Dennis McElveen's Big Bend: Birding

Our guest photographer, Dennis McElveen, says this about encountering the Mexican Jay on his recent trip to Big Bend National Park:

“The jay hopped along the trail literally just in front of us like he was hiking up the trail with us. When we would stop he would stop turn and chatter at us, like 'what's the hold up'. 

Learn more about the Mexican Jay here. 

A great blog to learn about birding in the Big Bend is http://bigbendtx.blogspot.com/

Big Bend National Park has several birding and wildlife watching sites included on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, a joint project of the Texas Mountain Trail and Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Here’s a link to the BigBend Loop of that Trail. 

We thank Dennis McElveen for sharing his wonderful images this week.  Interested in seeing more of Dennis’ work?  Contact him at damfoto (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

Santa Elena Canyon by Dennis McElveen

We’re excited to share two more spectacular views from our guest photographer, Dennis McElveen from his recent trip to Big Bend National Park.  Santa Elena Canyon is one of the most photographed places in the park, and Dennis captured the area beautifully. 

Dennis shares, “You can see the distant storm in the boiling clouds above Santa Elena canyon. The thunder was rumbling, bouncing off the walls of the canyon making it even more awe-inspiring and giving one a sense of wonderment about traveling/floating in the canyon. “

The park’s website says this about the Santa Elena Canyon Trail: 

Santa Elena Canyon Trail
Difficulty: Moderate; Distance: 1.7 miles round trip
Begins at terminus of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

This trail leads into the stunning Santa Elena Canyon. After crossing Terlingua Creek, the trail ascends on paved steps to a vista, then descends back to the water's edge, continuing into the canyon until the canyon walls meet the water. A Big Bend classic. Trail is impassable when Terlingua Creek floods.

Interested in a river trip through Santa Elena Canyon?  Click here.

Interested in other regional hiking opportunities?  Visit our Texas Mountain Trail hiking page:  www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

We thank Dennis for sharing his wonderful images this week.  Interested in seeing more of Dennis’ work?  Contact him at damfoto (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

Dennis McElveen's Big Bend Week Continues: Window Trail

This photo by this week’s guest photographer Dennis McElveen perfectly captures the feeling of being at the end of Big Bend NationalPark’s  Window Trail—the cool shade and the slick rock, and through the opening a terrific view of the desert below. 

The park’s website says this about the trail:

Window Trail
Difficulty: Moderate; Distance:, 5.6 miles round trip
Begin at the Chisos Basin Trailhead

This trail descends through Oak Creek Canyon to the Window pour-off which frames panoramic desert vistas. During wetter periods Oak Creek may be flowing, and must be crossed several times. Use caution on this trail: the top of the Window pour-off is slickrock with no railings, and the return hike is uphill.

Dennis McElveen's Big Bend

Our guest photographer, Dennis McElveen shares beautiful series of a Red-tailed Hawk from his recent trip to Big Bend National Park.  Even though the Red-tailed Hawk may be the most common in the U.S., seeing one up close is still a magnificent sight. 

Says Dennis, “the Hawk was just off the trail sitting on the sotol stalk. We stood and watched him for quite a while. He didn't leave until we got ever so close. Beautiful raptor.” 

Learn more about the Red-tailed Hawk here.  

A great blog to learn about birding in the Big Bend is http://bigbendtx.blogspot.com/

Big Bend National Park has several birding and wildlife watching sites included on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, a joint project of the Texas Mountain Trail and Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Here’s a link to the BigBend Loop of that Trail.

We thank Dennis for sharing his wonderful images this week.  This is our first post of a week of great photos. Interested in seeing more of Dennis’ work?  Contact him at damfoto (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

One of our favorites!

One of our very favorite photographs of early life in Van Horn from the collection of the Clark Hotel Museum, this image of the R.P. Bean Ranch.  You can drive north from Van Horn about 10 miles and still see the landscape as it is shown here.  In fact, we included this photo and a current view on our heritage cycling route (also good for driving and motorcycling), the "El Capitan to El Capitan Heritage Bike Route," here.  The route travels Hwy 54 from the historic Hotel El Capitan to the foot of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Click on the photo for a closer view, so you can see the cowboys on horseback! 

Click here to see the view today!  Or better yet, drive or ride the route!

The Franklin Mountains in bloom

Late yesterday, we visited Franklin Mountains State Park and were delighted to see a "forest" of ocotillo in bloom.  It is easy to feel so removed from the city, so away from it all, yet this beautiful park is located entirely in the city limits of El Paso.  You DON'T feel you're in a city when you're hiking or mountain biking the 37 square miles of parkland, you might as well be in the frontier.  Yet from places in the park there are spectacular views of mountain wilderness and the city.  One such place is the Sunset Trail, which we hiked yesterday.  Look behind you, and there are views like the one above.  Look in front, and the city is spread before you in the distance.

Cabin in the Woods

Who doesn't dream of a cabin in the woods?  One of our favorite places is Pratt Cabin in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  Located along the popular McKittrick Canyon Trail, the cabin was built among maple, oak, walnut and madrone trees, deep in the forest by Wallace Pratt in 1931-32.

Read more about Wallace Pratt and his cabin here.

The trail is a popular one in the fall, for it boasts true fall color.  Read more about the trail here.

Chinese Cemetery in El Paso

El Paso’s Concordia Cemetery is chock full of history—there’s a section for Buffalo Soldiers, a “Boot Hill” for gunfighters and a unique Chinese Cemetery.

Concordia’s website says this:

“Chinese Immigrants first arrived in El Paso shortly before the Southern Union Pacific Railroad completed its line here in 1881.  The earliest immigrants opened a rooming house and a grocery store.  Soon afterwards, the U.S. Government passed the “Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), which restricted Chinese immigration.  However, enough Chinese immigrants remained to create a vibrant community throughout El Paso into the early 1920s. 

At one time downtown El Paso’s Chinese community was the largest in the state of Texas.  Chinese contributed to the area’s economy largely by growning and selling fruits and vegetables for the local market and by opening businesses, including laundries and restaurants frequented by male sojourners.  Expatriates send earnings to familes in China, wit the intention of returning to China someday.  Others stayed and married and raised families both in El Paso and Juarez.  The El Paso Chinese community retained their native culture through language (most spoke in Taishanese dialect) food, community associations, and tradition.

During the 20^th century, Chinese continued to migrate to El Paso.  During the Mexican Revolution, General John “Black Jack” Pershing brought hundreds of Chinese into the United States from Mexico for their protection from racial violence.  They were allowed to immigrate following General Pershings’ petitioning of Congress.  The Chinese continued to migrate to El Paso during the Great Depression of the 1930s, prompted by the Communist takeover of China.  Today, the Chinese El Pasoan’s continue to maintain a sense of community in the city they helped build."

A truly wonderful place to step back into history, Concordia Cemetery has earned recognition including True West magazine's "Best Preserved Gravesite in the West," and from the Texas Historical Commission a RIP Guardian designation.  The Concordia Heritage Association also won the Clara Driscoll Award for Preservation.

If you would like to help the Concordia Heritage Association, you can donate here.