Texas - The Big Bend – Early Spring

Day 3 - March 5^th, 2004

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Today started fine and bright, and the wind, having dropped overnight, didn’t reappear, so a lovely morning.

The first item was the Chimneys Trail, which was a good hike across open ground, with no great ups or downs, so it could be done at a decent speed. The Chimneys looked close from the parking lot beside the road, but clearly an illusion, but good walking land made the distance soon contract, and closer inspection of the Chimneys themselves was possible.

I wanted to go back to the Cattails trail, as in 2000 I had seen some Echinomastus plants there. So stopping to make a short picnic lunch in the parking area, I set out down the trail, and soon saw the Cottonwoods that signify the junction between Oak Spring trail and Cattail Falls trail. Taking the right hand fork, and up and over the first ridge, I could remember the places I’d stopped at before, and soon found the area in question, where the plants were in flower, and looking good. I know that Cattails is a delicate area, and having been and photographed the falls in 2000, I went along the trail almost to the narrowing of the gully in which the falls are, but no further. Browsing around the area however showed up some nice plants, and also some rather desiccated specimens.

Overall, I was by now making the observation that since my visits in 1997 and especially since 2000, the dryness of the climate has resulted in some significant desiccation of the plants, and perhaps even some reduction in their numbers. There may be other reasons for this, but most of the skeletons I found appeared to be as a result of terminal desiccation rather than damage by animals or humans.

I’d seen photos of, but never before visited, the Grapevine Hills, and made my way there along the gravel road, which was in good shape. What a pleasure this area was, the rocks of the hills made into weird and convoluted shapes, and boulders strewn around like giant’s marbles. Of course I had to go up to the end of the trail and take photos through the stones that formed a window onto the surrounding hills and desert – but what a view – and a not insignificant scramble up the rocks either!

I ended my day up in the Basin, to find a telephone to let my wife know that I was still alive and well – 6 hrs time difference makes communications often difficult. And of course a meal in the Chisos Lodge restaurant watching the sun set topped off an excellent day.

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