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

January 28, 2017January 28, 2017

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. …

Visit Big Bend

Even better for me would be the difficult Mesa de Anguila hike along the canyon rim. Next time. 🙂

“Building a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border,” Rep. Will Hurd (R-Tex.) said in a statement …

January 27, 2017January 24, 2017

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.

Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend

It is an interesting short hike.

Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend

Boquillas canyon is not as steep or sheer as Santa Elena. But it is impressive.

January 26, 2017February 6, 2017

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.

January 26, 2017January 24, 2017

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.

Hotsprings Trail, Big Bend

I started up the Hot Springs Trail.

Hotsprings Trail, Big Bend

Continued on to the Hot Springs Rim Trail high above the Rio Grande.

Hotsprings Trail, Big Bend

I left a Summit Stone at a nice viewpoint.

Hotsprings Trail, Big Bend

Relaxed there looking over the river into Mexico. Very tranquil.

Hotsprings Trail, Big Bend

I backtracked to the Hot Springs just in time for dusk. 🙂

This is the life.

January 25, 2017January 21, 2017

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.

Lost Mine, Big Bend

Surprisingly large trees.

Lost Mine, Big Bend

This is heaven on a nice day.

Lost Mine, Big Bend

I left a Summit Stone atop this feature. You’ll need to scramble to find it.

Lost Mine, Big Bend

I didn’t spend much time at the end of the ridge. It was too windy.

Lost Mine, Big Bend

There is no Lost Mine I’m afraid. That’s an old legend.

But I do highly recommend this hike. Weather permitting.

January 24, 2017January 21, 2017

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.

The Window, Big Bend

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 Window, Big Bend

The moon still out.

The Window, Big Bend

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.

The Window, Big Bend

Here’s the Window pour-off. The only outlet for water from the entire mountain basin.

The Window, Big Bend

Don’t get too close. It’s a 220ft drop to Chihuahuan Desert.

related – Trek Southwest – The Window Trail – Big Bend National Park

January 23, 2017January 21, 2017

Manaslu Circuit – new cantilever trail section

The guided Manaslu Circuit trek in Nepal is one of the very best hikes in the world.

Some good news.

The April 2015 earthquake triggered landslides that destroyed many sections of the Budi Gandaki Trail, cutting off Upper Gorkha, affecting the movement of local people and trekkers on the Manaslu Circuit.

Now, engineers have used cantilever technology to restore damaged sections of the trail along the narrowest and steepest parts of the Budi Gandaki gorge. …

Nepali Times

(via Manaslu Circuit Trek)

January 22, 2017January 22, 2017

best men’s hiking footwear 2017

top 10 travel likes the HOKA ONE ONE Tor Summit Mid Waterproof Men’s Hiking Boots best.

Click through to see the rest of their list – Best Men’s Hiking Boots 2017 – Buyer’s Guide and Reviews

My own shoe of choice is there – Merrell Men’s Moab GORE-TEX®
I’m on my 4th or 5th pair.

January 22, 2017January 19, 2017

U.S. long distance trails

Backpacker magazine:

Of course there’s the Triple Crown—the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail—and dozens more, spanning tens of thousands of miles. Whether you want to hike for six days or six months, start your search here. …

Map: America’s Best Long Trails