BIG
BEND NATIONAL PARK
Big
Bend National Park is located in the most remote corner of the state of
Texas--- the nearest town of any appreciable size i.e., one with a gas
station, is Marathon, 69 miles north of Panther Junction, the park's headquarters---
and if you are flying in, the nearest city that has regular airline service
is Midland. Be sure to rent a car, because you still have 246 miles to
go to get to Big Bend.
Big
Bend is a place of terrifying beauty, and stark isolation. I have experienced
the palpable feeling there that a global catastrophe could occur, and those
lucky few in the Park would be untouched, and probably wouldn't even be
aware of it.
The
peak in the picture above is called "Casa Grande". Man, I saw the full
moon come up behind Casa Grande one night. A thin blanket of clouds lay
low on the top of the mountain, just low enough that the moon caused
the great square peak of Casa Grande to cast a wedge-shaped shadow into
the cloud layer. It was decidedly eerie. This was in the middle of March,
it was very cold, it was late (well, it seemed late, most of the campers
go to bed soon after dark, nothing else to do when it is so cold) and no
one else appeared to be up but me--- which is not unusual.
I
have heard stories from people who claim to have been trapped in
caves up on Casa Grande, blocked in by rattlesnakes. I don't know whether
to believe them or not. When you are out there, it seems obvious that anything
could be possible.
This
is one of the great views seen in the Chisos Mountains. "Chisos" is supposed to mean
"Ghost"--- but I read a paper once that claims the word is not part of
any known language. The Chisos form a mostly circular mountain range, of
which Emory Peak is in the center, and is fittingly the tallest at 7,835
ft. It is a relatively easy hike to the summit, with only a scramble up
a rock face for the last 15 or 20 feet. But take heed---tragically, a young man fell to his death on this climb recently. Climbing or hiking on ANY mountain can be hazardous.
More BIG BEND
All text and photographs
1997,
Randal P. Dean
E-mail me at
BACK
TO TEXAS
BACK
TO MAIN PAGE
This
page hosted by
Get
your ownFREE HOME PAGE