MY 50-STATE STRATEGY

PICTURE PERFECT: Goat Mountain towers over a desert cactus, just one of the many wondrous sights you’ll find at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas.

A WORLD APART

IT’S A TOUGH CALL. Big Bend National Park: science or science fiction?
For those interested in many of the technical disciplines, there seems to be endless possibilities, but for the photographers amongst us, it’s simply out of this world!
Pro or hobby goblin - archeologists, botanists, geologists, ornithologists, paleontologists, zoologists, as well as astronomers, historians ... well, you get the picture – there’s something for just about everybody.
And for shutterbugs, it’s a desert moonscape with sky-high mountains and some alpine settings.
Throw in the fact that it’s where one of the world’s most discussed rivers makes a dramatic U-turn – The Big Bend – and you have a three-for-all.
As one cruises around Big Bend, all 801,000 acres of it, the ooohs & aaahs just keep on coming. Sharp volcanic intrusions shoot skyward out of the miles and miles of cactus gardens that cover the stark desert landscape; the sizes, colors and jagged shapes of these peaks amaze the eye and keep the camera focused. Truly, the word magnificent does not do this joint justice.
This area was once a home for Apache tribes and a transit point for fierce Comanche raiding parties. Although explorers have frequented the vicinity since the 16th century, non-Indians have inhabited it for only about 150 years.
One of North America’s four great deserts, the Chihuahuan, covers the parklands and extends deep into Mexico. The sands, once undersea and thought to be arid for only around 8,000 years, surround the Chisos Mountains and the park is bordered to the east by the northern edge of imposing Sierra del Carmen, which towers over the river on the Mexican side. The ground temperature can reach 180 degrees at noon mid-summer, but dip down to freezing should a northern storm sweep through during the winter months. Most of the much-needed rain falls during the summer.
The Rio Grand River defines not only the border between the United States and Mexico, but the southern edge of the park. Park Service officials administer 245 miles of it. For river rafting enthusiasts, floating is allowed (with permits available in the park). However, you must bring you own equipment.
The Rio Grande is muddy and gritty, rapidly carving its way through high canyons and then slowing to a leisurely pace traveling through floodplains, which create an occasional oasis, and over rock bars near sandy shores.
After a tremendous storms my first night in the park, the river was clogged with debris, tree limbs and such, coasting along with the current. At one point, the water steams through 100-foot canyon walls into the open and appears to be about 50-60 yards wide. Its flood-depth stick read nine feet. Risking an international incident, I found I could throw a rock across it (then, with no repercussions apparent, I skipped a couple across).
No more than a half-mile downstream, the river was crawling on both sides of a rock bar, about ankle deep - not much of a barrier for any encroaching north-bound illegals (even the Today Show producers couldn’t float a canoe over this area).
For any cactus and desert vegetation fans (like your correspondent), you could wander for hours over the sands, cataloguing the varied flora – some flowering, but all a testament to survival in a hostile environment.
For animal aficionados, jackrabbits, deer, coyotes, snakes, lizards and kangaroo rats abound, along with packs of javalinas (see Stupid Human Tricks). Roadrunners race across the landscape in search of prey, while a multitude of hawks, turkey vultures and (reportedly) Golden Eagles patrol the skies above. You can’t help but hear locusts loudly buzzing as they police the cactus gardens. Alpine hikers are warned against possible encounters with black bears and mountain lions. Birders have listed over 450 types of birds here. It’s said there are certain species of wildlife found here but nowhere else on the planet.
Fossil imprints and cave drawings are marked along nature trails for easy viewing. There are many old homesteads and business ventures dating from the 1800s that have been left untouched by the Park Service and are easily accessible. On clear nights, the Milky Way dominates the sky.
For campers, there are three major camping areas, all with picnic tables, raised cooking grilles and bear-proof food containers. One area, at the Chiso Basin offers spectacular mountain vistas to those tenting. Some sites have a hard roof sheltering the tables. There are also many wilderness sites available for hikers to enjoy. A RV park is located at the river’s easterly edge and, at the Chiso Basin, there is a mountainside lodge.
There are three stores located within the park, stocked with food necessities, canned goods, breads, pastas, dairy, etc., and simple equipment to fill camping needs. The only items you would need to bring are meat and fresh produce, although there are ready-made sandwiches, along with beer & wine available. Block ice is unavailable here, so be prepared to replenish your cubed ice daily. Two gas stations are also situated inside the park confines. Souvenirs as well as nature books and materials are available at the Panther Junction Welcome Center, while helpful rangers are stationed at various points throughout the park. Though there are bathrooms (some primitive) all around the park; the only showers are located at the Rio Grande Village.
In three full days, I was able to cover a lot of ground, visiting, among other landmarks, the amazing Chisos Basin, the remarkable Santa Elena Canyon Gorge and the historical old Hot Springs encampment (this place requires a lot of adjectives). There are many scenic overlooks for photo purposes, while some short hikes were necessary into some areas. With more time, one would find there are many other opportunities here to enjoy oneself.
The ride to through the Chisos was steep and twisting, with many hairpin turns – a real roller coaster, but by and large, the paved roads are well maintained next to the rugged terrain. I was warned that the big storm had washed out the road down to the Santa Elena Canyon, but decided to chance it anyway, and was happy to find only a few wide puddles.
While it can be literally hours before you run into another human, the 2005 season was a banner year for park visitors with a record of over 400,00 making the trek – 80 percent of them Texans, according to a ranger. When I said that was to be expected, as this area is very remote, the ranger laughed, saying, “Hey, it seems far away, even for Texans.” We could agree it’s far away, but I assure you, it’s worth the trip.
For more, see www.nps.gov/bigbend.

Stupid Human Tricks, Part II
Early one evening, just before sundown, I was wandering around near camp, searching for photo opportunities. I spied another pack of javalinas. While snapping them I was joined by a fellow taking pictures as well. I was amazed at the likeness and manner of this guy, identical to a colleague from my years at the paper. I’ll call him “Reilly.”
Reilly still, as far as I know, rides heard on the "rim-men" on the sports desk, and is a gruff, but likable gent. One thing for sure about Reilly: he never made small talk, and while sometimes reticent, he seemed always ready to make the call, venture an opinion or issue a judgment on all matters great and small. So it also seemed with this barrel-chested Texan beside me, his doppelganger. As we were observing the “javys, “ from under his 10-gallon hat, he said, “Never seem ‘em before. I heard they're related to the pig somehow … Wonder if you can eat ‘em? Ya know … Like bacon?” Turning to rejoin his wife in a truck, he added with a chuckle, “Damn, sure look like pork to me!”