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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:22:54 GMT -5
OK - I'll separate this into segments so you don't have to pay attention to peripheral stuff if you're not interested.
Prelude
The Big Bend story has to start out with the COVID incident. On Tuesday evening before we were to leave on Sunday, Sue came down with a cold. It lasted 3 days for her. It was mild. But she got tested on Wed and came up +. She had been to lunch with the other 3 ladies Tues noon. She informed everyone. Everybody panicked. We all got on a conf call on Friday before and 2 couples backed out. Both of them have daughters who are pregnant and due soon, and they were going to be pressed into some babysitting duty and didn’t want to take the risk. They all got tested negative. I continued to be tested negative. We decided to risk it. By Friday Sue felt fine. We rented our own car and decided we would social distance as necessary. – Then as we were sitting in the Dallas airport waiting for the connecting flight to Midland, Sue got the email with the result of her PCR test (the same day as the rapid test) and it was NEGATIVE. So, it seems the rapid test was a false positive. I remained fine. But by then we had just 2 couples (of the 4 originals) who were going. **sigh**
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:23:49 GMT -5
The Drive
It’s a 4 hour drive from Midland/Odessa to Chisos Basin Lodge in Big Bend. Most of it is BORING! We stayed Sunday evening in a Best Western in Odessa. The woman working the breakfast counter asked, “Where’re y’all from?” We said, “Chicago.” She said, “What’re y’all doin’ in dusty Odessa?”
Liquor sales are illegal in TX on Sundays. So, I couldn’t buy any sipping bourbon on Sunday. I thought we’d stop in Marathon on Monday for milk and whisky. At the French Grocer, in Marathon, there was one 12 oz bottle of milk. We bought that and a carton for almond milk for our cereal. I asked if there was a liquor store. She said, “Yes, but they don’t open till Wednesday.” So there was no whisky on the trip.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:24:22 GMT -5
The Lodge
Ha, ha, what a term. The restaurant in the lodge was closed because of staffing shortages. The rooms were build by a WPA project in the 1940s. I think the furniture was from then too. Really uncomfortable mediocre accommodations. We did play cards every evening in the other couple’s room, but we had to drag outdoor steel chairs into their room so we could sit around a night stand and play cards. They do sell beer in the Basin Store, so not all was lost. We had a nice time with the other couple.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:25:03 GMT -5
Weather
The park is stunningly beautiful. The weather on M, T, & W was terrific. Highs in the mid 60s. Thursday, though was COLD. Our morning started out @ 28 deg. Only got up to 34 that afternoon. We were sort of prepared for that. But it still made for a rugged day. That was out biggest hike, too. We did 10.5 miles with 2,400 feet of elevation gain. A tough day for sure.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:26:07 GMT -5
Hikes
We did some great hikes. There’s enough to do in the park to last a couple weeks if you’re adventuresome. We did the following Window Trail
Lost Mine Trail
Hot Springs & Rio Grande
Upper Burro Mesa Pour-off
And a few other shorties, including a drive to Santa Elena Canyon. Pictures to follow:
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:29:39 GMT -5
The Window: The start of the trail On the way to the Window: The Window
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:31:57 GMT -5
Lost Mine Trail
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:34:41 GMT -5
Hot Springs (That's the Rio Grande right there) A further walk along the Rio Grande Mexican Boarder Control - Lower right on horseback
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:37:21 GMT -5
Upper Burro Mesa Pour-off - On the trail "Watch out for bears" Near the Pour-off
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:38:22 GMT -5
Tuff Canyon Trail
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:39:35 GMT -5
Driving down a dirt road @ 15 mph (because it was like a washboard) We're about 10 miles away from the Chisos mountains where the Lodge is. That's them in the background.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:41:01 GMT -5
Terlingua On Wed we drove out of the park into the town of Terlingua for dinner. Dusty town, but cool in many ways. We asked our waitress where she was from, because she had no Texas drawl. She said, “Wisconsin.” Her hubby was a kayak guide in the UP, and they decided to come south for the winter. He was guiding on the Rio Grande. I saw a cool guy busking in Terlingua. Dropped some $$ in his case and took a picture. That's a 1963 LG-2. It sounded great. He was a real good singer and player.
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Post by majorminor on Jan 25, 2022 16:41:33 GMT -5
Looks pretty cool. I think I'd like to go see that area. Did you have to flick any scorpions off a picnic table?
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:45:49 GMT -5
Saw no scorpions. It was too cold at night. Did see a couple deer and a dead havalina alongside the road.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 16:49:15 GMT -5
And to show how cold it was Thursday, Brian is wearing a winter coat and a ski cap under his hiking hat. And this was taken in the afternoon when it warmed above freezing.
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Post by majorminor on Jan 25, 2022 16:52:43 GMT -5
Montana really sucks....and I'm sure you will hate it, but FYI we are hiking heaven here in The Bitterroot Valley. You and yours are always welcome.
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Post by billhammond on Jan 25, 2022 16:58:18 GMT -5
Thanks for taking the time and effort to post all these images and words, Marshall -- it's really a bleakly beautiful part of the country that most people (including me) have never seen. So glad you could make it happen -- love the picture of you and Sue.
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Post by billhammond on Jan 25, 2022 17:02:25 GMT -5
LOVE the composition of this photo -- the papier-mache cactus really brings it together!
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Post by howard lee on Jan 25, 2022 17:03:50 GMT -5
Thank you, Marshall.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 25, 2022 17:08:45 GMT -5
LOVE the composition of this photo -- the papier-mache cactus really brings it together! Thanks, William. I took 7 or 8 shots at or near that location. This one was the best, I thought. It's a partial panorama shot. I just use my cell phone any more. The fancy-schmancy cameras stay at home in the closet. Yes, I like to get something up close as well as the distant panorama. Gives a sense of scale. And those cacti are about all that grows there. Though my favorite plant is the cactus with the deely-bobs on top on the right side of the B&W shot.
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