Big Bend

[MannyIsGod]

Jess and I are considering taking a camping trip out to Big Bend for a few days in the coming weeks. Has anyone here ever been?

[travis2]

Never been...hear it's pretty. Also hear it's rugged as hell...and this time of year "hell" is an apt description...

[Taco]

http://www.big.bend.national-park.com/

http://bigbend.areaparks.com/

[MannyIsGod]

Never been...hear it's pretty. Also hear it's rugged as hell...and this time of year "hell" is an apt description...I thought it would be hot too, but really much of the park is mountainous so the lows all across the place are in the 60s and many of the highs are in the 70s and 80s! August is also the rainy season there, so it rains quite often which keeps it cool and makes for cool views and what not.

The weather isn't an issue which really suprised me.

[travis2]

Really? Wow...:wow

[leemajors]

if you don't cut the buttons off right, it can ruin the whole plant. it takes ten years for them to be able to be harvested...

[MannyIsGod]

Really? Wow...:wowhttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?CityName=Big+Bend+National+Park&state=TX&site=MAF

[gameFACE]

Take the trip! I haven't been since '90 or '91 but it's great. Rio Grande Village is where I camped out. It can get really crowded so get your place early and there are showers and a convenience store there, I think. One night I remember turning in and when I woke up there was a maze of cars crowding the place with people sleeping on the hoods of their cars.

You can get to a number of the nicest hiking trails from the Chisos Basin. There is everything from overnight to 4 hour trails like the Lost Mine Trail. You can in the basin and get a room, too, but they are hard to get. Plan on camping. There is also a hot spring somewhere and rafting. Lajitas is an old village where refugee hippies live. Those old fogie types that run arts and crafts stores. It's pretty nice. There are places to eat there.

I have some old photos somewhere. I'll see if i can dig them up.

[CosmicCowboy]

There are almost two "big bends"...the flats and the bowl on the mountain part. This time of the year you definitely want to be in the bowl. You won't think you are in Texas...Pinon Pines, cool, and great scenery. If they take campsite reservation make them for the bowl ASAP. I suggest planning your trip to spend the first or last night in Marathon at the Gage Hotel. Very nice place, friendly people and a good restaurant.

[ORION]

Batman gets the "Big Bend" from his boyfriend every night

[boutons_]

Do it in autumn or winter, not in mortally hot August.

CC's recommendation of the Chisos Mountains basin makes some sense at this time of the year.

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/webcam/basincam.htm

I hate working in the yard in this dessicated inferno, and that's with the relief of escaping back into A/C. Fuck central TX and everything in between until San Diego, it's really a sucky place for weather and geography.

[TheRage]

i've never been but i did camp in the back yard once.

[Extra Stout]

Do it in autumn or winter, not in mortally hot August.

CC's recommendation of the Chisos Mountains basin makes some sense at this time of the year.

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/webcam/basincam.htm

I hate working in the yard in this dessicated inferno, and that's with the relief of escaping back into A/C. Fuck central TX and everything in between until San Diego, it's really a sucky place for weather and geography.
Autumn or winter in the Chisos Mountains is... autumn or winter in the mountains. It's cold and it snows sometimes.

I did the Guadalupes in April '05, and above 7000 ft at night it got down to 35 degrees.

[MannyIsGod]

There are almost two "big bends"...the flats and the bowl on the mountain part. This time of the year you definitely want to be in the bowl. You won't think you are in Texas...Pinon Pines, cool, and great scenery. If they take campsite reservation make them for the bowl ASAP. I suggest planning your trip to spend the first or last night in Marathon at the Gage Hotel. Very nice place, friendly people and a good restaurant.Thanks dude!

[midgetonadonkey]

Batman gets the "Big Bend" from his boyfriend every night

:lmao

[PakiDan]

I thought it would be hot too, but really much of the park is mountainous so the lows all across the place are in the 60s and many of the highs are in the 70s and 80s! August is also the rainy season there, so it rains quite often which keeps it cool and makes for cool views and what not.

The weather isn't an issue which really suprised me.

Quite a wealth of knowledge for someone who hasn't been there....

[Hook Dem]

Manny.......I haven't been there in a while but I remember that it was quite HOT in June. They have had some rain lately so there should be some water in the river. It had damn near dried up when I was there. We stayed at the Safari Inn on the west side of the park near Study Butte. Used to have a good swimming pool. Be sure to take the drive west towards Persidio. You'll go through Brewster county which has an open range law(look out for cattle). There isn't one paved street in Persidio and they constantly set the record for high temperature. All in all, I enjoyed the experience and as CC said, you won't believe you're in Texas. The mountains are beautiful.

[spurschick]

I only went once and it was in January. The cold was nice, but the strong winds made camping challenging. The sun was out the entire time though and it was beautiful.

[MannyIsGod]

Bump

Going early next week. Will take lots of pictures. Hope to hell I don't burn up and die, but we'll be up in the mountains where the highs are in the 70s (allegedly) so we'll see.

[baseline bum]

Has anyone done that canyon the Rio Grande flows through there? Is there a good time where it can be hiked? I've been wanting to make a trip there for a while now.

[MannyIsGod]

So spent a few days out there and it was pretty bad ass. Weather up in the mountains was fairly nice. Got rained on a bit which was fine and got to stay cool (VERY cool at night) in the Texas desert. Pretty drastic difference when we visited Santa Elena Canyon on the desert floor. It was over 100 there easy.

Took a ton of pictures, here are some.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/rainpeak.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/rainpan.jpg

Rained everyday while we were there. These are some shots of the storms on the way in. It was pretty awesome to see that kind of rain in the desert. Shit really does bloom to life right after the rain.

Got there and immediately got used to seeing these little fuckers around.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/javi1.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/javi2.jpg

This is from the Nail ranch. One of the first ranches in the area so there isn't much left.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/nailwind.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/nailwall.jpg

These are views from one of the outlooks. The canyon in the pictures is Santa Elena. You could see hundreds of miles on this day from the mountains (although this is not nearly that far).

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/santaelenafar.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/santasolpan.jpg

Another one of the outlooks. This one was mainly for the Mule Ears formation.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/muleclose.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/mulepan.jpg

[mrsmaalox]

Gorgeous pics, I haven't been in ages. You stayed in the basin? Looks like the weather was good, night time thunderstorms are amazing there. Did you enter by way of Alpine, my home town and the home of my alma mater Sul Ross State University?

[MannyIsGod]

This is a washout on the desert floor. Its made up of old volcanic ash. Its called Tuff Canyon I believe.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/tuff2.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/fuff3.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/tuff1.jpg

The end of our drive took us to Santa Elena Canyon. Wanted to take the trail into the Canyon but because of all the rain it was flooded and was closed. Got as close as we could.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/santatall.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/santawide.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/santafloor.jpg

That ridge and canyon looked damn impressive to me upclose. Its just pretty massive. Its not the Grand Canyon or anything, but I was really in awe none the less.

On the way back took some pictures of the Chisos from the desert floor.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/chisosfar.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/windowfar.jpg

That little notch is The Window where we ended up hiking the next day.

Some sunset pictures from our campsite

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/casaemset.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/windowviewset.jpg

So on our hike to the window we got some foreshadowing on the way in for what would turn out to be the coolest part of the trip

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/beartrack.jpg

[MannyIsGod]

Sat down on a bench knowing there might be bears in the area when Jess spotted the 2 cubs in the trees. It was really awesome to sit there and watch them. Didn't see the mother through this time although a few hikers that came up shortly behind us did see her fairly close with the cubs.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/cubs1.jpghttp://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/topcub.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/bottomcub.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/bottomcub2.jpg

I wish I had gotten more and better pictures of the cubs, but I was really excited to actually glimpse bears in the wild; especially in a place like Big Bend that you don't normally associate with bears. It was easily the highlight of the entire trip for me.

So yeah, after that we got to the Window. Its pretty. But the bears were cooler!

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/windowedge1.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/windowedge2.jpg

I really really enjoyed the park. I'd like to go again in the winter to see more of the desert stuff and actually have time to hike Emory Peak. It was too damn hot to do stuff on the desert floor - we tried to spend as much time as possible in the mountains where it was far more pleasant.

[2centsworth]

it's an awesome trip, even my young kids liked it.

[Ignignokt]

Manny is going to big bend?
Looks like Sasquatch sightings will be on the rise momentarily.

[Pistons < Spurs]

Awesome photos! Never in a million years would I have thought those pictures came out of Texas.

Hope you both had a great time as it looks like this trip took 2 years to plan!:lol

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

How long was the drive from San Antonio

[2centsworth]

it's 6 1/2 hrs, but take 10 instead of 90.

[MannyIsGod]

it's 6 1/2 hrs, but take 10 instead of 90.

We came back on 90 after going out there on 10 and it definitely felt like it took way longer because of all the towns you slow down in. Its a lot shorter that way in distance, but longer because of all that.

[baseline bum]

You got balls hanging around cubs. I ran into one hiking in Sequoia, and turned around and GTFO immediately.

[RashoFan]

Thanks for sharing the pics. Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves. I have been wanting to go out to Big Bend Natl Park for a long time....just going to have to make some time for that trip!

[baseline bum]

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Msalgado80/casaemset.jpg

That's a fucking badass pic! :toast

[MannyIsGod]

You got balls hanging around cubs. I ran into one hiking in Sequoia, and turned around and GTFO immediately.

Normally we would have booked it, but they had been reported in that same spot for days and there are a good amount of people who go through there. We figured that as long as we didn't do anything overtly threatening the mother was around and fairly used to people stopping along the way.

They were a good 30 or so yards away up a tree while we stood on the main trail.

[2centsworth]

We came back on 90 after going out there on 10 and it definitely felt like it took way longer because of all the towns you slow down in. Its a lot shorter that way in distance, but longer because of all that.

distance shorter but on 10 you mostly do 80 versus 40 on 90.

[baseline bum]

Normally we would have booked it, but they had been reported in that same spot for days and there are a good amount of people who go through there. We figured that as long as we didn't do anything overtly threatening the mother was around and fairly used to people stopping along the way.

They were a good 30 or so yards away up a tree while we stood on the main trail.

You got a nice camera then. I thought you were taking the pics from 20 feet away or something. :lol

[jcrod]

Nice!

Where did ya'll stay out in the open in a tent? Never camped out, except the beach when i was little. Do they have cabins or strictly camp sites? Looks like a nice place to visit for a couple of days.

[Nbadan]

Seriously dude, take a trip to Yellowstone or Mt. Rushmore..

[Taco]

nice pic's manny

[tlongII]

Nice pics. The scenery is similar to central Oregon.

[mrsmaalox]

Nice!

Where did ya'll stay out in the open in a tent? Never camped out, except the beach when i was little. Do they have cabins or strictly camp sites? Looks like a nice place to visit for a couple of days.

There's a nice lodge up in the Chisos Basin

[ATRAIN]

Manny is going to big bend?
Looks like Sasquatch sightings will be on the rise momentarily.

LMAO!!!

Jacks Beef jerky presents: Messin with Manny

Nice pics Manny, I think Im going to have to plan a trip over there.

[ATRAIN]

Manny did you guys camp in one of the primitive camp trails in the mountains?

[Jekka]

Seriously dude, take a trip to Yellowstone or Mt. Rushmore..

That would be great if we'd had both the time and the budget. We'll get there eventually.

I went to Yellowstone about 8 years ago in the middle of summer, and it's something I'll avoid in the future if at all possible. Off-season ftw - traffic jams in the middle of a NP suck ass. I had spent about a week in the Tetons before going there, and the Tetons fucking rock and are less crowded. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.

[baseline bum]

That would be great if we'd had both the time and the budget. We'll get there eventually.

I went to Yellowstone about 8 years ago in the middle of summer, and it's something I'll avoid in the future if at all possible. Off-season ftw - traffic jams in the middle of a NP suck ass. I had spent about a week in the Tetons before going there, and the Tetons fucking rock and are less crowded. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.

Do you have any pics from there?

[TheTruth]

My brother just got hired as a Park Ranger at Big Bend. He's been working at the Grand Tetons National Park and can't wait to get back home to Texas.

Great pics. Looks like a beautiful place.

[MannyIsGod]

My brother just got hired as a Park Ranger at Big Bend. He's been working at the Grand Tetons National Park and can't wait to get back home to Texas.

Great pics. Looks like a beautiful place.

Damn your Bro has a bad ass gig.