the knees. We’ve added The Bowl to our list of best hikes in North America.
related – Backpacker – Guadalupe Mountains National Park: The Bowl
State Of The USA National Parks
Kurt Repanshek posted a comprehensive overview:
The arrival of 2017 has opened a new chapter for the National Park Service and the National Park System, one that in the first days of the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress is fraught with concern over both the stability of the agency and the health of the parks.
- The administration wants to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
- Nominees for key agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy could support initiatives detrimental to natural resources.
- Republicans in Congress are pushing to limit, if not entirely do away with, use of the Antiquities Act by presidents to designate national monuments.
- Budget increases for the Park Service, feeble during the past eight years, could be even more meager.
It’s too early to say how these will play out, but they all bear watching. …
Personally, I’m very worried for ALL the American Parks. Republicans are not often friends of outdoor recreation. 😦
South Rim Loop, Big Bend TX
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
I feel the best hike in Big Bend National Park for most people is one of the South Rim Loop options. You can do those as long day hikes, but I’d recommend one night in a tent on the Rim.
Pick up your camping permit ($12 / night 2017) at the Ranger station near the Chisos Mountain Lodge. There’s a good store for last minute provisions.
The trailhead is right there. I started up the Pinnacles Trail.
Everywhere is scenic up this high. Great vistas in every direction.
A hiker showed me a photo of a bear he’d seen earlier in the morning. Cougar and bear sightings are frequent. They are confined to a small geographic area.
Cougars hunt the Carmen Mountain Whitetail. For the deer it’s either cougars in the National Park or hunters outside the Park.
Are these the Pinnacles?
Weather was good so I opted for the Emory Peak side trip. It’s the highest mountain in the Park.
Emory is dangerous. A teenager fell 450 feet to his death in 1999. Many turn back at the final scramble to the summit.
For me it was FUN getting up.
I left a Summit Stone. Enjoyed the vistas … though it was very windy.
Down climbing is often more difficult. It is here.
Foolishly I’d not really paid any attention to my line on the way up. Several times I had to backtrack on the descent to find the safest route.
I picked up my pack on getting back to the Pinnacles Trail. Then carried on up the Boot Canyon Trail.
I’ve never seen so many Bear Boxes before. As a result, Big Bend has very few problem bears.
It was late in the day. I needed to hurry to get to the South Rim if I wanted to set up my tent in daylight.
There are standing pools of water here. You don’t want to drink from them.
I started with 3.5 litres of liquids.
Big Bend does an excellent job maintaining trails. #respect
At last light I reached the most scenic part of the trip.
Here’s the vista from the S.E. Rim.
In January it was very cold this high. And very windy. I had to cocoon in my sleeping bag to stay warm enough.
I woke early next morning. The weather forecast was for rain. I hurried down over the Laguna Meadows Trail taking only about 2 hours to complete the loop.
Recommended.
related – trip report – Patrick Dearen 2007
Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend TX
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Note: We were there Jan 2017. Accessibility may change depending on what happens with Trump’s border wall promise.
Santa Elena Canyon is the single most popular spot in Big Bend National Park. Everyone stops here, even those who don’t normally hike.
The nature trail crosses Terlingua Creek, climbs several flights of ramps and stairs and then descends into the canyon along the Rio Grande. At this point the canyon walls loom over 1500 feet above the river below. …
In my haste to get over to the Canyon, I took off my shoes and waded Terlingua Creek.
That turned out to be a mistake. Everyone else found a way to cross keeping their feet dry.
Nobody regrets taking this short hike.
And I did finally get a photo of a desert cottontail. Or is it a small jack rabbit?
The best way to see the canyon is by raft or canoe. Local outfitters offer trips from one to three days in length when conditions allow, and river runners of intermediate or better skill level often go on their own. …
Even better for me would be the difficult Mesa de Anguila hike along the canyon rim. Next time. 🙂
related – Texas GOP congressman slams Trump plan for border wall
“Building a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border,” Rep. Will Hurd (R-Tex.) said in a statement …
Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend TX
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Note: We were there Jan 2017. Accessibility may change depending on what happens with Trump’s border wall promise.
Boquillas town is actually the small village in Mexico that sits on the eastern side of Big Bend National Park. It’s where many tourists cross to hike in Mexico.
A guy I met in the hotsprings recommended the Boquillas Canyon day hike. It’s about 1.5 miles return on the American side.
From the parking lot you climb up and over a bluff to walk alongside the muddy Rio Grande.
Supposedly these souvenirs on the beach ($6 each) were a fundraiser for the Boquillas school.
There was a donation box too for the Mexican fishermen who SING for tourists.
The cliff walls loom.
It is an interesting short hike.
Boquillas canyon is not as steep or sheer as Santa Elena. But it is impressive.
hike Dipping Springs, New Mexico
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
The #1 thing to do in Las Cruces is a visit to nearby Dripping Springs Natural Area.
From the city the peaks look impressive. I saw mule deer on the drive up.
This is part of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument designated by Obama in 2014.
From the Visitor Center I headed straight up to Dripping Springs Resort built as a tourist attraction in the 1870s.
When it went bankrupt the new owner converted it to a sanatorium. His wife had tuberculosis.
Today I was mostly reminded that the works of man are fleeting. The environment will retake this part of the desert, given time.
I backtracked then connected to the La Cueva loop.
The best part was this hermit cave.
There are a number of stories told of the man who lived and died here.
“John Mary Justiniani, Hermit of the Old and New World.” He died the 17th of April, 1869, at 69 years and 49 years a hermit.”
Better in the early morning would have been to visit the cave first, the ruins last. I would have gained sunlight.
Hot Springs Rim, Big Bend TX
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Note: We were there Jan 2017. Accessibility may change depending on what happens with Trump’s border wall promise.
One highlight of Big Bend National Park you should not miss are the Hot Springs.
A reminder of the park’s past volcanic turmoil, the Langford Hot Springs (or just “hot springs”; everyone will know what you’re talking about) is a small, jacuzzi-sized pool of naturally occurring 105°F (41°C) water from deep below the earth. …
It’s a short walk from the parking lot. Bring a flashlight at night.
Even better is to hike the Hot Springs Rim trail first. Finishing with a dip.
The trailhead features the amazingly well preserved buildings from the Livingston family days.
I started up the Hot Springs Trail.
Continued on to the Hot Springs Rim Trail high above the Rio Grande.
I left a Summit Stone at a nice viewpoint.
Relaxed there looking over the river into Mexico. Very tranquil.
I backtracked to the Hot Springs just in time for dusk. 🙂
This is the life.
Lost Mine Trail, Big Bend TX
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Very close to Chisos Basin Campground in Big Bend National Park is the super popular Lost Mine Trail.
- 4.8 miles return
- perhaps the best half day hike in the Park
- starts at 5,650 feet, ends at a dramatic rocky ridge at 6,850 feet
On the way up you can look back to the campsite. 
Pretty views non-stop.
Surprisingly large trees.
This is heaven on a nice day.
I left a Summit Stone atop this feature. You’ll need to scramble to find it.
I didn’t spend much time at the end of the ridge. It was too windy.
There is no Lost Mine I’m afraid. That’s an old legend.
But I do highly recommend this hike. Weather permitting.
The Window, Big Bend TX
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
Chisos Basin Campground is the best in Big Bend National Park. Reserve in advance as it’s very popular.
Awaking my first morning I found the famed Window hike ran right past my campsite.
I had two mugs of coffee. Then set off down the trail.
The moon still out.
I was first down the trail this morning. My only company were the large, friendly Mexican jays.
My first trail in Big Bend, I was impressed with construction and management. Check these stairs cut into stone.
Here’s the Window pour-off. The only outlet for water from the entire mountain basin.
Don’t get too close. It’s a 220ft drop to Chihuahuan Desert.
related – Trek Southwest – The Window Trail – Big Bend National Park
besthike.com 