[at-l] Big Bend Texas

[gaudet@mediaone.net (Arthur Gaudet)]

I was in Big Bend NP from 3/31 to 4/3/98. It was wonderful.

Hiked the Marufu Vega Trail to the Rio Grande, awesome desert hike. Hiked
the Pinnacles Trail in the Chisos Mtns to Emory Peak. Good views of the
Basin, Casa Grande, and Toll Mountain.

Looking back at my journal:
"Fell in love with the dry climate, interesting topography and great
distances between people. Texas also seems to relish in expressing
attitudes freely. It's OK to be loud, proud, obnoxious, stupid, wrong, etc."

Lots of neat birds - vermillion flycatcher, scissortail, inca dove, while
wing dove, roadrunner.

The hike to the Rio Grande was about 14 miles. Cliffs, wall paintings, very
hot, no sun screen (ouch!), with a steep descent to the river. Here the
river is shallow and not very wide, wade across and you're in Mexico,
although a long way from any town. Cacti was not in bloom.

In the camprground showers a voice called "Is that RockDancer?". It was
Calvin (sans Sunrise, it's the men's showers) also a hiker in '97. We had a
great reunion. We both had AT photos to show, so we camped together that
night, had a fine time.

>Anyone on the list ever backpacked in Big Bend National Park?
>--
>James P. "Jim" Lynch
>jplynch@crosslink.net

Arthur D. Gaudet         	"Is walking down called hiking, too?"

(RockDancer)  	                 -heard at the top of Mt Washington, NH