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beyondthecampground.com
backcountry camping for the whole family
Big Bend National Park, TX
Our fall 2010 trip to Big Bend was an amazing adventure! We spent 12 nights in the park, 3 of which were backpacking near Mule
Ears Peak. Here is our orginal plan going in to the park.
night 1: La Noria backcountry site (Old Ore Rd.)
nights 2-4: Mule Ears zone camping
nights 5-9: Paint Gap 3 (3 nights joined by family)
nights 10-11: South Rim backpacking
night 12: Robber's Roost
This was a pretty ambitous itinerary. When you have the whole trip ahead of you, anything looks possible. We did end up changing just a few nights. When my sister and her family came in, we did the the South Rim as a day hike (~13 miles) so we decided that we would cancel the second backpacking trip up to the rim. We opted to stay at Pine Canyon #4 for the last 3 nights and dayhike the last few days. Also being out in the sun at Mule Ears for 4 days took a toll on us as well. So, on with the trip....
night 1: La Noria backcountry site (Old Ore Rd.)
nights 2-4: Mule Ears zone camping
nights 5-9: Paint Gap 3 (3 nights joined by family)
nights 10-11: South Rim backpacking
night 12: Robber's Roost
This was a pretty ambitous itinerary. When you have the whole trip ahead of you, anything looks possible. We did end up changing just a few nights. When my sister and her family came in, we did the the South Rim as a day hike (~13 miles) so we decided that we would cancel the second backpacking trip up to the rim. We opted to stay at Pine Canyon #4 for the last 3 nights and dayhike the last few days. Also being out in the sun at Mule Ears for 4 days took a toll on us as well. So, on with the trip....
We decided to do our bigger backpacking trip first, as it would be our daughters first
"backcountry-backpacking-bushwacking-trailblazing" trip. We would be heading off-trail into the desert to set up a base camp for
3 nights and day hike the area. Water was not as much of a concern because we were 1 1/2 hours from the car and 30 minutes
from Mule Ears Spring. As always it seemed to take twice as long to pack up the backpacks. This is becoming more challenging,
because even though our daughter is almost 7, most of her gear is adult size. The packs were heavy but not as bad as hiking up to
The Rim. We arrived at the parking lot to find quite a few cars, and one big tour van. I was worried there was a big group
backpacking, but then I saw the driver relaxing against some rocks, I figured it must be a group day hiking. We had a site in mind,
with general directions on how to get there. One of the members of BigBendchat.com (thanks Mule Ears!) had shared a spot in the
area to attempt some day hikes and explore Smoky Creek. We reached the area in about 1 1/2 hours and started looking. We
found a few spots that would be OK, but they were very near the big cliff right next to Mule Ears. This didn't seem to be the
right spot. We starting walking the ridge and after searching around for a bit we hit paydirt! This was an awesome spot, with a
fabulous view of both the Smoky Creek drainage and Mule Ears. The sun was setting so we made dinner and kicked back under the
stars, but the cold drove us into the sleeping bags.
We spent the first night at La Noria #1, on Old Ore Rd. We had
not stayed at many of the campsites on this road before, but
wanted to be near the Hot Springs for our first night in the park.
After getting our permits we decided to head to the campsite
and check it out. We thought we would drive over to the Hot
Springs and be back before dark to set up our tent. We had a
great soak but stayed a little longer. As the sun was setting, the
wind began to pick up. By the time we reached the campsite it
was gusting ~30mph. Not the best conditions to set up camp, but
it wasn't super cold yet. We had some protection from the hills
around the site, but the tent shook most of the night. We woke
to calm, clear and cool. The cold front blew in the night before,
so now we would have perfect weather for our backpacking trip
for the next 4 days.
campsite overlooking Smoky Creek
Mule Ears at sunset
view from high point across Mule Ears trail
cowboy camping!
When we left, after checking the weather, we decided to not pack a tent for this trip. We had cowboy camped before, but we
always had a tent with us just in case. We were running out of room in our backpacks because they had 1 1/2 persons worth of gear
in them and our day packs. With the front just moving through we knew we had several days of good weather ahead, although it
might be a bit cold at night. We woke to 31 degrees, and I slept with every piece of clothing on I brought. After a hot breakfast of
oatmeal, we were off to the spring to get water for the next two days and check out Mule Ears Spring. We had noticed on our way
in the day before it was more open that we remembered. It looked like a flash flood had gone through it some time in the last few
months.
As you can see from the photos, a lot of water went through
the spring area. The water was very clear, but the level was
down a lot since the last time we saw it. There was a lot of
debris, but new growth was coming up too. We were asked by
several rangers if we heard or saw any frogs, which we did.
One seemed to be attracted to the squeaking of our water
filter as we filled up our bags, and was croaking up a storm at
us. One of the rangers told us it had flooded this summer.
We decided to drop off the water and hike over to a high peak near the campsite. After a short trek we were up on top and enjoying a wonderful view of the area. We soon discovered that our maps were a bit out of date, and the trail had been re-routed. We hiked down the north side of the peak into a drainage and looped back around into Smoky creek and back up the trail to our campsite. We were both impressed by the work done on the trail climbing out of Smoky Creek.
We decided to drop off the water and hike over to a high peak near the campsite. After a short trek we were up on top and enjoying a wonderful view of the area. We soon discovered that our maps were a bit out of date, and the trail had been re-routed. We hiked down the north side of the peak into a drainage and looped back around into Smoky creek and back up the trail to our campsite. We were both impressed by the work done on the trail climbing out of Smoky Creek.
We spent a second enjoyable night under the stars and woke to 31 degrees again. It warmed up quickly as we had breakfast and
discussed our plans for the day. Our daughter said she wanted to "touch the ear" on Mule Ears, so we decided to hike up to the top.
We bushwacked across the plateau and found a fairly easy route up the side. Once on top the walking was easy, although a bit narrow
at times. We were able to make it over to the base of the "ears" on the north side. There was also a great flat area where we had
lunch and enjoyed the view of Smoky Creek and the Mountains.
hiking up to Mule Ears
view from the base of the "ears"
hiking down after touching the "ear"
We hiked out and headed to Study Butte for burgers and a few loads of laundry. We needed to set up camp at our next backcountry site, Paint Gap(PG) #3. This is not one of our favorite sites, but my sister can drive to PG #2 in her mini-van, and it beats making multiple shuttle trips to another site. We headed down to the Hot Springs to soak and relax. We were back at PG after dark to set up camp. There was no wind, and that's when we noticed how dusty it was there. The cloud we kicked up putting down the tarp just hung in the air. It made us realize just how dry the fall had been. This was our second year to stay there with my sisters family, and it was not nearly this bad last year. We planned to have an "easy" day the following day as we waited for my sisters family to come in mid- afternoon. We had not been up Juniper Canyon to the Trailhead in a few years, so we decided to head up there and have lunch. The road out Glen Springs showed marked improvements. We pulled in just as a couple was hiking up, doing the Outer Mountian Loop for the first time. We offered them water and chatted about hiking the 33 mile loop. We have done it 2 times, and it is a must if you have the time and physical ability to do it. They set off for Fresno Springs, leaving us to enjoy the view. We noticed a bee checking us out, and within about 15 minutes we had about half a dozen bees all around us. Very annoying and our daughter did not like them landing on her.
Sunrise at Mule Ears
We decided to hike out by way of a drainage that should lead us
back to the trail. We headed up the drainage and soon came to a
pour off that was about 8 ft. high. Not too bad to climb up but
the rock was very crumbly. We decided to try a different route
up the side of the pour off, but as we neared the top it became
too unstable. I was only half way up so we tied off our daughter
with a strap and had her come down a big skree pile to where I
was waiting. After this detour we decided to just go back out the
way we came. We spent one last night under the stars, woke to
warmer temperatures, then hiked out. This was a great area and
we will be back to spend some more time.
Juniper Canyon Trailhead
lunch spot at the trailhead
We left by 2pm to meet up with the family, and as we pulled into the Panther Junction visitor center to top off our water they had
just arrived. My sister, her husband, and their three girls, ages 14 and twins that are 12. We all headed over to Paint Gap to get them
set up. This was our fourth year to get together in the park, and we had done a lot of the more popular hikes. They seemed to like the
mountain hikes over trekking through the desert, so we thought maybe a day trip to the South Rim would be a great accomplishment
for everyone. We had never done the hike as a day hike, usually we backpacked up and enjoyed ourselves. Since they did not have any
backpacking gear, we thought this might be the next best thing. We were a little worried about our daughter, Muley, making it the 13+
miles. I offered her a great deal. She had not been happy about her nickname, even though we thought it was a compliment to be told
you hike like a mule. So we offered her this deal: if she could make the hike, she could change her nickname to "Hiker", which she
really wanted. Our plan was to be walking by 8am, but with pre-sunrise temps in the 20's, it was hard to crawl out of the sleeping
bag. Then we had to get 4 girls up, dressed and fed for the big day. We did make it on the trail by 9am, but we knew we would not
have a lot of time to hang out on top. We opted to go up Laguna Meadow and come down through Boot Spring to Pinnacle Trail. We
had done Emory Peak with them last year, so we didn't have to stop for that side trip.
enjoying lunch on the Rim
Geography lesson from Lucky about the Bend in Texas
The girls were real troopers and did great on this very long hike. Everyone agreed
this was the best view in the park and well worth the hike. We even met a group
that had come up on horseback to enjoy the rim. It was nice to see horses up
there hanging out, and we enjoyed chatting with their owners. With lunch eaten
we headed for the Boot Canyon trail. We had just a few minutes to hang out for
one last view. It was mentally tough to see the sign at the junction, knowing we
had only come halfway, and we had over six miles to go. The hike through Boot
Canyon has always been one of my favorites. It was colored with the changing
leaves, mostly on the trail now. We pressed on to show the girls the "boot". They
weren't too impressed, I guess everyone always has a picture of what it will look
like in their mind, and it is never even close.
Hiking down Boot Canyon
the "Boot"
We made it to the new Emory Peak trail on the rim in good time. It was getting late in the day, and we knew it would be close
getting back before it was dark. By this point everyone was pretty tired. Feet were hurting, pants were rubbing. It's amazing what
starts to hurt after trekking for 8 hours. We hit the big green water tanks as the sun was setting. We only had a matter of
minutes left to be back on pavement when our daughter tripped and face planted. She cut up her knee pretty good, and managed
to scratch up her arms and face too. She was in tears and sooo tired, but she was also deteremined to finish and earn her new
nickname. She brushed off and was ready to go. We hit pavement with out too much daylight to spare. Muley was now officially
Hiker! Her longest hike before this one had been a 9 miler in Utah. We were so proud of her and her cousins for finishing this hike.
This one was only about 1 mile less than the longest day hike Lucky and myself had every done. After ice cream and treats for
everyone we loaded up and headed back to camp. Needless to say, it was an early night for everyone!
The next day we decided to head to Boquillas Canyon. We had been trying to go there with the kids for the last three years, but usually ran out of time trying to make it to the Hot Springs before sunset. After a lazy morning around camp, we drove down to Rio Grande Village picnic area for lunch. We were entertained by the Ravens hanging out. As we drove past the RV area we saw a rather large cat walking across the grass. We were very excited to see it was the Rio Grande Village Bobcat! We had heard about it but had never caught a glimpse of it. It did not seem to be bothered by two cars of people gawking at it and taking pictures.
The next day we decided to head to Boquillas Canyon. We had been trying to go there with the kids for the last three years, but usually ran out of time trying to make it to the Hot Springs before sunset. After a lazy morning around camp, we drove down to Rio Grande Village picnic area for lunch. We were entertained by the Ravens hanging out. As we drove past the RV area we saw a rather large cat walking across the grass. We were very excited to see it was the Rio Grande Village Bobcat! We had heard about it but had never caught a glimpse of it. It did not seem to be bothered by two cars of people gawking at it and taking pictures.
Rio Grande Village Bobcat
Boquillas Canyon
sandsurfing!
I think this trip to the canyon and the "sandsurfing" were the
favorites for the kids (and some adults too). We were treated to the
beautiful voice of "Victor-the singing Mexican". We were also
encouraged to hear from the other mexicans there that the rangers
had been telling them the border may re-open in October of 2011. I
pray this is true. Before the border closed in 2002 it was always a
highlight to take the rowboat across the river to Boquillas, Mexico and
spend the afternoon shooting pool and hanging out. The town has been
devistated since the border closing, so it was encouraging news.
After being coated in sand we were all ready to head to the Hot Springs to soak. This has to be one of the best treats in the park. Last year our family was baptized in the Rio Grande by the Hot Springs, so it is even more special to us. After our monstrous hike the day before and rolling in the sand, this was the perfect ending to the day.
After being coated in sand we were all ready to head to the Hot Springs to soak. This has to be one of the best treats in the park. Last year our family was baptized in the Rio Grande by the Hot Springs, so it is even more special to us. After our monstrous hike the day before and rolling in the sand, this was the perfect ending to the day.
After getting my sister and her family packed up the following morning, they headed for home. We had one more night at Paint Gap,
then we were supposed to backpack up to the Rim for 2 nights. The last week plus had taken it's toll, and after just being up on the rim
two days before, we decided to change our permit for something a little less taxing. We opted to stay at Pine Canyon #4 for the last 3
nights of our stay. After the paperwork was taken care of, we set off for the Oak Spring trail head. I had been wanting to hike from
Oak Spring up to the Window. By the time we got there it was already after 2pm. We were all tired from the last few days, and it
showed in our pace. We made it to the Window view point and stopped for snacks. We had loaded up our packs the day before with
snacks for the Boquillas trip, so I thought our food was still in the packs. Lucky, being very efficient, had unloaded all the packs the
evening before. He thought I had repacked everything for this hike. I thought how nice it was not to have to pack anything for that day.
Both thought the other had taken care of the packs, so here we were with no food! We were only about an hour from the car, so not a
big deal. We also realized at our slower pace we could not make it up and over to the window and make it back before it got dark. So
we snapped some pictures and headed back to the car.
photographer very close to the Window drop off
The Window between Vernon Bailey & Amon Carter Peaks
*arrow pointing to the trail going up and over to The Window*
*arrow pointing to the trail going up and over to The Window*
After packing up camp the next morning, we headed back to the Oak Spring trailhead to finish the hike from the day before. We were
hiking at our normal pace and made it up and over in no time. Hiker really enjoyed the last part of the window. I would say this is a
great way to do this hike.
view from the top of the trail looking north
Hiking The Window trail
Now we were off to Pine Canyon #4 to set up camp for the rest of
our stay. This is a great sight, set a bit off of the road. It has a
great view of Crown Mountain, and glimpses of the Sierra Del
Carmens in Mexico. Base camp established, we were off for trip #4
to the Hot Springs. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset at the Springs
then headed back to camp. We had decided to hike from Elephant
Tusk Trailhead the following day. We were contemplating a
backpacking trip on this trail for a future trip and wanted to check
it out.
morning at Pine Canyon #4
Driving out Black Gap Road to Elephant Tusk was a fun four wheel
drive. This is the "worst" road in the park, and it was a lot more
washed out than the last time we had driven it. There were still only
about 3 spots that were rough, as long as you go slow and steady,
it's not that bad. It took us just over an hour to make it to the
Trailhead. The trail is a gradual uphill and very smooth. Just keep an
eye out for the cairns (rock towers) to lead your way. We hiked up
almost two hours to a great view point of the tusk. We had planned
to head over to the wash to the east and see if we could locate
some of the springs on our map.
We could just make out some trees to the east, so we started
bushwacking toward the trees we could see. As we peered down at
the spring, we could make out some water. We were talking about
walking down to check it out when a band of javelina came out of
the brush. We sat down on some rocks to watch. This was a great
opportunity to observe them unseen. We watched them for almost
30 minutes. They came down and wallowed in the mud, scratched
each other's butts, and went in and out of the brush. Then a
momma came out with a baby and checked out the water. The baby
was very wobbly and pretty small. Then we heard quite a ruckus in
the brush. It sounded like an (human) infant wailing. Soon another
momma came out with two babies. We had never had a chance to
observe Javelina before, they were usually on the side of the road
eating or crossing the road in front of the car. Just as we were
packing up to leave, the Javelina's decided it was time to leave also.
They started coming right up the wash about 30 feet from where
we were sitting. Not wanted to mess with them, we high-tailed it out
of there and headed back to the car. This area will definately be on
our future backpacking list.
Elephant Tusk
Looking down at the spring
Javelina in the mud
closer look at the babies
One last look at Elephant Tusk
With one more day left, we thougth we should "take it easy". After consulting the map and throwing around different ideas
that wouldn't be tiring for our last day, (and we were getting worn out after almost two weeks in the tent) we decided to
summit Roy's Peak on Old Ore Rd. As usual it took much longer to make the slow drive out to the peak. We parked on the side
of the road and started heading up. It was one of the easier bushwack climbs I've done in the park. Lots of candelia and
leatherstem (no thorns), and lots of large rock-like steps. In about an hour we made the false summit. As we gazed across
the ridge to the real summit, I thought the difference in height was miniscule, so I voted to take a break where we were. The
view did not dissapoint. We had wonderful vistas into Mexico and across the desert to the Chisos and beyond.
view of the false summit near Roy's Peak
near the top
Tornillo Creek with the Chisos in the background
furthest point away is Roy's Peak
On the way down Hiker really wanted to head over to Boquillas Canyon
for one more roll in the sand. Since we were planning on spending our
last evening at the Hot Springs, we thougth why not? We had the
Canyon all to ourselves, unless you count the horses over on the Mexico
side. They quietly watched us as Hiker rolled down the sand hill.
As the sun was setting we made our way over to the Hot Springs for one last soak before packing up in the morning to head
home. It seemed liked a month since we had been sleeping under the stars near Mule Ears. We had the springs all to
ourselves until a couple showed up decided it would be OK to strip down naked in front of our daughter at the springs. It was
night, but the moon was out, and I could tell they were naked. Lucky had a few choice words for them as we hastily left.
They could have at least waited till we were out of the springs. There was talk of cameras watching the springs, after this
experience, I somehow doubt the truth in it. We tried not to let this ruin our last night. As we left the parking area we saw
two cars, both Yankee plates. That explained a lot.
This was a fabulous trip, and it just wet our appetite to head out to Elephant tusk for a few nights, and we were eyeing Marufo Vega as another future backpacking trip. If you are in the area I would highly recommend a trip to Big Bend. If you like the mountains, the desert, or spending some time on the river, it has it all. Be prepared, plan ahead and enjoy!
This was a fabulous trip, and it just wet our appetite to head out to Elephant tusk for a few nights, and we were eyeing Marufo Vega as another future backpacking trip. If you are in the area I would highly recommend a trip to Big Bend. If you like the mountains, the desert, or spending some time on the river, it has it all. Be prepared, plan ahead and enjoy!