Hike #1: Big Bend National Park

Today I finally made it to Big Bend. Wow...you drive through some pretty desolate areas getting to the park. The closest town to the north entrance to the park is Marathon, and it is a full 70 miles to the park headquarters, which is in the center of the park. And that wouldn't be so bad, except that 40 miles into the drive, you hit the actual north entrance, at which time the speed limit drops to a radar-enforced 45 miles per hour. So the 70 mile drive takes about an hour and a half all told, especially since, on the way back from the park to Marathon, there's a border patrol stop which takes some time.

Anyway, I left Odessa this morning around 8am, drove to Marathon to drop off my things at my hotel (the Marathon Motel and RV park!), and then went to Big Bend. I got to the park entrance around 11:30 or so. But then I had to stop at the Visitors Center to pay the entrance fee, drive ANOTHER 30 miles to get to the main headquarters, and then drive to the trailhead for the Lost Mine Trail.

I started the hike around 12:45 or so. The trail starts in the desert, then climbs through low mountain terrain, and then continues to climb into the higher parts of the Chisos Mountains, where the desert completely disappears and woodlands take over. I was warned the hike was quite steep, and was expecting it to be hard; it wasn't. I was walking up nice switchbacks, passing through the markers (there are 24 of them on the trail), looking at the Chisos plants and birds (there are LOTS of both), and enjoying the walk.

Until marker 22. And then, it becomes STEEP. Truly. And windy. Very, very windy. Funny how the hike lures you into complacency until marker 22 of 24; I really thought that this "steep" business was nothing but hooey! I was completely schooled.

But I finally made it to the top, looked over the two canyons you can see from the summit, and ate a nice lunch of PB&J and trail mix up top. Then I walked back down, and couldn't believe how high up I'd been at the top. I completed the hike and returned to my car at 4pm.

Tonight I drove the 1 1/2 hour drive back to Marathon, took a well-deserved shower, and then went to the famous Gage Hotel, where I ate dinner. (It was one of only two restaurants in town open for the evening; and the restaurant is famous, so why not?) My entree and wine were both delicious, but the salad blew me away; it was made of butter lettuce, with thin slices of tomatillo (tangy!), halved grape tomatoes (sweet), thinly sliced chayote squash (cool and crunchy), and then chile-rubbed pepitas on the top (super-spicy). Oh, and a jalapeno vinaigrette to finish it off. It was outstanding. One of the best, and most surprising salads, I've ever had. My kudos to the chef! Unfortunately, the price I paid for such a good dinner was literal -- it cost almost as much as my motel room did.

I have no pictures from today...I left my camera in my purse, but hiked with a pack, so didn't have the camera with me. Took pics of Casa Grande with my phone, but can't figure out how to get them onto the blog yet. Sorry.

Tomorrow, more hiking in Big Bend. For now, well-deserved sleep....