Big Bend Trip

My wife and I took the long trip out west to Big Bend National park. This was our fist time in this part of Texas and I was blown away by the scenery. The drive out there from Houston is pretty rough but it's definitely worth it if you haven't been.

I don't have the energy for a full write up but here are a few pics



Santa Elena Canyon- Mexico on the left side and Texas/U.S. on the right




Black Gap







Hopefully more to come!

 

We stopped on the side of River Road East and ate lunch. This only other traffic we saw was a roadrunner. The views and the silence were spectacular.

 

I've lived in TX now most of my life and I've never been. Did you camp in the park?

 

I'm envious! I was gonna make a trip down there two months back, but backed out due to not having enough extra parts and supplies. Anything you would do different the next time?

 

Yep. We camped in the Chisos Basin for one night. It's close to "the window" (a huge break in the mountains) which is a must see in the park. There's a campground there as well as a lodge and a restaurant. Once again the views were tremendous and it looked like you could reach out and touch the stars at night.

As far as the off road part I would probably recommend having another truck with you on the trails. It's a calculated risk going by yourself. Black Gap trail isn't too extreme but given my lack of experience there were a few nerve racking moments. I made sure I had my 285 spare, jack with wood blocks, lots of extra gas, food/water in case of emergency, and an air compressor as well as some tools. We only saw 3 other vehicles in about 50 miles of road on a mild and sunny Saturday so there's not much help if you were to break down.

As far as the park itself... I would definitely recommend at least 2 days to explore the park. There's tons of great things to see and experience but everything is really spread out so it takes a while to get from place to place.

My High points after one visit:
Santa Elena Canyon
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
Old Maverick Road-Fun gravel/dirt road to test out your suspension at higher speeds
Hot Springs on the Rio Grande
Chisos Mountains/Window
River Road East

If you have a chance take a trip into the Terlingua and have a beer at sunset on the porch at The Starlight

 

Should've hiked to Emory Peak! Helluva view

 

I read about Emory Peak. It sounded really cool and slightly scary for someone afraid of heights. We'll definitely be coming back though to check out numerous other trails and sights. There's no way to see everything in one trip.

What year did you graduate? I'm class of 03.

 

Driving between Marfa and Alpine after the weather closed in on us

 

Class of 12 here! I have a video on YouTube called Talk Less Do More, I climbed Emory and Guadalupe.

 

http://youtu.be/RLD018CRhXw