Shady Closed Canyon

Now that the summer's heating up, we've got a short trail for you that's in shade much of the time.  Just off the River Road, Hwy 170, in Big Bend Ranch State Park is Closed Canyon.

The 1.4 mile trail descends into a deep, draw with massive rock walls.  Here's the Backpacker magazine review of the trail. 

Water cut through rock to create the canyon, so take note of the weather.  When storms threaten, it is best to save this hike for dryer days. Flash floods can happen in sudden storms, and the steep rock make escape difficult.

In the heat of the summer, though, Closed Canyon offers a quiet shady respite from the road.

Pronghorn

Photo courtesy of Texas Historical Commission

Taken outside Marfa

While the drought has affected pronghorn populations, we still see them in the wild in our region, especially from the side of the road in grassland areas between Van Horn and Marfa, as well as the Alpine and Fort Davis areas.  Read more about pronghorn here and here!

Stormy May Skies

Another Marfa sunset beauty on a rare stormy night....taken last night!

Get Ready for Viva Big Bend!

Last year, the region was packed with music lovers.  This year proves to be the same.  Make your reservations now, buy your tickets now for Viva Big Bend, July 25-28, in Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa and Marathon!  Already some accommodations are sold out, so act now!

Want to learn more?  Here's a link to the festival's FAQ page.  And one to their lineup page!

Birding in Big Bend

Birding in the Chisos Basin
of Big Bend National Park

Big Bend is a terrific place to see birds, and there are lots of resources to help you get the most out of your adventure.

The Big Bend National Park has a birding page, here.

The Far West Texas Wildlife Trail has many birding locations...read about them here.

Birding resources, trips, guides:

Birding in Big Bend National Park with Mark Flippo

Birding trips through Mountain Trails Lodge of Fort Davis

Big Bend - Texas Nature: Surveys, Scouting and Guiding

Flowers for our Moms

Prickly Pear, blooming in the region in time for Mother's Day!

Last Night's Storms

Yesterday, large sections of our region received some much-needed rain.  Sure, we had thunder, hail, and some high winds....but we also were treated to rainbows.  Here's one taken last night by our Marfa friend, Monte Riggs.  While we're still in a drought and under a burn ban throughout most of the region, every little bit of rain helps!  The prickly pear are in bud in many places, and soon we'll have flowers too!

Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend

The Town of Van Horn, our Texas Mountain Trail organization, and many residents of Far West Texas lost a friend on Sunday, longtime Mayor of Van Horn, Okey Lucas.  His funeral is today.

A native of West Virginia, he had the good fortune to meet a West Texas gal, Pat; and he had the good sense to marry her. 

Mayor Lucas was a proud veteran.  His service in Vietnam led to his exposure of Agent Orange.  Though he carried oxygen with him everywhere, it never appeared to dampen his view on life.

He told us one of his most proud accomplishments as mayor was overseeing the paving of every street in town, and he was a great ambassador for Van Horn through his work with the Rio Grande Council of Governments and other groups.

He extended kindness to our new organization as it opened for business in 2005; Van Horn became our host city.  Today, our office remains there, and we share Mayor Lucas' enthusiasm for the town.


One of the town's employees, Patricia Golden, nominated the little rest area across from the Town's Convention Center and City Hall, Okey Lucas Park for inclusion in our Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, a project with Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Here's the entry from that map:

 Okey D. Lucas Park

The Town of Van Horn is located at the crossroads of I-10, US 90, and US 54. Van Horn has one main street. The Okey D. Lucas Park is located near the west end at 1804 W. Broadway just across the street from City Hall and the Convention Center/Visitor’s Bureau.
The Okey D. Lucas Park is a quiet, small, and open park with trees and shrubs, with a dramatic background of Turtleback and Six Mile Mountains. The city has a drip water system that attracts the birds despite the dry area. There are picnic tables and restrooms available Monday through Friday, 8-5 at the Visitor’s Bureau.


A personal memory of Mayor Okey Lucas from our Director:

"Most mornings the mayor yells down the hall to me, "what's going on in that office?"

"Work," I yell back.

Then he walks (oxygen in his backpack always) in to shake my hand and call me "Sunshine," and ask how I'm doing. I'm part of his daily rounds before he retires home for reruns of Matlock at 10 am. This morning we talked about short airflights. He'd just taken his wife to El Paso for a quick 40 minute flight to Albequerque to visit their youngest child this week.

As he left he asked, "does it take about 2 1/2 hours from El Paso to Chicago?"

"Yes."

"About 2 1/2 Matlocks then."

"Yep."


We'll miss you Mayor.

Kern Place Sunset

Last night we happened to be in the historic Kern Place area of El Paso, just in time for a great sunset.  We know we often post rural skies, and wanted to show you our biggest city also hosts grand sunsets, too. 

The Kern Place area, just north of UTEP, was the first suburb in El Paso, dating to 1914.  Now in the center of the city, the area has gracious homes, many built with local rock.  The history of the area is outlined on Wikipedia, here.

Murals of Alpine

Alpine has a fun downtown to explore and the city has worked hard to make it a lovely place for visitors and citizens.  The attention to art distinguishes Alpine...take, for instance, the murals in town.  There are three within a couple of blocks of each other. 

If you find this one depicting our ranching heritage, look behind you and see THIS one.  Next, head across the street to the Amtrak station for another mural!  Then take some time to wander the downtown and explore the shops in the area!  Have a great time!

Window Trail, Big Bend National Park

The center of Big Bend National Park is the start of many Chisos Mountain hikes, including The Window trail.  Here's what the park's website says about this satisfying day hike:

"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."

Click here for the list of mountain hikes in the center of Big Bend National Park, including some of the region's most iconic hikes! 

Cool Smith Spring

Natural spring and shade on
the Smith Spring Trail, Guadalupe
Mountains National Park

 

One of our favorite places to escape summer heat is in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  There's a short, relatively easy 2.3 mile looped trail through desert and arroyo at the base of the mountains, that also takes hikers to the this cool oasis at Smith Spring.  Click here to see more photos on our Flickr page.

More on natural springs in the Guadalupes, here.

This is what the park's website says about this hike:

"Smith Spring Trail
Begin this hike at the trailhead sign. Look for birds, mule deer, and elk as you walk this loop trail to the shady oasis of Smith Spring. Take a break here and enjoy the gurgling sounds of the tiny waterfall before continuing around to sunny Manzanita Spring. Scars from wildland fires of 1990 and 1993 are evident along the trail. The trail is rated moderate, with a round-trip distance of 2.3 miles. Allow one to two hours.
Manzanita Spring (only)
Begin this hike by turning right behind the ranch house at Frijole Ranch and follow the short, paved trail to Manzanita Spring (.2 mile). Return to Frijole Ranch on the same route. The trail is wheelchair accessible. Manzanita Spring is an excellent desert watering hole for park wildlife and a great birding location.
Please: Water is precious for park flora and wildlife species. Do not disturb the water in any way."

This trail is also part of our Peak Fitness Challenge, a joint program of our Texas Mountain Trail and our partners (Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Franklin Mountains State Park, GeoBetty.com and PhiDev, Inc. of El Paso.  What is the Challenge?  Pick a trail you want to hike, record your miles online, and you might win prizes for your effort?  It is free, it is fun, and you get to explore our beautiful Texas Mountains AND be healthier for it!  This trail is also a Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hike! 

Roosevelt Stone Cottages in Big Bend National Park

In the heart of the Chisos Basin of Big Bend National Park are the Roosevelt Stone Cottages, which were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the second camp in the park, which was established in 1940. Interested in the CCC?  Read more about their work in the park, here.

Today, the cottages have three double beds, plus a shower, microwave and refrigerator.  They are not air conditioned, but have a ceiling fan and benefit from their high altitude location in the Chisos Basin.  Plus, they have wonderful porches and special, private views of the mountains. 

Click here to learn more and get booking information!

Texas History Online Book Club by Texas PBS!

Join the first online book group devoted to Texas History!

Texas PBS is proud to announce the first online book group devoted to Texas History, in conjunction with the new Texas, Our Texas initiative.

The group will be a reader-led experience, with Texas PBS bringing in authors/experts and documentaries/artwork to create a multifaceted, educational and interesting experience for group members.

The first book discussion will be Jan Reid’s Let the People In: The Life and Times of Ann Richards.

Go to www.texaspbs.org/texasourtexas/

to become part of the inaugural discussion of this ground-breaking group!

Special Announcement:

Author Jan Reid will join the club for a web chat live from the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum Wednesday, May 29th at 8:00 pm. Find out more information about this special event at www.texaspbs.org/texasourtexas/

.

Connect on Twitter @TexasPBS

Travel Spotlight! 

Gage Gardens
Click on the photo for a
closer look!

On Tuesday, we headed to Marathon and visited Gage Gardens across the railroad track from the historic Gage Hotel.  Too many folks travel through Marathon and don't take the time to explore, and they're missing so much! 

The Gardens offer an oasis and a hideaway for anyone wanting to enjoy a quiet place for birdwatching, leisurely walks, or even a few minutes on the putting green! 


 

Blooming this week in Marathon's Gage Gardens

Across Hwy 90 from the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon and a half block to the east, is Gage Gardens.  A lovely place to visit any time of the year.  It looks particularly green and vibrant RIGHT NOW.  Take a look at what we saw there this Tuesday!

Twenty six acres of beauty for you to enjoy, in fact, it is a popular place for weddings and other special celebrations. The Gage Gardens is open to the public...step right in and enjoy!

Flowers for May Day!

Rainbow cactus blossom from the Cactus Greenhouse
at Fort Davis' Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center
and Botanical Gardens

Prickly Pear blossom from near Van Horn

Taken recently just north of Terlingua and Big Bend
National Park!

Did you know we're on Flickr and Twitpic, too?

For your browsing pleasure, we've got some photos of the region stored on Flickr, here.

And here, on Twitpic!

Huisache flowering at Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Garden

A closeup of this lovely shrub tree blooming at Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Garden last week! Learn more about the Huisache here.

We also took a few minutes to scope out their cactus greenhouse!  Here's few pics, and page down for a surprise!

Hey!  What's that?  A Clif MOJO bar!  Leave us a comment to this post about keeping energized on your own adventures in the Texas Mountains and we might just send you one!  (And thanks to our friends at Clif MOJO for sending us a little stash of bars to share over the next few months with our friends and fellow adventurers!) 

Apache Plume at CDRI

Last week, we enjoyed an impromptu hike at Fort Davis' Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Garden and saw the Apache Plume in bloom in the garden.  Read more about this lovely plant here.

We headed out on the Modesta Trail, too, for a thoroughly satisfying hike around boulders and madrone trees. This 1.75 trail is rated moderate to difficult, but is a great one with permanent springs and interesting geology.

Thanks to Stonewear Designs for their comfy and
ready-for-anything Liberty Skort and Echo top!

Catch us on Instagram!

We're now sharing photos of the region on Instagram!  Follow us at http://instagram.com/texastrailgirl for immediate postings where we travel through the region.  We often pull off the road for wildflowers, or pull out the office cell phone when we're enjoying a particularly great lunch somewhere in the region.  True to its name, instagram is the most instantaneous way to follow our travels!