Study Butte/Terlingua and BBNP

27th Jan

We drove out of from the west side of the park and found a camp site in Study Butte were we meet up with the Texan RVers we met at Sonora Caverns a week ago.  Terlingua village is only a few miles down the road so we had an evening meal there, watching the sunset reflected on the Chisos Mountain range in the middle of Big Bend park.

28th Jan

Boat Trip
We had a relaxing morning and chat to the Texan group before getting ready for a boat trip down the Rio Grande.

The river is too low in the national park so the canoes had to be taken to a part of the Rio Grande which borders the Big Bend Ranch State Park. 

  The route took us through Dark Canyon where we stopped for refreshments on the bank. There were several turtles sunning themselves and Ravens flew overhead. On the Mexican side of the river there is a parallel protected corridor of approx. 500,000 acre which helps maintain the uniqueness of this area.

29th Jan

The Window

Chisos Basin, Big Bend NP
We drove back into the National Park to visit the Chisos Basin.  The whole of the Chisos Mountain range is contained within the park – approx. 40 sq mls.  We hiked the Window Trail which takes us down a canyon to an overlook viewing the west side of the park.  The trail stops with a 200ft drop through a gap in the rocks. 

Casa Grande

 After lunch Alison hiked the Chisos Basin LoopTrail whilst Paul admired the view (through closed eye-lids).  The mountains are impressive.  The Basin is green with many trees and is approx. 5500ft. 

 

 

 

Emory Peak is the highest point at 7837ft.  We were advised against trying this trail due to the very windy conditions today. 

View of the Window Trail

There were many warning notices on what to do if you encounter a bear or mountain lion. To our disappointment we never got the chance to try out the advice but we would have loved to have

spotted a mountain lion!

In the evening we went out for a meal with our Texan RV friends to a bar is in an old Indian cave-like dwelling which is mostly underground.