Yesterday we posted pictures of sunset through “the Window”. Today, it seemed like a good idea to hike to the Window. Why was this hike a good idea? The guide books boasts lots of wildlife. It turns out, parking lots are much better for wildlife. In any case, we got several good views of the Window going down.
Going down? Oh yeah, this hike is inverted. 2.5 miles and 800 feet down and then turn around and do it in reverse. We got to the bottom and it was a very pretty view.
But Catherine was freezing and, therefore, miserable. Her poor fingers were painful. But, she was good and hiked a long way behind Denise until we started back up the hill and she warmed up a bit. In any case, that shiny stuff on the rocks isn’t ice – they are polished because all the runoff from the mountain range goes through this notch. Denise wouldn’t let Catherine get any closer to the edge (the cliff is only 220 feet). Catherine wanted a better look over the desert – but what we could see was pretty.
As we walked back up the canyon through the oaks, the Mexican Jays had woken up and were playing, as were some Spotted Towhees, a few Rufous Crowned Sparrows, and a handful of Acorn Woodpeckers. Here is their typical habitat in the canyon.
When we approached the parking lot, we found a Cactus Wren. We headed out from the visitors center and stopped at a pullout for a quick lunch. On the way, we spotted a Rock Squirrel (notice a theme, many more birds in parking lots and cars than when we go walking… hmmm… John says we’ll eventually learn). We had a lovely lunch of Tostitos with brie cheese and strawberry jam pilfered from a hotel continental breakfast. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. It’s pretty good. While we were stopped, a flock of Bushtits and a couple of Ruby Crowned Kinglets wandered by.
As we came out of the mountains, we passed a covey of Scaled Quail – again from the car and Catherine stopped in the middle of the road and pulled a 3 point turn. Her national park driving skills are improving. We headed east to the Rio Grande Village area of the park. The 20 mile drive to it is less than inspiring.
We made a quick pit stops at the visitor center where Denise acquired an adaption of The Three Little Pigs except it’s the Three Little Javelinas (which she is currently reading and giggling about) as well as the letters home from a teacher in Big Bend the 1950s (the letter Catherine read involved stopping class to show them a fresh mountain lion skin). At the general store where Catherine acquired a pet Javelina named Jose and Denise bought a copy of the Big Bend Gazette.
Having made Larie proud, we continued towards the first trailhead behind the campground. As we drove around, Denise spotted a bobcat walking in the brush. S/he seemed quite happy, even rolling on his back – we attempted pictures, but were a bit too excited to get a good one. Later, the rangers told us a pair lived at the campgrounds and were frequently spotted. In any case, each of us doubled our lifetime bobcat spottings (the first being earlier this trip).
The nature center trail goes through some kind of impoundment (ie a little flooded area) beside the Rio Grande. They are trying to save some endangered minnows, but are having problems with other invasive fish. In any case, there were lots of bulrushes and Marsh Wrens. We headed up to the overlook to see Mexico again. The view was pretty – we could even see a vaca (a Mexican cow… she’s not in this picture). Again just like Nevada Barr's Borderline.
At the top, there was an odd little pile of Mexican handicrafts and a jar for donations (according to signs we saw later at a different spot, purchasing and selling in this fashion is illegal… so there were donation stickers on every item). Denise found an ocotillo and scorpion that had to go home with us at this spot.
We then spotted our first illegal border crossing – we believe this gentleman had just restocked the stuff piles and was headed home on his horse.
We meandered over to the Boquillas Canyon Trail. Boquillas is a tiny shanty town just across the Rio Grande. Until a few years ago, tourists freely crossed the river and bought goods (now sold in the piles). With National Security on the line, the border was closed – in fact there are no legal border crossing spots between El Paso and Piedras Negras – a distance of nearly 450 miles. The town of course has suffered and Catherine can guarantee that no one in Boquillas was involved in 9-11. In fact, as far as she understands it, no one in Mexico was involved. In any case, tourism has suffered horribly. Victor, who used to ferry American across the river in his little boat, now beautifully sings in the canyon panhandling hoping for the border to reopen. According to the Big Bend Gazette, they are trying to get agreements in place as they have in 37 spots in Canada to allow American tourists to cross without having a full-out border control station. We hope the US and Mexican governments can make an International Peace Park (like Glacier and Waterton in the US and Canada). Here’s a photo of someone taking a boat with donations back across.
We spoke with a young man from Mexico who said (well, in his broken English and Catherine’s broken Spanish) that the Park Rangers would chase them off the US soil if they caught them. However, we think they have better things to do with their time. In fact, any use of their time would be better than trying to kill this struggling economy.
We headed down the canyon a bit further and traded pictures with some women from Colorado.
We had to take one final picture of vacas – one is even has a cowbell and is licking her calf.
The Colorado ladies mentioned the Hot Springs, so we decided to take a look on our way back. The rock formations are unique.
There had been a resort here.
The Hot Springs were a main attraction (we assume). They still feed into concrete pools today. Those bathing (suits optional) reported that water was a balmy 104. With the polluted Rio Grande beside the springs and the propensity of 100 degree water to grow nasty stuff, we stuck a finger in and headed out. The Northern Rough-Winged Swallows played overhead as we headed back to the car.
The Scaled Quail stay at one spot near the road but scuttle into the grass quickly making them hard to take a good look at and the supposedly ubiquitous Javelinas were nowhere to be found. The sunset through the Window was much improved as the clouds had come in (sadly, the photography club was nowhere in sight).
The parking lot internet wasn’t being as friendly tonight, but we managed to tell our husbands we haven’t become lion food. On the way back to the cabin, Catherine believes she saw a Ringtail. Of course, as she’s not sure those actually exist, it could have been a figment of her imagination. Driving forever across Texas tomorrow.
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