Cycling through Big Bend--The Path Less Pedaled

Big Bend National Park

Last week, at the National Bike Tourism Conference (where we spoke on Far West Texas cycling assets) we ran into our old friends, Russ and Laura of the Path Less Pedaled.  We first met them during their 2010 trip through West Texas, and have been in touch ever since.  They had a great time pedaling through all of our Texas Mountain Trail region, and gave us permission to share highlights and photos of that trip.

Some excerpts:

"Way before we ever reached the border into Texas, we started hearing all sorts of comments about what we would find. The reputation that Texas has gained outside of its borders is really quite extraordinary, and we had no idea what to expect. A bunch of yahoos with shotguns? Pick-up trucks running cyclists off the road? Cranky ranchers eager to kick you off their land? Nope. Just gorgeous wide-open country, amazing vistas, wonderful roads with wide shoulders, and some of the nicest and most accommodating people! Turns out, our foray into West Texas has provided some of the best cycling so far, and fantastic connections with other folks. If you have a chance to come out this way, we highly recommend it. In fact, we think you should consider making it your next vacation destination!"

 

Starlight Theatre, Terlingua Ghost Town

Big Bend National Park

"There is so much to explore in these parts that you could easily stay for weeks, so we suggest having a lot of time to putter around, or having some sort of rough plan. From Terlingua Ghost Town, we decided to head east into Big Bend National Park. There is a $10 entry fee for cyclists (or buy an annual pass for only $80!), and there are numerous camping spots throughout the park. We opted to head up to Chisos Basin, an utterly breath-taking location in the belly of a ring of mountains. You will hurt if you climb this road on a bicycle, but it will be absolutely worth it when you get to the top and have the chance to experience this amazing spot. Camping is $14 per night, and there is drinking water and a sky full of stars. (Head up the hill to the lodge to dine in the restaurant, explore the visitor center, pick up some supplies at the small store, or just snag a room in the hotel.)"

 

Cycling into Terlingua

"As we prepare to head out of West Texas toward Hill Country, we’ve been thinking back about how beautiful and wonderful this area has been. It’s a harsh terrain, where water is scarce and you have to plan extremely well because of lack of services. We have battled a lot of wind that whips its way across these open plains. Mostly, we have been stunned by the vistas we have seen and people we have met. Cycling through West Texas feels epic, as if we’ve stumbled upon a part of the US that few people experience (and even fewer know exists!). We have loved out stay in West Texas and hope that other folks will be inspired to head out here for their own adventure (just be sure to carry a lot of water!)."

Catch up with Russ and Laura at their website, www.pathlesspedaled.com
Or follow them on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/pathlesspedaled
Or on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pathlesspedaled

Read the entire post on their trip through our region here.

Speaking the Same Geological Language: Golden Spikes at Guadalupe Mountains National Park

GUMO Superintendent Dennis Vasquez,
GUMO Geologist Dr Jonena Hearst,
Dr Charles Henderson, Dr Shuzhong Shen after installing
Capitanian GSSP marker on Nipple Hill, May 2013

Geologists all over the world work with rock that helps us understand in the timing of events in earth history.  To help geologist "use the same language" worldwide, they rely on standards and definitions to name geological stages so the same unit or formation would mean the same thing to everyone, no matter where they are. 

Global Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs)--also called Golden Spikes--are established by consensus within the international geological community...recently three points were established in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. 

 These sections and points allow geologists to correlate rocks and fossils from one locality to another across continents and oceans, giving geologists a common reference and vocabulary for discussing local, regional, and global events in geology and paleontology.”

Guadalupe Mountains National Park has been recognized by the Subcommission on Permian Stratigraphy of the International Union of Geological Sciences with the placement of plaques marking the park's three Global Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs). Dr. Shuzhong Shen, current Chair of the Subcommission, Dr. Charles M. Henderson, past Chair of the Subcommission, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park geologist Dr. Jonena Hearst placed the bronze markers in the park this past Spring.

Clark Hotel Images in the Portal of Texas History

Several years ago, our Texas Mountain Trail organization wrote a grant that digitized the photograph collection of Van Horn's Clark Hotel Museum.

Maggie Jackson, Photograph, 1940; digital image,
(http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14053/ ),
University of North Texas Libraries,
The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting Clark Hotel Museum, Van Horn, Texas.
Click on the photo for a closer view!

This is one of those images of everyday life from the 1940s, and we're not sure about the location or the event, but it is clear that cake was served!  We like to wonder about the gentleman who put his hat on the post.

You can see a closer view by clicking on the photo above, or following this link to the Portal: http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14053/m1/1/sizes/

To view other images of Van Horn's history at the Portal to Texas History, click HERE.

Walk a little farther....Big Bend National Park's Hot Springs Trail

The view in Hot Springs
Big Bend National Park

Many travelers head to the great Hot Springs Historic District in Big Bend National Park for the 105 degree water, and for a warm soak.  But if you walk just a little bit farther, you'll see more spectacular views.  Follow the trail beyond the ruin of the hot springs and as the trail forks to the left and hairpins back and up, you'll climb a bit as you hike to even more spectacular views.

Texas Highways recently included a trip to Hot Springs in their article about visiting the Big Bend in the winter months...read about it here!

Remington Exhibit in Alpine through December 8th

Wolf Scout Arnel Holguin, finds a small snake
that scared horse and rider in this piece by Frederic Remingtond

In less than three week's time, the Frederic Remington exhibit at the Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, will head home to Ogdensburg, New York....so NOW's the time to see it!

From the museum's website:

"This historic exhibit will display a large number of Remington’s best known works from September 20th through December 8th. The iconic bronze, The Broncho Buster, and the never-before toured painting, The Charge of the Rough Riders, are but two of the pieces in the exhibit. Brought to the museum through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mallory and The Holland Hotel, the exhibit will contain more than twenty-two works that explore the diversity of the media and styles that Remington used in his pursuit of creating fine art while chronicling the West."

The exhibition entry on our Texas Mountain Trail events calendar is HERE.

Sabroso Posole and Chipotle Texas!

Chipotle Texas, a homegrown business in Fort Hancock, has a retail store just south of  I-10 exit 72.  Worth a detour, their store offers dried chile and spice/chile blends for all kinds of great cooking.  We profiled the business for Texas Folklife and their statewide survey of foodways, which we'll compile soon and share with all of you.

Here's their recipe for Sabroso Posole:

3 lbs. boneless pork loin, cubed

2 tblsp. Fiesta Chipotle Blend

Sabroso Menudo Blend (to taste per serving)

2 (15 oz.) cans white hominy, or 1 package frozen posole corn
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tblsp. Chipotle Texas Chipotle Flakes
2 tblsp. chopped garlic
6 limes halved

Preparation

• Place cubed pork pork loin in a large kettle and add about 5 quarts of water or enough to cover meat. Add 2 tablespoons Fiesta Chipotle Blend and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 1 1/2 hours. 

• Remove excess grease from top and set aside. Reserve liquid. 

• Drain and wash the hominy very carefully until the water is clear so as to remove lime from kernels.  Put in large kettle and cover with water. (If using frozen posole corn boil until kernels have popped.)

• Mix in pork loin and hominy or posole corn. Add oregano, garlic, onion, and chile pods.  Let simmer for about 1/2 hour. 

• Add a squeeze of lime and a shake or two of Sabroso Menudo Blend to taste, then serve. (For added flavor top with shredded cabbage and diced radish.)

Earlier this month, we shared their recipe for cornbread!

There's more to come from our partnership with Texas Folklife on Far West Texas Foodways....here's two summary documents from that project, and two more are in production!
Bob Kinford, Cowboy Cook
Van Horn's Pecan Dessert Contest

Sharing your photos of our Texas Mountain Trail region!

We love to hear from all our friends on our social media venues, and although many of you are already doing so, we wanted you to know that YES, we'd love to see your photos of travels to Far West Texas and the Texas Mountain Trail region!

So here's your invitation:  Please feel free to post your own adventure and travel images (of your travel in our six county region--from Marathon and Big Bend National Park all the way to El Paso and the New Mexico state line) on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TexasMountainTrail

We'd love to see them and have them posted there so others can see them too!

Where can you find us?

Facebook  www.facebook.com/TexasMountainTrail
Twitter  www.twitter.com/trailgirl
Instagram   www.instagram.com/texastrailgirl

and of course, our main website, www.texasmountaintrail.com

Are you ready for the Pecan Dessert Contest?

Van Horn is holding a Pecan Dessert Contest at the Hotel El Capitan on the same day as their annual Lighted Christmas Parade.  This is the biggest holiday celebration in town, and is one of the best small-town celebrations you'll find in the Texas Mountains. Want to enter the contest?  Contact Brenda Hinojos at the Town of Van Horn!  Contact information is at our calendar listing for Van Horn's special holiday festivities, December 14! 

From the Collection of the Clark Hotel Museum

Click on the photo for a closer view!
Mr. and Mrs. Ponciano Villalobos, Photograph, April 8, 1912;
digital image, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14276/),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,
http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Clark Hotel Museum, Van Horn, Texas.

Several years ago, our Texas Mountain Trail non-profit wrote a grant to allow the photography collection of Van Horn's Clark Hotel Museum to be digitized and join the archives at the Portal To Texas History at the University of North Texas Library.

Rare in this collection, a view of everyday life in Van Horn, the record says:

"Photograph of couple outside adobe building. Photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Ponciano Villalovoz (Villalobos), April 8, 1912, in Van Horn, TX. Dedication at the back of photo reads," Dedico Este Retrato a, Mi Querida Mama, Pas Chacon En, Pruevas de amory y, Respecto. que le Tengo. Ponciano Villalovoz, Van Horn, Texas, April 8, de 1912"

We're on Instagram!

Follow our travels all over the Texas Mountain Trail region on Instagram!  We're at @texastrailgirl and we post from everywhere--Big Bend, the Davis Mountains, the Guadalupe Mountains and the Franklin Mountains of El Paso!  Lots of great adventure, food, hotels, fun!

Our facebook page is www.facebook.com/TexasMountainTrail
We tweet at @trailgirl   www.twitter.com/trailgirl

Our FREE Events Listing!!

Festivals

If you're an event planner here in Far West Texas consider yourself invited to use our FREE events listing program online! 

Outdoor events

There's an online form you can use to send us all the information on your event...click here to get there:  http://texasmountaintrail.com/node/add/event

Once you fill in the blanks, we'll get an email to review your listing.  As long as your event would hold interest for our travelers--be it an historical, cultural, preservation, active endeavor--we'll post it on our calendar!  We'll review it, make some formatting updates and make it go "live," so it will appear on our calendar here.

Museum exhibit openings

The service is FREE, and we know it will help you spread the word about FUN in Far West Texas!

Just another beautiful sunset...can you see Chinati Peak?

One of our region's assets is our unspoiled landscape, clear bright skies and unencumbered views...what better way to relax, forget your troubles, and leave the noise of the city behind?!?

One of our typical autumn sunsets, seen north of Marfa....but if you look closely, you can see Chinati Peak at the horizon. 

(click on the photo for a closer view!)

Bonus Video!  One of our volunteers, the El Paso Troubadour, sings his own composition...sit and listen awhile and watch photos of Big Bend, Van Horn and other parts of our Far West Texas!

"The Forsythia of Far West Texas!"

One of our Twitter followers calls Ocotillo "the forsythia of Far West Texas," and we're inclined to agree!  They leaf out when there's rain, and several times a year, they can develop brilliant orange/red blossoms. 

Our Executive Director thinks they're the "happiest and friendliest of desert plants, making us feel like spring!"

However, ocotillo is not considered a true cactus.

For a good part of the year, and when our desert is dry, the ocotillo appears to be a composition of dead sticks, but when the rain falls, small leaves are sprouted all along the vertical branches.

Click here to read more about the ocotillo!

Our Newest Cycle-Friendly Hotel: Eve's Garden Organic Bed and Breakfast!

Our region's cycling assets--with our incredible mountain biking opportunities, our scenic roads with NO TRAFFIC, and our heritage bike routes--it seems a "no brainer" to identify hotel properties willing to provide special services to cyclists.

Announcing our newest Texas Mountain Trail Cycle-Friendly Hotel:

 

Eve’s Garden Organic B&B, Marathon, TX (located at Ave C & North 3rd St, one block north of Highway 90 in Marathon.) 432 386 4165 or cell 432 386 3479. www.evesgarden.org   

A peaceful boutique B and B tastefully constructed of recycled and re-purposed materials (primarily papercrete). This family run business features; hand-built rooms, indoor gardens and courtyard, fire pit, star gazing deck, and courtesy room (with complimentary coffee, tea, cocoa).

Amenities also include in-room mini-fridge, romantic electric fireplace, A/C, private bath, fresh flowers from Kate’s organic greenhouse, and a gourmet organic breakfasts, featuring locally-sourced eggs, milk, veggies, etc.

Cycle-friendly features include: secure overnight storage of bikes; nearby packed lunch possibilities and bike supplies (at French Co. Grocery). Owner requests cyclists remove cleated cycling shoes to protect unique unique structure of the B&B.

 We have cycle-friendly hotels all across the Texas Mountain Trail region.  Some are historic hotels, others are chain hotels, some offer cabins, or screened "porch" rooms...there's something for everyone!

Click here to see the full list.

A tasty detour from I-10 Chipotle Texas

Getting off the freeway can bring tremendous--and tasty--rewards.   If you take I-10's exit 72 at Fort Hancock and head south, you'll soon come to a CHILE STORE.  Walk inside and you'll see the products of a local business that's done so well, they're sending Far West Texas chile flavors around the world.  Chipotle Texas has its home in Fort Hancock, and it dries and smokes chile, produces specialty spice blends and wins awards for their work...all from Hudspeth County.

Here's their Chipotle Texas' Hot Cornbread for you to try at home!

Ingredients
1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp.  Chipotle Texas cayenne chile powder
3/4 tsp salt

Preparation
Combine ingredients, mix well. Pour into lightly oil coated baking dish.  Place in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Not planning to head through Fort Hancock soon?  You can order from their webstore! 

The nearly lost community of Alamito

Every so often, a new road beckons...and while you never know what you'll see, sometimes you'll get a glimpse into an area's past. 

This was the case with our recent drive down FM169 south of Marfa, to the (nearly) lost community of Alamito.

We drove through the grasslands and Chihuahuan Desert ranchland, across arroyos and by green shady areas, made possible by Alamito Creek.

Soon, we arrived...at one of those green areas, blessed with trees, to find this adobe building, minus a roof, but protected by a shade structure.

The marker reads:

"Alamito Creek has been a passageway and the scene of human activity since prehistoric times. Spanish explorers began traveling through the region in 1535. Mexican families began to settle in the area about 1715 and established rancheros despite an Apache presence. Beginning in the 1850s, the infamous Chihuahua Trail, a route for heavy freight wagons from San Antonio to Chihuahua, Mexico, passed near Alamito.

By 1870 Alamito was a community with several families farming and working on nearby ranches. John Davis, a pioneer from North Carolina, was a strong community leader. He married Francisca Herrera, the daughter of Carlos Herrera, one of the first Spanish settlers of Alamito, in 1875. They built a home with a chapel, one-room school, and a canal for crop irrigation. Davis was known for serving peach brandy to weary travelers who came through on the Chihuahua Trail. Francisca died in 1892 and was buried near the chapel in Alamito. The grief-stricken Davis went back to North Carolina and never returned to this area.

The legendary railroad known as the "Road to Topolabampo" was the result of a longtime dream of A. E. Stilwell, railroad builder and urban promoter, for a rail line from Kansas City to Mexico's west coast. It passed through Alamito in 1930. The Railroad dug a deep well, constructed a tank to water the steam engines, built a section house for workers, and renamed the site Plata. At the end of the 20th century, only ruins of the Davis-Herrera home, school, cemetery and canal remain. Ruts of the Chihuahua Trail can still be seen in the bedrock north of Alamito. "
How to get there?   Drive 7 mi. south of Marfa on US 67, then left at FM169 and  24 mi. south to Alamito Creek.

Win a trip to the Texas Heritage Trails Region of your choice!

Our partners at the Texas Historical Commission are launching a social media contest, and the winner will receive a trip to the Texas Heritage Trail region of their choice!

Click HERE to read all about it on the THC's Facebook page!

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has been preserving the real places that tell the real stories of Texas for nearly 60 years, and will celebrate its official 60th anniversary on November 17. In conjunction with the anniversary and the agency’s many accomplishments over the years, the THC will focus on its award-winning Texas Heritage Trails Program and accompanying website, TexasTimeTravel.com. A sweepstakes promotion will begin on October 17 in which people can celebrate the anniversary by entering a drawing to win a “behind the scenes with the THC” heritage tourism trip, guided by knowledgeable THC staff and destination partners. The winner, to be randomly selected after the close of the sweepstakes on November 17, will receive a guided, four-day, expense-paid trip for two in the Texas Heritage Trail Region of their choice. The itinerary, to be developed by the THC, will showcase programs and sites such as historic Main Street districts, restored county courthouses, military sites, and more throughout the region. To participate, visit the THC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TexasHistoricalCommission beginning October 17, click the "sweepstakes" tab, and follow the instructions to complete the entry form. All travel must be completed in April 2014. Visit texastimetravel.com to start planning your own trip, and learn more about the heritage travel regions of Texas and all they have to offer. For more information, contact the THC’s Public Information and Education Department at 512.463.6255. - See more at: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/news-events/press-releases/celebrate-60-years-texas-historical-commission-and-win-heritage-tourism#sthash.1mfmWPes.dpuf

The THC's website says this:

"The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has been preserving the real places that tell the real stories of Texas for nearly 60 years, and will celebrate its official 60th anniversary on November 17. In conjunction with the anniversary and the agency’s many accomplishments over the years, the THC will focus on its award-winning Texas Heritage Trails Program and accompanying website, TexasTimeTravel.com.

A sweepstakes promotion will begin on October 17 in which people can celebrate the anniversary by entering a drawing to win a “behind the scenes with the THC” heritage tourism trip, guided by knowledgeable THC staff and destination partners. The winner, to be randomly selected after the close of the sweepstakes on November 17, will receive a guided, four-day, expense-paid trip for two in the Texas Heritage Trail Region of their choice. The itinerary, to be developed by the THC, will showcase programs and sites such as historic Main Street districts, restored county courthouses, military sites, and more throughout the region.

To participate, visit the THC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TexasHistoricalCommission beginning October 17, click the "sweepstakes" tab, and follow the instructions to complete the entry form. All travel must be completed in April 2014. Visit texastimetravel.com to start planning your own trip, and learn more about the heritage travel regions of Texas and all they have to offer. For more information, contact the THC’s Public Information and Education Department at 512.463.6255."

Fall Color in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

This is fall color season and hikers are heading to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to soak in the season.  The park suffered from large areas of severe flooding, but McKittrick Canyon trail, where much of the fall color can be seen is open again.

If you've hiked McKittrick before, keep in mind that the flood changed the course of the trail and work crews are still expected to be on the trail doing repairs.  The trail is now a bit harder to hike.

Pratt Cabin on the McKittrick Canyon Trail

Devils Hall, another trail known for fall color in the park is expected to remain closed for some time, but McKittrick is open and ready for you! 

A flyer on McKittrick Canyon can be downloaded here.

From the park's website:

"McKittrick Canyon Trail
Follow an intermittent stream through the desert, transition, and canyon woodlands to the historic Pratt Lodge, Grotto picnic area, and Hunter Cabin. A guide book is available at the McKittrick Canyon Contact Station or the Headquarters Visitor Center. Rated moderate; the 4.8 miles round-trip to Pratt Lodge takes 2 hours."

Day of the Dead Celebrations

Across the region, this is the time of year our communities hold their Day of the Dead Celebrations, including Terlingua, Marfa, El Paso and others.
From Wikipedia:

"Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. 

The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the Christian triduum of Hallowmas: All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased."

Hiking Santa Elena Canyon

Photo by Kathleen Seal

A favorite of many, a great hike for first-timers to Big Bend National Park, and one of our best recommendations for an evening hike for the light against the canyon rock faces....Santa Elena Canyon Trail.

From the park's website:

"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."