The Trip:
Big Bend National Park/ Santa Elena Canyon 2013
The Story:
In the fall of 2013, I spent a few months in southwest Texas. It was an area where I had not spent much time, but the vast expanses do hold a few treasures. Guarded by hours worth of spotty-to-unavailable cell coverage and Main Street towns lies one of those in Big Bend National Park. Big Bend was about a four hour drive, but I ventured out for a scouting trip one Saturday afternoon. I had only enough time for lunch at the lodge, a quick hike, and driving about to verify where I would return on my next venture; however, I solidified my desire to return later.
When I was departing Texas for home, I packed up and drove to spend the night at the Big Bend Chisos Mountain Lodge. The solitary nature of the park is somewhat refreshing given the age of connectivity; the lack of cell signal (well, except for the Mexican signal you can pick up when close enough) means you choose when you want to be contacted by accessing the visitor center wifi. I caught a nice sunset through the window canyon, and then after retrieving my tripod snapped several night sky shots. The view of celestial bodies is fantastic with the absence of city lights. Soon after it was time for bed. I wanted to be well rested for the main feature for my visit, the trail into Santa Elena Canyon.
Given my morning-only timeline before departing for El Paso, I decided that the canyon trail would be it. With it’s massive walls dramatically enveloping the Rio Grande, it was well worth the effort. I may have missed out on some of the other trails with great views, like the south rim, but I definitely made the best of my time. I greatly enjoyed the serene yet powerful river, and these thin finger clouds graced the entrance as I hiked in.
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