CuRVWander

Within Big Bend National Park is a network of dirt roads.  Some of these are listed as improved roads and can be driven by just about any vehicle, as long as it is understood that the going is slow and that your vehicle needs to be in good working order with plenty rubber on the tires. For our project day, Cyndee and I checked out a high clearance vehicle for a day of back country road patrol.  We were starting with the 13 mile long Old Maverick Road on the west side of the park.  Our start was early because this part of the park is quite barren and looks best in early morning (or late afternoon) light.  At this time the desert colors are more saturated and the feel of the desert badlands is less harsh than in the midday sun.  The road crosses Alamo Creek and ascends the gravel hills between Burro Mesa and the Rattlesnake Mountains.  Before the park was established this area was much different looking.  After over grazing, farming and tree cutti...

When we were asked to fill a volunteer position at Big Bend it was always a November 1st to March 31st commitment.  We thought that was the arrangement for all the volunteers but recently some of our new friends started talking about getting ready to leave.  Leave?  What leave?  It is still two months away. They were just as perplexed about our reaction to their leaving talk as we were to them talking about something we did not think would be a discussion for weeks to come.  Their response was; "what, you are not leaving at the end of January?"  "Nope.  Why, are you?" Turns out that there is a mid-season turnover of volunteer jobs.  Not all of them, but almost.  A whole new crop of volunteers has showed up and are in the midst of the two week orientation/training program as I write.  Next week will be the big switch when the current volunteers will extract themselves from their in-park housing and the new volunteers will move in...

What a week for critter-sighting and scenery.  The weather was gorgeous and the animals seemed amenable. Beginning at the Chisos Mountains Basin, how about a mid-afternoon moon rise.  Just as it broke over the ridge to the north of Casa Grande.  A little later the lens effect from the atmosphere was a little less and the moon appeared smaller but sharper. After lots and lots of hikes, looking for animals and coming up empty handed, right in the parking lot at the Basin Visitor Center I get a Cactus Wren that does not seem the least bit bothered by me walking up and snapping a dozen shots. Cactus Wren Then, minutes later and on the exact same yucca, a Say's Phoebe posed for its portrait.  Although it was not quite so tolerant of me getting close like the Cactus Wren was.  By the way, it took a half-dozen books and about eight people to finally identify this little song bird. Say's Phoebe The next two shots come from just outside the north...

It was time for another shopping trip and we once again were going to need to go all the way to Odessa (226 miles) to get access to everything we need.  The weather forecast was calling for afternoon wind so we stowed the satellite dish before departing. After 14 hours of driving and shopping we returned home in anticipation of watching the late news and getting to bed.  But when the button was pushed to raise the satellite dish, nothing.  It was late so I only checked the easy things with no luck.  The harder things will have to wait after a nights sleep and some daylight. By 5:00 the next morning my mind was racing with what I could do to track down what the problem is.  As soon as the sun came up I started tracing every line and component, finally ending up on the roof with the conclusion that the problem has to be, once again, the electronics in the base of the dish.  After two hours on the phone with Winegard technical service they too were convinc...

There are 1,200 square miles inside the national park called Big Bend.  There are a number of things you can see by car but if you really want to see Big Bend you have to take a walk.  Recently that is just what we did. Along the Ross Maxwell Scenic drive is a pull-out for The Chimneys trail head.  End to end it is about a 7 mile trail right through the desert.  No hills to climb, no sandy-bottom dry washes, no spring oasis' and no shade trees.  However, there is a geological structure, a string of hoo-doos known as The Chimneys, about 2.5 miles out.  The Chimneys are almost worth the walk out by themselves but add to that that there are petroglyphs and other signs of very old human presence and you have yourself a pretty good reason to spend a chunk of your day in the desert. That's a lot of desert, and there is even more behind the camera than in front of it. We take off and start down the trail.  It may be flat but it is not ...