Big Bend: Santa Elena Canyon

Awesome is an overused word today. I can't remember the last time I used the word; perhaps I never have. But this word is perfect for Santa Elena Canyon in the west end of Big Bend National Park.

There are three major canyons in Big Bend. I have previously written about Boquillas Canyon. I doubt I'll ever see Mariscal Canyon due to its remote location. But after seeing Santa Elena, I'm content.

Santa Elena is at the end of the pavement down Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive in the extreme western end of the park. That means you pass the Sam Nail Ranch, the Homer Wilson Ranch, Sotol Vista, the Mule Ears, Tuff Canyon, Castollon, and Cottonwoods Campground before reaching Santa Elena. It's a long drive, especially considering the posted speed limit on all paved roads in the park is 45 mph. But what a great drive it is.

You can see the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon a long time before you actually reach the canyon. It first appears as a gap in a long and massive ridge in the distance. The closer you get, the more distinct the mouth of the canyon becomes.

The mouth of Santa Elena Canyon as seen from Sotol Vista, the highest point (I think) on Ross Maxwell Drive. The canyon is the light colored notch just to right of center of the picture.

This is a zoomed in version of the picture above, clearly showing the mouth of Santa Elena.

The mouth of Santa Elena Canyon

The walls of Santa Elena Canyon rise almost perpendicular and tower about 1500 feet above the river. The approach to this canyon is much easier than at Boquillas. A boardwalk provides solid footing through the sand for the first 100 yards or so until the trail dips down into Terlingua Creek. During rainy periods, there may be water in this creek making it necessary to wade across the creek; of course, during heavy rains, the creek may be impassable.

The Rio Grande is during a low stage as it leaves the canyon. A trail leading deeper into the canyon can be seen as it switchbacks up the wall on the right.

A close-up of the trail as it climbs up the hill. You can see some hikers as they climb the trail, which has handrails in some places.

The trail comes out facing the mouth of the canyon, and the view is truly impressive. Upstream, the walls of the canyon close in, while downstream, the landscape opens up. The views are quite a contrast to one another.

Donna standing along the river as it leaves the canyon and heads downstream. Notice how quickly the landscape changes from towering canyon walls to a much flatter environment. That is Mexico on the opposite side of the river from Donna. It's not hard to wade the trickling river here.

Big Bend: Castolon

Probably the most intact historic area in Big Bend National Park is Castolon, near the end of Ross Maxwell Drive in the western section of the park. In fact, the Castolon Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The area was still actively worked as late as 1961. There is plenty of information on this little community -- and I've linked to some in this entry -- so I won't repeat much of it here.

There was a great deal of farming up and down the river in this area, with produce being sold as far away as the mining town of Terlingua to the north. With the Glenn Springs Raid in 1916, soldiers were sent to the area and remained stationed here until about 1920. This caused a bit of a building boom, and many of the structures still standing in the area are attributable to this time.

Today, there are numerous buildings that remain from this earlier time. The old barracks building is occupied today by the park service and a convenience store. The park service section of the building has a small area with a few displays recounting the area's history as well as a selection of regional books. A modern-style restroom is located in a separate building nearby.

Also on the grounds are the old Magdelana House, which was also used as a customs house at one time, remains of machinery, and a scattering of other buildings. It's a good place to stop to use the restroom, get a cold drink, and stretch your legs before seeing more of the area.

Old Magdelana House, a single story, two-room rectangular adobe with adjacent ramada. I believe this later served as a customs house. Originally built in early 1920s.

Originally barracks for U.S. soldiers from 1916-1920, this building today houses a convenience store and a ranger section for this area of the park.

One of the more interesting structures is the old Alvino residence, which sits at the base of the bluff where the other structures are located. This is a sprawling (for the times) multi-room house not far from the river. It has at least 4 entrances, and I found the north entrance the most interesting as it had a sort of courtyard area, which would, I think, have been unusual for the time.

Courtyard of the Alvino residence

Southern view of the Alvino residence. Notice other structures on the bluff above the house.

Just down the road is the old La Harmonia store, which served residents from both sides of the river for years and years. The history of this little store is really a history of the entire Big Bend region.

The historic La Harmonia Store, established in 1901 by Cipriano Hernandez.

Big Bend: Sam Nail Ranch

A few miles down Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive in Big Bend National Park are the remains of the Sam Nail Ranch. There is a parking area along the road, and a short walk takes you to the old ranch site. The remains are clearly visible from the road as several old pecan trees and a windmill jut out above the surrounding brush of the desert landscape.

"Skyline" for the Sam Nail Ranch

Sings indicate that the inhabitants of the ranch also planted fig trees that still remain, but I did not see any of these.

Mr. Nail homesteaded the ranch in the early 1900s, probably between 1909 and 1916, and continued operating the ranch for almost 40 years. Some accounts indicate that he may have owned up to 15,000 acres. There were many isolated ranchers in the years prior to the area being made into a national park. These rugged individualists were impressive as they lived in this difficult environment with its suppressive summer heat and limited water resources. The isolation was particularly difficult on women, who were few and far between.

Remaining walls of the Sam Nail ranch house

The area around the house today has very thick brush. Over the years, much of it has regrown to overtake what once was an adobe-style house. A windmill stands near the house remains, still pumping water today. This water supply attracts wildlife and makes this a good area for bird watchers to view some birds that make their home here.

Mr. Nail ran cattle, goats, and sheep on his ranch near Burro Mesa. When he arrived, the grass was tall. I remember reading similar statements about the grass in J. O. Langford's account of his arrival in Big Bend about the same time (see "Big Bend Country"). However, ranchers new to the area did not understand how long it took for the grass to grow that tall, as the region goes through long drought cycles. As a result, the area was overgrazed and the grass could never recover. Brush then encroached, and the landscaped changed as a result.

So today, the remains of the ranch squat amid this brush with Burro Mesa in the background. It's a quiet place, and an easy stop for seeing what life was like in Big Bend in years past.

Terlingua Ghost Town

I don't really know how to explain Terlingua. Oh, the basic history is simple enough. Cinnabar was discovered in the area and a mine established in the 1880s. There was a boom, and the population grew to about 2000 citizens. Activity over the years decreased, and the area basically became a ghost town.

But something happened a few decades ago, and Terlingua has enjoyed a revival of sorts. I don't know where it all started, or how. For me, my first awareness of the community came about with the release of Viva Terlingua! in 1973, an album by Jerry Jeff Walker that was recorded in Luckenbach and, to my knowledge, did not even mention Terlingua. But the title was enough to put Terlingua on my map, at least for me.

Actually, an event in 1967 really started generating some attention for Terlingua, the first annual Chili Cookoff sponsored by the International Chili Society (ICS). Among the 3 judges of that first cookoff in Terlingua was Hallie Stillwell, a well-known and beloved personality in the Big Bend region. Terlingua continues to host chili contests each fall, drawing as many as 10,000 folks to this remote corner of Texas.

Today, Terlingua and the surrounding area is a rambling state-of-mind sort of place. The area attracts free spirits, many of them refugees from the 1960s and 1970s. They dislike conforming, and they enjoy the freedom the area offers. You can dress like you want and live like you want, and no one really cares.

If you come to Terlingua, expect the unexpected. This ain't your Elm Street, USA, type of community. People live in structures you would never find elsewhere, and you'll find yourself eating in a hole-in-the-wall you would never enter where you live, and you'll consider it fine dining.

Here are a few photos we took while in the area of Terlingua Ghost Town.

I guess you'd call this Downtown Terlingua. It is home of the Starlight Dinner Theater (right). Far Flung Adventures once was located next door; it is now a tourist shop offering anything for sell related to the Big Bend. Far Flung has moved down the road a piece. This is in the old mining district. People like to sit on the veranda, drink beer, and stare at the tourists.

These are old miners' huts. Many have been "upgraded" and are being lived in. Others have not been upgraded at all. I've personally known someone who lived in one of these with no electricity and no running water. You have to love the lifestyle to live here.

Terlingua Farmers' Market, held every Saturday from October through March. On this particular day, there wasn't much going on. It was cold and the Saturday between Christmas and New Years. A community garden is located right behind where I was standing to snap this photo.

Terlingua Cemetery. Graves date back to the mining boom, but also include many from recent years.

Abandoned miners' huts, with the Perry Mansion in center. Mr. Perry owned/managed the mine.

Graves in the cemetery

I've Been AWOL

Just a quick entry to catch you up with our whereabouts . . . .

We returned to San Angelo today after a 10 day stay in Terlingua. During our stay there, we ran into some complications.

First, our computer began experiencing some hard drive problems. As a result, I used it sparingly. We are now back in San Angelo and I've done a complete backup. I'll try to zero in on the problem this week.

Donna has experienced problems with her Kindle Reader. That is another problem I'll tackle in just a few minutes.

Finally, we had a very cold front come through the area and it dumped substantial snow over the entire Trans-Pecos region. We probably had about 2 inches of snow in our RV park, while upper elevations had as much as 8 or so inches. It was very cold.

So, stay tuned, and I'll try to catch up on our travels this week. We'll probably be in Angelo at least one week, maybe two, before moving on to another place.

The Basin

The most unique and beautiful spot in Big Bend, at least for my money, is the Basin. Now, true desert rats will probably disagree and argue that the lower elevations of the area offer the greatest beauty if you know how and where to look for it. And Donna and I both love the desert and understand their sentiments. You have to love the desert to have lived in West Texas as long as we have.

But the Basin is special and offers an environment unlike almost anything else in Texas. Besides the Basin, you can probably only find this type of environment in selected areas of the Davis Mountains and Guadalupe Mountains.

To reach the Basin, turn south off the main park road just 3 miles west of Panther Junction, the headquarters for Big Bend National Park. At first, the road is like other park roads, but you soon notice that you are climbing steadily. Lower peaks begin to close on both sides of the road, and after a few miles, real trees begin to appear. There are 2 or 3 places where you can stop for photo opportunities along this route.

There aren't many places in Texas where you will see a sign like this. This is the approach road to the Basin. Notice there are no trees near the road.

Casa Grande looming ahead. Note tree growth along roadside. The farther up we go, the more numerous and taller the trees. Compare this picture to the previous one. This one is just a mile or so farther along than the previous one.

The ascent gets a bit steeper and the curves sharper the farther you go. After the first switchback, you crest over the rim  and begin to descend into the Basin. The Basin is formed by a series of mountains that ring a depression. I'm not a geologist, but my understanding is that the area had volcanic activity between 17 and 38 million years ago. Regardless, the Basin is actually a depression in the center of this ring of mountains, all part of the Chisos Mountain range. Some of the taller peaks in this ring are:

• Emory Peak -- 7,825 feet
• Toll Mountain -- 7,415 feet
• Casa Grande -- 7,325 feet
• Ward Mountain -- 6,890 feet

The elevation of the Basin proper is 5,401 feet.

Emory Peak at 7825 ft is the tallest point in the Chisos Mountains and Big Bend

In my mind, there are 2 great photo ops in the Basin. The first is the Window. The Window is a V notch in the ring of mountains surrounding the Basin, and it is the only outlet for runoff water from the Basin. The V notch does form a window with spectacular views towards the west. It has the lowest elevation in the Basin at 4,600 feet.

Donna and the Window

The second photo op is Casa Grande, an imposing mountain that looms above the Basin. It is the most recognizable of the mountains in the area.

Casa Grande looms over the Basin at 7325 ft.

Numerous facilities and amenities are available in the Basin. The Chisos Mountain Lodge offers various types of motel rooms and cottages. I don't know if things have changed, but when I worked this area several years ago, there were no TVs or phones in the rooms.

There is also a convenience store offering basic items. The Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant serves up some very good food. It also offers one of the most spectacular views from the dining room of any place in Texas.

The Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant at the Basin

View of the Window from our table in the Chisos Mountains Dining Room

There is also a campground in the Basin. However, because of the challenging road, longer trailers and RVs are discouraged from using this campground. Even so, we did see a couple of longer rigs in the campground. I would not care to pull a trailer up that road. Numerous trailheads also originate in the Basin, offering hikers a variety of opportunities to explore this high country. Take animal warnings seriously as bears and mountain lions do make this area home.

If you plan to visit the Basin, be forewarned that it is a different environment and climate from the lower elevations of the park. During warmer months, it provides a welcome relief; during cooler months, it can be colder. On our trip, temps in the Basin were about 15 degrees lower than along the main park road. I've been in the Basin before during spring when the lower elevations had 90 degree temps with sunny skies, but the Basin was misty with temps in the lower 50s or upper 40s. Dress appropriately.

From left to right, motel rooms, convenience store, and ranger station.

Dugout Wells

About 6 miles southeast of Panther Junction (headquarters for Big Bend National Park), just north of the main east/west park road, lies Dugout Wells. This oasis is visible for several miles as several tall cottonwoods and a single windmill stick out on the horizon like a city skyline on a treeless plain.

Aside from the markers present at Dugout Wells, I can find limited information about this little oasis. At one time, it was considered a cultural center of this vast region. Travelers would stop here for water, catching up on both local and other news as they did so. There were a few houses here at one time, and even a little school.

The seep at Dugout Wells where live-giving water merges from the desert floor

Today, not much remains of that little community. A well-maintained dirt road of about half a mile brings visitors from the main road. The road then loops the growth of trees. There is a primitive toilet, two picnic tables, a windmill, and a half-mile nature trail.

Donna and I walked the nature trail. It is well-maintained and easy to follow. Markers are spaced along the trail, and provide a glimpse of life in the desert. One marker indicates where a dugout was once located, while others provide information about plants and animals.

View of Dugout Wells from the nature trail. The Sierra del Carmen mountains of Mexico are in the right background.

From what little I have been able to dig up, it seems that William Green bought the land around what is known today as Dugout Wells in 1915. A school was already established in the area, and had been since at least 1911. In fact, during the mid-1920s, there was a sufficient number of pupils to allow for 2 full-time teachers. The school eventually closed in 1933, and the land was eventually sold to the park service.