Why didn't you tell me BEFORE i spent 4 days in it? ;-)

Big Bend Nat'l Park - Big Bend, TX 12/30


the 'view' from Emory Peak in the Chisos Mtns @7,825 ft. 12/30



We heard that the park rangers had to go rescue people from the mountains last weekend.

I am jealous.

Hope the trip was good.

It was lots of fun! We didn't see anyone else for the entire 2nd day and 1/2 of the 3rd day. Luckily, the other side of the mtns is desert, so it was warm for half the time! I'd definitely like to go back and hike/raft in the very southern part of the park. I also wanted to see Terlingua, but we didn't have time. It was nice to escape for a while though!

We should all plan a trip this spring...did you get to ride?

No, no riding. We changed our plans... We didn't want to have to bring a ton of extra gear on top of all of our hiking stuff. Plus, my legs were shot after all that hiking...

Hey is that "The Window"? Can't tell for sure coz of the snow. My brother's cremation ashes were sent out The Window. For those of you who have never been, a small stream leaves the basin of a mountain out this gap in the rocks, and you can walk practically right to the hole, and the water drops to the desert floor below.

Big Bend Nat'l Park is a unique and magical national park, no matter how hot, cold, rainy, snowy. I've been there about a dozen times, and I miss it! River, desert, mountains, it has it all.

~Callie

Good call with the snow.

No, that was taken right below Emory Peak. We couldn't climb to the actual tip-top b/c of the snow... unfortunately, there wasn't much to see since it was in the middle of a cloud at the time!

It really is a cool park! You can experience an amazing variety of terrain, wildlife, and ecosystems in a very short distance. We didn't see any dinosaur fossils, but I was looking!

When I lived in El Paso, most winters we had one (rarely 2) days with significant snow--enough to close the schools--6+ inches. My recollection was that it usually occurred in November or December, but that could be faulty memory.

IN the winter of 1982-3 we went home to EP at Christmas. It started out in the 70s the first few days, but on the 24th it began to snow and snowed for 4 straight days. About a week later, on the day we left, it again began the first of 4 straight days of snow. When we returned at Easter, it AGAIN, snowed for 4 straight days. I'm pretty sure that was a record for one winter/spring.

My dad said, 'don't come back in July.'

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_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.