Texas - The Big Bend – Early Spring

Day 7 - March 9th, 2004

 

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OK, so this was my final day, and after packing, I decided to revisit the Dagger Flats area, as I had seen reports of Echinomastus mariposensis being found in the area behind the turning area at the end of the auto trail. It was with great sadness that I drove into the Park, past the Basin Junction and on to Panther Junction, turning North and leaving the Chisos behind.

 

My hopes were fulfilled at the end of the Dagger Flats auto trail, as I wandered further and further away from the car. Again there was much evidence of plant dessication, but as well as achieving my primary aim, there were magnificent examples of other plants, including an Ariocarpus fissuratus that must have been well over 60 years old. Older than I, indeed.

 

But all too soon, having grabbed a snack lunch from my last remaining store of food, I felt I should set out on the road back to Midland. But the urge to cactu shunt overcame me on a couple of occasions, and at one picnic area south of Marathon, there were some great examples of Echinocereus coccineus – far fatter and stouter than I had ever imagined they could be – and starting to come into bud, the pink buds just breaking through the skin. I would have liked to have stopped at another location, where previously I have photographed such prime specimens as Echinocereus davisii, but the whole area seemed to be the subject of a school geological outing, and somehow I didn’t think it would set a good example for the young kids to see a grown up ignore “No Tresspassing” signs!!

 

From Marathon, I went through Alpine and on towards Fort Davis, and stopped at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. This was interesting, with some good laid out natural(!) gardens, and a greenhouse with many Chihuahuan cacti – not necessarily from this part of the desert region. The Gymnocactus and Thelocactus plants were in flower and spectacular.

 

Eventually I arrived in Odessa, where I had a room booked at a motel not far from the airport, and as I had a 7am flight, ended my day after over-eating at a Red Lobster!

 

 

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