Flora-Fauna of Big Bend National Park:My Road Trip There :)

I know, I know...these few photos probably belong in the Photos forum...but since this incredible place is within our own great state of Texas...I thought that I would stick close to "home" and show ya'll some of the interesting things that I found out there a few weeks ago. If anyone has traveled there yet, then you know what I'm talking about, and if you haven't gone before, by all means, grab that gallon of water, a good walking stick, a great camera, a floppy hat and a good sunscreen, lol.. and take your own private adventure to a truly wild area. No cell phones, no televisions, hardly any cars...and a place so quiet that you can hear your own heartbeat for hours. And to a gardener who loves native Texas plants, a goldmine of agaves, cactuses, desert trees...and many many other types of desert plants and animals. What a treasure.. :)

lol, I had to include this photo of Judge Roy Bean's saloon, court house and billiard hall in Langtry, Tx...and his famous picture of Lillie Langtry over the bar. He was infatuated with her, you see, and named his town after her in the 1890's. She, being a famous British stage actress at the time.

And this is the view that we had on a cold mountain morning over breakfast at the Chisos Mountains. That cleft in the mountains is called "The Window" where the mountain basin empties into the desert far far below. We hiked the 5 miles there and back again...and saw all sorts of incredible trees, creosote bushes, desert willows, acacias...and even quaking aspens, left up there from the Ice Age. Beautiful.. :)

On our way to "The Window", I found this type of agave or Century Plant growing along the trail. They were actually growing everywhere....some having old bloom stalks still on them. I wish that we could have seen them blooming in the Spring. Another time perhaps!

Melanie

One of my favorite plants, Ocotillos with some late season blooms on the end of their long willowy branches. I always loved these plants....unusually pretty...They quickly sprout green leaves after a rain. I actually have one here in SA...but they need true desert conditions to grow as they should.

Melanie

This message was edited Oct 30, 2006 5:46 PM

This little guy I chanced upon while on a cliff overlooking the Rio Grande river to Mexico. It is a Living Rock cactus....and if it hadn't had this lovely bloom...I probably would have walked right over it..or even ON it...lol. I saw quite a few of them in this small area. The lobes are literally hard as rock....flat to the ground, for water conservation.

Melanie

I'm not sure what this plant and yellow flowers are, but they were growing all over the desert floor in this particular area. The brightness of the yellow is so striking against the starkness of the desert.

I found this wee patch of a plant called a "Candellia Plant" which in olden days was harvested to make, well..........candles, lol. I poked this one a bit, and sure enough, the stalks felt waxy and sort of fibrous....

Melanie

I also saw some of these light purple flowers growing here and there on the desert floor....another type of aster perhaps? Not sure....but I thought that the dragonfly was a nice addition. :) This was taken on the banks of the Rio Grande river.

Melanie

This dadgum grasshopper was huge! I found him on the trail to The Window...and being the curious person that I am...I had to pick him up to take a closer look at him. Well, he didn't find that agreeable at all and took a nibble on my finger, lol :o I dropped him, to say the least, lol...and took this photo. When I say huge...I mean HUGE! At least 4" long...or even more. Wish I had put a quarter by him...but he had had enough by then, lol

Melanie

Here I am at The Window. I was pretty darn pooped at this point...and needed a cool down, lol. You can see why it is called The Window. And the first drop past that point is a looloo, as they say, lol. 200 ft. down to the desert floor. The walls and floor are slick and shiny from centuries of sandy rock and water sanding it bare, this place being the only way for the whole Chisos Mountain basin to empty into the desert below. And windy!

This message was edited Oct 31, 2006 7:52 AM

This place we found near some hot springs on the banks of the Rio Grande river near Boquillas, Mexico. I was looking straight up at this cliff side of pure shale rock...and saw this prickly pear growing on the edge way up high.

I love this photo of river cane growing in the muddiness of the Rio Grande river. Something elegant about their shape. :)

Melanie

These pictographs were also near the hot springs...way up high amongst the shale rock. I keep looking at this photo, wondering what those ancient folks were trying to draw.

Melanie

lol, nuff said. These raccoon prints I found on the bank of the Rio Grande. I love their little hands!

Another one of those purple floral ground vines....very pretty. :)

Melanie

Yep...its a profile, lol. Local legend tells of a native chief who was allowed to die by a rancher and came back to haunt him in this way. Interesting... :)

Melanie

Santa Elena Canyon...the left side being Mexico...the right side being Texas...and the Rio Grande river cutting it right down the middle. Lots of folks raft thru this canyon...

Melanie

I found these panther prints near Santa Elena Canyon in the mud of the Rio Grande. Lots of black bears and rare sightings of cougars occur in this area as well as up in the Chisos Mountains.

Melanie

This message was edited Oct 30, 2006 9:06 PM

For me, it was a great temptation to just pick these cactuses up and take them home, lol..being a native "scrubby" plant fan. But it is also illegal...and, if you really think about it, immoral, to take something that someone else will probably enjoy. It was tough tho! lol.. I found this little guy poking out from under a rock near a steep arroyo wall. I've seen the blooms before...just a burst of magenta...gorgeous!

Melanie

Also found this Devil's Fishhook or Glanduli cicactus....and darned if I didn't get to see that bloom before it closed. I bet it was pretty.. :)

You'll be driving all around the desert and suddenly see these raspberry colored Purple Prickly Pears growing in and around the desert floor....I actually have one from a pad that I picked up in southern New Mexico....real long spines and interesting color.

Melanie

This ghost town cemetery was beautiful in its starkness and muted colors...in Terlingua, TX, about 20 miles from BBNP. A cinnabar ore mine operated here for quite a while during the early part of the 1900's...and as this old cemetery can attest, it was a dangerous place to work.

This message was edited Oct 30, 2006 5:56 PM

Beautiful photos!! I've gone to Big Bend in April four times in the past 5 years (and have reservations to go back in April '07), as it is a goldmine for birdwatchers during the spring and summer. I like to hike up Pinnacles Trail, and spend the day birding in Boot Springs. I'm still very much a plant newbie, but I can ID newly emerging growth of Red Mountain Sage along the trail. I grow this in my yard, the hummers love it.

If you want to see The Window from the other side of the cliff, drive to Sam Nail Ranch and pull off on the unmarked dirt road across from that parking lot. You'll drive over a very rough road for about 1/2 a mile and park, and then hike a bit over a mile to Cattail Falls.

Thanks for sharing your photos. They bring back LOTS of wonderful memories.

Carla

This message was edited Oct 30, 2006 4:58 PM

A Greater Earless lizard sunning himself. He let me get real close...and tho it was very hot, he seemed quite content just to lay there and watch me for a while, lol. His colors were really bright...

And there you have it...I took over 150 photos...but thought that posting them here might be a bit too much, lol. Just thought I would share....hope others have traveled out that way....if so, we can swap stories...lol

Melanie

This message was edited Oct 31, 2006 4:08 PM

Beautiful photo, Carla. We REALLY lucked out and walked into the lobby of the Chisos Mtn. Lodge and asked if there were any rooms available, completely on a whim...since we were going to hike the Window anyway. And darned if we didn't a get a room with a balcony due to cancellation right then and there. I absolutely love this place, this trip being my third. I took my Massachusetts born fiance with me...and he loved it too, even tho the bottoms of his hiking boots fell off after walking the Window trail, lol...so we'll be going back soon. We didn't get to drive down to the Sam Nail ranch and that wonderful windmill, tho I've been there before...but I did get to get this shot of the Window from behind on a turnoff in the road. Thanks for sharing, by the way.. :)

Gorgeous pictures, beautiful country, sounds like you had a wonderful time.

We really did, ajarmen...I'd recommend it to anyone who has a troubled soul to soothe. :)

Melanie

TxTurqoize - absolutely beautiful pictures.

I've heard that's there's a resort or cabins you can stay at out there but that you have to book really early in advance. Are you familiar with this? Did ya'll camp? I'm a Tx native and I've never explored this area but it's on my BIG wish list.

TxTurqoize - absolutely beautiful pictures.

I've heard that you have to book WAAAAY in advance for a room. Ya'll really lucked out. I want to visit the area so badly. Can you tell me more about the lodge? I know there's a new development in the area, Lajitas, but the few folks I know that have stayed there have not had the experience they were hoping for. I, on the other hand, just want a place to shower. I'd be happy in a tent as long as I have that. I want to visit so bad!

Thanks, knolan.. :)
There is indeed some lodging up at the Chisos Mountains basin...and like I was saying above to Carla, we just happened to have some incredible luck in actually finding a room that day. But yes, reservations I hear are about 6 to 9 mos in advance, tho they do have a few camp grounds in the basin and down by the Rio Grande....and some real primitive sights for the experienced hiker/camper. Its not really a resort tho...no amenities at all....definitely no cell phone use...or televisions...and only a few public telephones. We spent one night in the Chisos...and 2 nights in Alpine...about 50 miles away from the entrance. You should definitely go! Its closer then you think... :)

Melanie

Uh oh, DG had locked up on me when the last message was being sent so I thought I had to retype. Guess I was wrong!

I am desperate for a 'real' get away. How long did you spend there?

Your pictures look so restful. Just my desire.

lol knolan....you posted as I posted my reply... :)
Yeah, Lajitas has really changed....and is the resort that I personally want to stay away from.. (bad sentence structure, there) lol... a five-star hotel and all that...which is fine for folks who don't really want to rough it out that way. Study Butte - pronounced Stoody....has some hotel rooms....and since we went in October....it was pretty empty...tho it gets real full too in March-Sept. Study Butte is about 20 miles from the park entrance. So if you can get a reservation up at the Chisos Lodge, then you are literally right in the middle of everything... :)

Melanie

That's just the info I was looking for. Thank you! Thank you! I'm thinking February, (maybe March if things don't go as planned) for DH and I to get away from it all. I have no problem roughing it a bit. In fact, for once, I think I would prefer it! I'll look into reservations immediately.

You've been a wealth of information. Thank you ever so much!
Kristi

Watch out for Spring Break in March, Kristi...lots of young people head out that way ....and its doubly hard to get lodging in the Chisos Lodge. Just be careful about primitive camping...what with water needs, bears....heat/rain, etc.... Another hiker died out there a few days ago....I'm not sure from what. I definitely want to go back country hiking, but have ALOT to learn from an advanced veteran before attempting it. There are lots of beginner and intermediate trails to attempt tho.. :) Glad my wee bit of info could help ya... :)

Melanie

Wow! I would have never thought of that as an area for spring breakers. OK....we'll rethink. What would you recommend as the best time to go. I love to socialize but we are truly looking for a break from the crowds. And...I would be one of those beginners. I don't want to die!!!! Just want some much needed peace and quiet.

TxTurquoize. thanks for sharing the pictures from your explorations of Big Bend National Park. About 5 years ago I made a quick one day drive from Sanderson, TX. 130 miles east of the Park and just drove down to the Santa Elena area and then back. Lots to see and one day is NOT enough! Here is another view of Santa Elena canyon.



This message was edited Oct 30, 2006 11:02 PM

Another view along the road to Santa Elena. This shows some of the harsh desert terrain leading up to the mountains.

Going down the park road...........

So much to see..................

So beautiful!