How to make camp

This is just a sequence of pictures showing how I set up camp while I was at Big Bend Ranch. Elapsed time: about 30 minutes. I chose not to put the tent fly on -- it is needed when there is rain, or when it gets windy in the desert (blowing sand into the tent, which is not exactly fun).

Big Bend Ranch State Park

[Editorial aside: I'm having hardware (apparently power-supply) and network connection problems, so updates may be even spottier than previously expected.]

Big Bend Ranch State Park has a history of being a ranch. It was not necessarily endowed with great physical beauty, since those accumulating the land were more interested in it for its ranching potential.

There were only a few things that I found of interest at Big Bend Ranch. I went on a hike down part of Frisco Canyon. Not that exciting.

Throughout this region there was a lot of volcanic activity once. Some of it left behind these formations called dykes, which look at times almost like fortifications kind-of like the Great Wall of Texas.

In some canyons in the desert, water may remain in pools in place that are largely sheltered from the elements. These are called tinajas, and there were some specimens to see.

Water sometimes sculpts the stone in interesting ways.

A flowering cactus.

This is a sotol plant.

This is a flowering yucca, it's about 8 feet tall.

Dunno what this is, pretty though.

Driving to Big Bend Ranch

After leaving Big Bend National Park, I took a rest day in Study Butte/Terlingua. Terlingua is a small community that was originally a mining community, and the abandoned. In recent years it has started to be recolonized by artists, and it has a small walking tour around the ghostlier parts of town, such as they are.

Texas' Big Bend Ranch State Park is west of Terlingua, and is about the same size as the national park. It was once a giant ranch (and cattle are still grazed there), but since the state took it over (in the 80's I think) they've obviously started to develop it for recreational access.

There is a main road that roughly follows along the Rio Grande between Terlingua and Presidio, Texas, that provides access to the southern parts of the park. Only very roughly developed, there are just a few trails off the road. One relatively short trail leads to Close Canyon (and what do they call it when they disallow access?). I guess this qualifies as a slot canyon, as it is relatively narrow (down to about 8 feet wide at its narrowest that I could tell), and probably 2-300 feet high. It was quite cool in the canyon, despite it being a warm day. Amazingly, there was some life in the canyon...

Following the sojourn into the canyon, I continued the drive down the river, and then into the heart of the park. Eventually a dirt road turned off the main road, and about 30 bumpy miles later (taking about 1 1/2 hours to drive) arrived at Sauceda, the park headquarters. From here it was another few miles down the (bumpy dirt) road to my camp site for the next few days.
(Interestingly, Sauceda was the first place in over a week where I had cellular service.)