Desert Grave, Chisos Mtns., Santa Elena Canyon

A Desert Grave

The grave site of Nina Hannolds

Nina Hannolds read to children on this bluff overlooking
a spring with cottonwood trees around it.
Now it is mostly desert with mountains in the distance.
This is where she wanted to be buried.

The Chisos Mountains in the distance.

Various cacti covering the desert floor.

The Chisos Mountains

Driving into the Chisos Mountains

The Window

Looking through "the window" one can see the desert floor below.

The hike to look through the window is about 2.5 miles.
It is not too difficult a hike but even in winter the hiker
must take lots of water.

Terrain near the trail head to The Window

Visiting the Santa Elena Canyon

Santa Elena Canyon from about a mile away

(double click on the images to enlarge them)

Rio Grande looking eastward.
The cliffs to the right are Mexico territory.

On the edge of the Rio Grande looking into the canyon.

Santa Elena Canyon
The Rio Grande as it empties out of the canyon.

Cliffs on the right are in Texas/US; on the left is Mexico.
There is a trail along the Texas side of the cliffs that leads into the canyon.

Above are people walking up the trail & into the canyon.

Information about the Santa Elena

The Old Maverick Road & Luna's Jacal

The Old Maverick Road

This dirt road is touted to be an improved dirt road,
but I am here to tell you it is rough as an old washboard.
Once again it was slow going on this 13-mile drive
from the Santa Elena Canyon to the Study Butte
entrance to the park.

It was a drive the G-man wanted to take;
before it was over he was rattled to bits
and suffered from motion sickness.



Alamo Wash



A Cultural History of the area

Luna's Jacal
(pronounced hah-KAHL)

Gilberto Luna lived all of his life along
Alamo Creek where he raised a large family.
He farmed in the dry Alamo Creek drainage using
the technique of floodplain farming.

I am 5 ft. 2 in. tall so it is interesting to see the scale of the jacal.

Here again it would be hard for even a chigger to make a living,
yet Glberto Luna survived & even thrived.

The area in which Luna built his jacal, farmed, and raised a family
was part of the Comanche War Trail.
Somehow Luna maintained peaceful relations with
these warriors and with the Apaches who also resided in the area.

(Click on photo below for link to Luna's Jacal.)

Gilberto Luna in the 1930s

Gilberto Luna died in 1947 at the age of 108.


The Badlands
This area is other worldly in appearance.

Truly I don't know why a person who grew up in a state
where tall trees abound would fall for a place like this.
I expect it is the climate, the altitude, the vastness of the area.
One does not have to try hard to see for miles.
On a good day, when the air is clear, visibility can be 50 to 60 miles.

After I had been in Texas for a year and returned to my native
Georgia for a visit I felt very claustrophobic.
I was surrounded by tall trees that don't allow
much in the way of vistas.
Of course, I now live in the piney woods of Bastrop County
but I only have to drive a few miles to enjoy the wide open spaces.

Big Bend National Park - Along the Back Roads

For years I have wanted to drive through the
back roads of Big Bend and didn't have
the time or the right vehicle to do so.
On this trip time & auto was right,
but what the hell are two old people doing
driving through the badlands?!?

The first view after getting off the main road
is the back side of some of the Chisos Mountains.

As you can see the day was perfect.
It was clear and cool.
No chance of heat stroke if we get into trouble.

This is spectacular country... in every direction.
However, even a chigger couldn't make a living out here.
Desolate.

We did happen upon one patch where a seep or perhaps
a spring exists where small trees grow along the gully.

A previous traveler left this mark.

Glenn Springs Road

Rough, wash-board, rutted roads.
We were forced to travel at 5 to 10 MPH (miles per hour)
most of the day.
It took the better part of 3 hours to travel 30 miles.

Finally we reach civilization at Rio Grande Village.
Here folks camp along the Rio Grande
where the Daniel's Ranch once stood.
Grass and cottonwoods were planted by the settlers
which made this a livable area.

Silhouette

The mountains in the distance are part of
Boquilles Canyon.

Coyote visiting the area
he knows where food can be found.

The Rio Grande in the distance at Boquilles Canyon.

Only a few years ago people visiting this part of the park
could wave at the townspeople of Boquilles, Mexico.
They would then come over in a flat boat and take the
visitors across the river to their village.
It was special, but no one knew how special until now.
Now the park department buys wares such as walking sticks
from the villagers and sells them at the shops
because it would be illegal to buy from the villagers.
See the attached link to visit Boquilles
and a tradition that is lost.

To be continued...

Driving into Big Bend

Of these four photos this is my favorite.
I love the road going over the hill & disappearing
into the mountains.
As Ellen at stuff from ellen's head said:
"pictures don't do it justice".

The spaciousness of the country is breath-taking.
Even though the land is desolate it is beautiful.
Each season brings a different look to the area.

The plant life is prickly.
One has to be careful where one steps
because something will attach itself to a shoe or pants.

This cactus attacked the G-man's foot.
At least during this time of year the weather is cool
enough that we didn't have to worry about
running into snakes.

Interesting rock formation.
Lots of erosion from wind and rain.

Ocotillo plants appear dead but are only dormant.
As with many cactus-like plants the leaves are small.