T&P Water Works, Van Horn

Another great image of early life in Van Horn from the collection of the Clark Hotel Museum.

Scenes from our July 4 bike ride down Pinto Canyon Road

The road heading southwest out of Marfa, FM 2810, is known as Pinto Canyon Road, and the first 30 miles or so are paved, making it a terrific ride for cyclists.  Yesterday we took a ride about 12 miles out and 12 miles back and saw four cars and just as much wildlife!

BONUS
Cycling in 1895
A report on the July 4th 1895 cycling event!

Click on the images to get a closer view

Next July 4th? Spend the holiday in the Texas Mountains!

Below are some GREAT shots of the Fort Davis "Coolest July 4th" Parade from Saturday by our friend, Ray Leach, of San Antonio.  Next year, join the fun!

We spent our time at the Apple Pie/Apple Empanada contest, held by the Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County.  After the judging was over, slices sold for $3 a piece!  We snagged a slice that had cheddar cheese flaked in the crust.  YUMMY! 

Annie Londonderry Speaks at El Paso's McGinty Gardens, 1895

El Paso's McGinty Gardens around the time of Londonderry's visit, photo: El Paso Historical Society archives

In late June and early July 1895, El Paso was abuzz about cycling.  Famed cyclist Annie Londonderry was in town, as part of her trip around the world; she was the first woman to do that ride, and El Paso was one of her "champion" cities.  Here's a clip from the El Paso Herald, July 2, 1895.

click on the image to get a closer view

At the time, the McGinty Gardens was a popular place for public programs and concerts.  The Gardens was in what is now the Sunset Heights neighborhood in El Paso.  The site was leveled to provide fill dirt for the construction of Union Station near downtown.  More from the 1895 El Paso Herald article covering Londonderry's public address below:

Click on the image to get a closer view

click on the image to get a closer view

Click on the image to get a closer view

Birding and Butterfly Festival at the Gage Hotel!

Scott's Oriole by Matthew York

Mark your calendars now to attend the Gage Hotel’s inaugural birding festival, ‘Birds and Butterflies of the Big Bend’, July 19^th through 22^nd in Marathon, Texas. The Gage will kick off its first year by hosting Kenn Kaufman, renowned birding expert, naturalist and author, who will present a lecture at the Ritchey Building in Marathon on July 21^st at 4PM.  Other notable guests include Gerald Sneed, the well-known nature artist, who will be exhibiting his work on birds of Texas.

 Birds and Butterflies of the Big Bend will feature a high caliber list of trip leaders:

• Kelly Bryan, a hummingbird biologist focusing on the West Texas region

• Long time regional birder and guide, Mark Flippo of Birding Big Bend

• Cameron Carver, President of the Llano Estacado Audubon Society and prominent regional birder

• Steve Gross, President of the Texas Ornithological Society

• Matt York, ornithologist and co-author of the bigbendnature.com blog

• Heidi Trudell, researcher of human impacts on birds, co-author of

bigbendnature.com blog

The Bird Watchers Package includes all meals, the registration party, two birding workshops, Maravillas Tour, Kenn Kaufman lecture as well as special room rates at the Gage. Guests purchasing the value package will also receive a VIP badge, tote bag and t-shirt as part of their VIP registration packet. Cost for the Birdwatchers Package is $350.00.

Events that can be purchased al a carte include the Hummingbird banding workshop for $20 per person, Butterfly Walk for $10 per person, Kaufman lecture $30 per person and Gage Gardens Dinner $75 per person (wine, tax and gratuity included). The Maravillas ranch tour is restricted to inclusive package members and spaces are limited.

The schedule for the event is as follows:

Thursday July 19^th - registration at 5pm at the White Buffalo Bar.   

Friday July 20^th – 10 am Hummingbird workshop with Kelly Bryan at the Gage Gardens

-       10 am The Ritchey Building will be open to the public to  view exhibits and visit with local vendors and regional nature organizations.

-       2pm Butterfly Walk at the Gage Gardens with Matthew York.

-       7pm Fiesta Dinner and mixer with Kenn Kaufman at the Gage Hotel.

Saturday, July 21^st – 7AM Birding tour of the Maravillas Ranch, a privately owned ranch south of Marathon. Participants will have access to private land with the opportunity to view the abundance of bird species living outside the national park. 

4pm - Kenn Kaufman will present his lecture at the Ritchey Building.  Mr. Kaufman is the author of Kaufman Field Guides, A Field Guide to Advanced Birding, as well as his memoir, Kingbird Highway. He is also the field editor of Audubon Magazine as well as the editor of American Birding.

7pm - Dinner at the Gage Gardens

For more information on the event or to print out a registration form, visit gagehotel.com.  To register for the all inclusive package call Michelle West at 432/ 386-4205 ext 263. To book hotel reservation call the Gage Hotel at 432/386-4205.

Brands in the Clark Hotel Museum by Dan Baeza

Dan Baeza's photograph of an exhibit at the Clark Hotel Museum
www.danbaeza.com

With this photo, we conclude a whole week of wonderful images from our photography intern, Dan Baeza.  We'll feature more of Dan's photos later this summer and into the fall, but we wanted to conclude this first week with a beauty...a study based on a brand exhibit at Van Horn's Clark Hotel Museum.

Thank you, Dan, for sharing your work with all of us!

Van Horn from the top of the Hotel El Capitan, by Dan Baeza

Van Horn panorama by Dan Baeza
www.danbaeza.com
(click on the photo for a closer view!)

Our photography intern, Dan Baeza, knows Van Horn very well!  A native of the town, he captures it as no one else can.  Here's a look at the western half of town, from the roof of the historic Hotel El Capitan. The large white building on the right side of the photo is the Clark Hotel Museum, which has exhibits showing early life in Culberson County.  While Dan was an intern for Texas Mountain Trail, he also worked for the Museum, creating their first-ever website.  Take a look...at www.clarkhotelmuseum.com

Thank you, Dan, for all your hard work and your "eye" which captured Van Horn beautifully!!

Franklin Mountains State Park by Dan Baeza and Prizes for Holiday Hikers in the Peak Fitness Challenge!

Photos by Dan Baeza, www.danbaeza.com

All this week we're featuring the work of Van Horn native, Dan Baeza, who spent three weeks with the Texas Mountain Trail and the Clark Hotel Museum on a photography internship earlier this summer.  Dan spent a day in El Paso, shooting Franklin Mountains State Park, one of the parks participating in our Peak Fitness Challenge.  Dan did a great job capturing many of our region's attractions, including several in his hometown of Van Horn.

Starting tomorrow and through Monday, July 9, hikers logging miles in our Peak Fitness Challenge will be eligible for a prize drawing!  Don't know about the Challenge?

It is a cooperative effort between Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Franklin Mountains State Park, Texas Mountain Trail and GeoBetty.com, with the goal of getting people out on our spectacular hiking trails.  Beginning hikers are welcomed, as are experienced trail runners and everyone in between.  Sign up online at www.GeoBetty.com/Peak  and add your likes to your total....we'll pick three hikers at random who've logged in hours during the July 4th holiday period (the weekend before, the week of and the weekend after!) for prizes.  And we'll have prize drawings every month, too!  There are easy, moderate and difficult hikes in the Challenge....start where you're comfortable and have a great time!

This is a great way to motivate yourself to explore our parks, and maybe, maybe work up to climbing the highest peaks in both parks, including the highest point in Texas....Guadalupe Peak!  And here's the Peak Fitness Challenge page on the Guadalupe Peak hike.

Here's the link to the Peak's Facebook !
Sign up for the Challenge, HERE!  

Turtleback Mountain by Dan Baeza

Turtleback Mountain by Dan Baeza
www.danbaeza.com

Presenting another lovely image by Van Horn native, Dan Baeza.  Dan was a photography intern with the Texas Mountain Trail and the Clark Hotel Museum of Van Horn earlier this summer when he captured this nighttime view of the town's most recognized mountain, Turtleback Mountain.  Thanks, Dan, for sharing your work with the rest of us! 

Sands Motel, Van Horn

A fun sight greets travelers just off I-10, the Sands Motel sign in Van Horn.  A remnant from an earlier road culture, the sign sits at the eastern edge of the town.  The cafe, which still operates, was a set in the 2005 Cannes-winning film, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Tommy Lee Jones, January Jones, Dwight Yoakam, and Melissa Leo all had scenes in the Sands Motel cafe.

All this week, we're featuring photographs by Dan Baeza, a Van Horn native and Texas A&M Commerce student.  Dan served as our photography intern earlier this summer and created some beautiful shots to share with all of you!

Sands Motel by Dan Baeza
www.danbaeza.com

Franklin Mountains State Park by Dan Baeza

Franklin Mountains State Park
Photo by Dan Baeza, www.danbaeza.com

This week, we're sharing images from across the region taken by our photography intern, Dan Baeza.  Hailing from Van Horn, Dan is a student at Texas A&M Commerce, and spent three weeks with us, capturing images to share with y'all.

To help us promote our new hiking program, the Peak Fitness Challenge, we asked Dan to visit Franklin Mountains State Park. Hikers and trail runners of all experience and fitness levels are invited to participate. For more information and registration, visit the Challenge website, here!  While he was at the park, he encountered this little lizard, lots of scenic vistas and a cactus flower or two!

BONUS!
Cycling in 1895

We're also celebrating--117 years after the fact--the arrival of famed cyclist, Annie Londonderry to El Paso.  We'll be sharing photos of the city at that time, news clippings and other content related to her visit through the July 4th holiday!

Click on the clipping to read it...it is an account of the arrival of Londonderry printed on June 26, 1895!  For more content, visit our Texas Mountain Trail Facebook page! 

 

Dan Baeza Week Begins!

Hotel El Capitan sign by Dan Baeza
DanBaeza.com

Earlier this summer we were most fortunate to host a talented photographer, Dan Baeza, in an internship with the Texas Mountain Trail and the Clark Hotel Museum in Van Horn.  Dan did terrific work for both entities during his quick three week stint, including building the Museum's first-ever website, www.clarkhotelmuseum.com and working on several social media projects for the Trail.  This is the start of an entire week of images shot by Dan during his internship...stay tuned and enjoy the entire week!

The Hotel El Capitan is one of the region's beautifully restored historic hotels.  Built in 1930 by Trost and Trost, it was one of five in the Gateway Hotel chain in west Texas and eastern New Mexico.  It was a cattleman's hotel for its first 40 years; ranchers from all over the area bought and sold cattle in business meetings held in the lobby.  Today, it graciously serves visitors to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and other regional attractions, and travelers heading east or west on I-10.

BONUS!!
Cycling in 1895

We're also sharing a story from the Victorian era...El Paso's own cycling craze.  On our Facebook and Twitter accounts, we'll share photos, clippings and other content that tells the story.  Exactly 117 years ago, El Paso was awaiting the arrival of famed cyclist, Annie Londonderry, and the town was excited about having her visit the city during the July 4th celebrations!

From the El Paso Herald, exactly 117 years ago, from the front page on June 25, 1895:

An interview with Annie Londonderry, click on the image to get a closer view!

The intersection of Magoffin and San Antonio streets in El Paso c. 1890s
(photo from the collection of the El Paso Historical Society)

Past the July 4th holiday, we're telling the story of the cycling craze in El Paso in 1895.  That year, in late June, El Paso was anticipating the arrival of famed cyclist, Annie Londonderry.  Cycling was a big, big sport and pastime in the city as well as many other cities in the United States.  There was a daily, front page column in the El Paso Herald newspaper. 

Here are some clips from June 24, 1895:

Proud of our Homestead

Another wonderful image of early life in Van Horn from the collection of the Clark Hotel Museum!  (That's a cute little house!)

Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes--Easy Pinery Station Trail

Stone ruins of Pinery Station

A place to rest along the trail and catch some shade

The Peak Fitness Challenge we launched yesterday incorporates hikes with historical significance ...and there's a variety of hikes for beginning to experienced hikers and trail runners!   We've called them Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes, and today's featured hike is the Pinery Trail in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

This hike takes you to the ruins of the stagecoach station, where in September 28, 1858, the first coach carrying mail and passengers made a meal stop on its inaugural journey across the U.S. The Pinery, named for nearby stands of pine, was one of the best stops for the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage along the line from Missouri to California, because of abundant water. The stop was used less than a year, as the route passing through Guadalupe Pass was abandoned for a more southerly route through Fort Davis.

This is an easy trail of less than a mile, with very little elevation gain.  The trail's pathway is easy for almost anyone to navigate.  

Join the Peak Fitness Challenge here, and "like" the facebook page for the Challenge to keep up on news, prize information and updates!

BONUS--1895 Cycling Story!

  Here's a little poem in the June 22, 1895 El Paso Herald ...a message from an Alpine cyclist!  

For more clips about the cycling craze in 1895, follow along on our Texas Mountain Trail facebook page or our Twitter account!  

We'll be rolling out the whole story in the weeks to come!   

Our Peak Fitness Challenge Begins!

YOU CAN REGISTER NOW!
(Since the website in in beta, we're inviting folks to use the Feedback button liberally...help us build the website right at the beginning.  Please send us your suggestions and feedback!  You're part of this effort at the groundfloor!)

The Peak Fitness Challenge, a free hiking program for Franklin Mountains State Park and Guadalupe MountainNational Park launches today, June 21^st   at the monthly meeting of the El Paso Hotel Motel Association.  A joint program of the parks, the Texas Mountain Trail regional non-profit, El Paso’s GeoBetty.com and PhidevInc.com, the Challenge encourages everyone from beginning hikers to experienced trail runners to get out on the park’s trails.  Participants can earn prizes for their accomplishments.

“Hikers can use the program to build their fitness and confidence levels to reach the highest peaks in the Franklins and the Guadalupes, if they want,” says Don Baumgardt, GeoBetty creator and publisher of the El Paso Visitors Guide.  “Participation is easy and free.  Folks can go online to register, log miles hiked and compete for prizes.  This Challenge is for regional residents and visitors to Far West Texas.” 

Information and sign up is available at GeoBetty.com/Peak .   Hikers and trail runners can compete as individuals or team members.  Participants may count the miles they log on organized hikes or adventures they tackle with friends and family members.  Everyone is invited to join the facebook community for the challenge at www.facebook.com/PeakFitnessChallenge

Planning for the Peak Fitness Challenge began last fall, when the new Superintendent of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and El Paso native, Dennis Vasquez, approached the Texas Mountain Trail for assistance in planning the park’s 40^th anniversary.  “The park had ideas for a hiking challenge similar to programs we’d been considering for some time,” said Beth Nobles, Executive Director of the Texas Mountain Trail, a regionally-based heritage tourism non-profit organization serving Far West Texas. “When we invited GeoBetty.com and their developer Phidev, Inc. to join the project and handle the technical aspects of the Challenge, the program really took off.  With the addition of Franklin Mountains State Park, we knew we had a winner.” 

From the beginning, the Peak Fitness Challenge was designed to encourage everyone to get out on our Far West Texas trails, including beginning hikers.  Adrianna Weickhardt, Parks Interpreter/Ranger at Franklin Mountains State Park, started Women’s Only Hikes earlier this year to encourage more participation at the park.  “They’re great opportunities for females of all ages who may feel some apprehension or fear about starting this new activity.  We cover the fundamentals of hiking, and we take a slower pace, starting with beginner level trails.  There’s an experienced guide along for the entire hike to lead them, assist, and answer any questions.”

To encourage new hikers, Nobles began a blog called, “One Foot in Front of the Other,” (www.onefoottostart.blogspot.com)  which features fitness tips and interviews with hikers, runners and cyclists.  The blog has several “Hiking 101” entries already addressing topics such as, “What’s a Trailhead?” and “How do I Find the Trail?”

Some of the trails are labeled “Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes,” to encourage participants to learn about the heritage of the Far West Texas region.  One trail runs past a historic stagecoach route, another was the site of a murder of a Texas Ranger.  The TexasMountain Trail is a regional non-profit heritage tourism and economic development organization, representing the six westernmost counties of the state.  It participates in the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Heritage Trails Program.

In the days after the June 21^st launch, participants may choose join hikes organized and led by volunteers or rangers at the participating parks:

Franklin Mountains State Park:

Make your reservation by calling:  (915) 566-6441

Bring:  Water, snacks, sturdy hiking shoes/boots, hiking stick, camera, binoculars, a flashlight for the tin mines, a map and dogs are welcome on leashes!

Saturday, June 23 –“Couch Potato Hike” on the Lazy Cow Trail   

Start Time: 8:00 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Length: 6.3 miles/ 2 – 3 hours

Trailhead:  Meet at Chuck Heinrich Park/East side of the mountains (call for directions)

*Difficulty Level:  Easy to Moderate.  This single track trail is often used for mountain biking, but is a nice leisurely stroll as a hiking trail as well.  It is not difficult terrain to traverse, however, it is a longer distance and may be challenging for new hikers.  The plant and animal life in this area is readily seen and with the Franklins as a backdrop, this hike is beautiful.

Sunday, June 23rd– Mine Shaft Exploration

Start Time:  8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Length:  1.4 miles / 1.5 - 2 hours

Trail:  Begin on West Cottonwood Springs trail, then enter the mineshaft to explore and end on the Agave Loop. *Difficulty Level:  Easy to Moderate.  Rocky along some sections, with a few short steep stretches.  The exploration into the mineshaft is fun and easy with one initial short belly crawl through the opening. 

Friday, June 29 – Women’s Only Hike – Upper Sunset Trail

Start Time:  8:00 a.m.

Length:  2.6 miles / 1.5 - 2 hours

*Difficulty Level:  Easy to moderate.  We’ll encounter some elevation gains, with some short steep inclines/declines, a few rocky/rough sections, and great vistas as we walk along the ridgeline.

 Guadalupe Mountains National Park:  All hikes begin at 8:00. Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Saturday, June 23-- Devil's Hall

Start time:  8 am.

Length:  4.2 miles roundtrip, moderately difficult, but very rocky, 3-4 hours.  Meet at the Pine Springs Trailhead near the RV campground.  Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Sunday, June 24-- Smith Springs

Start time:  8 am   (2.3 miles roundtrip, moderately difficult, 2 hours) Meet at the Frijole Ranch Trailhead.  Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.

Sunday, July 1--McKittrick Canyon to Pratt Cabin

Start time:  8 am (4.8 miles round trip, moderately difficult, 3-4 hours) Meet at the McKittrick Canyon Trailhead.  Bring water, food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and wear sturdy footwear.


BONUS---1895 Cycling Story! 

 Follow along on our Texas Mountain Trail facebook page for clips, photos, and insight into cycling in 1895 as El Paso gets ready for the arrival of famed cyclist, Annie Londonderry!

We'll be rolling out the story exactly 117 years after the fact, with clippings from the El Paso Herald from June and July 1895.  

You'll learn all about the cycling craze at the time women were JUST starting to get out on bicycles and JUST starting to wear bloomers! 

And you'll see that cycling hasn't changed much in several ways...there were concerns about road conditions and safety.

And you'll see that El Paso was completely enthralled in Annie Londonderry's story (though there was at least one NOTABLE exception) and thoroughly enjoyed her visit during the July 4th holiday in 1895.  Follow along and join the fun!