Big Bend, Thanksgiving week 2010

[RusherRacing]

My money is on a Burning Man Art Car

Looks like a great trip, with great photos!

 

[scarysharkface]

I'm awake before the sun, which is something I am just very nearly completely unable to do when I'm not on vacation..

Almost time to head out in search of some vittles..

My fast is broken at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe, enjoying a Calamity Jane (hold the hot sauce) over the fire pit with Roger and a crowd of fellow vagabonds.. If you've never been there, you should put it on your list.

After spending at least an hour sipping coffee and enjoying the excellent company of the eclectic group assembled, I strike out for the desert North of Terlingua Ghost Town. Friends have recently acquired some acreage and given me their blessing to camp on it, but I've got to find it first..

Before too long I've found it and can get down to the business of unloading the bike and gearing up..

Ready to go..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

So I figure I'm a big boy now, so let's see what we can find..

Shortcut from Terlingua airport to Study Butte, complete with a water crossing downstream from the spring in Terlingua Creek..

Stopped at the Study Butte Store for some liquids..

Old Maverick Road in the park..

I love this road. There's plenty of variety but you could drive it in a Camry with some patience. Bike is better though.

Even some sand..

Too soon I'm back on pavement near Santa Elana Canyon, enroute to Castelon and lunch.. The road dips into washes..

The obligatory putting-on-the-gloves-after-a-snickers-lunch self-portrait..

Time to head for the River Road West..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

As is always, always the case, I should have taken more pictures of the more defining sections of the road.

Immediately upon turning onto River Road West there is a relatively wide sandy wash to cross. I should have stopped and taken a pic. As one exits the wash on the far end, there is a short hill to climb in deep sand. By the time I realized it was there I didn't think of anything other than staying on the throttle and getting up it. No pictures. I should have at least parked the bike at the top and walked back to snap a couple, but I did not.

Several sections appear to have been recently graded. Recently could have been last August, but still there is some deceptively easy riding interspersed among some more challenging stuff.

Much of the River Road West is fairly close to the border. Mountains in the background are in Mexico.

Note the depth of the tire track. I didn't slide to a stop, it's just that soft.

Plenty of this stuff..

Beautiful in all directions..

Lots more road ahead. I'm probably only a mile or two into a 58-mile stretch of primitive road at this point..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Lots of muted tones out here this time of year..

I'd just come down (up?) this. Good riding..

Absolutely a joy to spend time here..

It's always at least a little bit worse/better than it looks on-screen..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

So I'm happily plowing-along through the desert and suddenly the road becomes this..

I stop long enough to take a picture, but then get going again quickly. In a land of mountain lions and not much cover, I'm confident that there are creatures in the grasses and bushes here and confident I don't want them to eat me.

Soon I'm back up away from the river and don't feel so trapped..

Even comfortable enough to get off the bike, drink some Gatorade and enjoy the view..

I've seen asphalt parking lots with more vegetation..

Some distance on, the road turns Northward and I get a nice view of the backside of Mule Ears Peak(s) while also wondering why the road doesn't agree with what Topo 2008 is showing me on the Garmin..

I think this is just a little more than a third of the way to the other side, and I really don't want to get lost out here..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Considering the topo data is at least a decade old, there is a reasonable chance that it's simply wrong. I follow for a bit to see if it joins back up with the route on my screen. I've got an extra gallon of fuel and plenty of water, so I can afford to explore a little..

After a comfortingly short distance the road turns back toward the river.. It's been back-filled at the bottom of a shallow wash, which implies that it doesn't take a whole lot of rain to destroy the often-soft base of these tracks..

According to Garmin, that greenery to the right of the road is in Mexico..

Figuring I've seen about all the types of topography the River Road has to offer by now, I don't stop very often to take pictures. In fact, at some point I completely blew past the Marsical Mine, figuring there are plenty of pictures and info available to those who are interested..

Things flatten-out a bit and the road is generally in much better shape the farther East one goes..

Proof I was there..

Soon enough I'm back in (relative) civilization. Just past the Glenn Springs Road junction, I meet an SUV and eventually pass a Chevy pickup that has a big Harley tied-down in the bed. He was running the road at about 20 mph and that thing was really bouncing around. I'm impressed that the straps held. Whatever..

Once off River Road East and onto the pavement, a right turn leads to the fuel pumps at Rio Grande Village to top things off. My odo is right at 98 miles for the day thus far, and I didn't have to touch the fuel in the can..

Fifty or so miles later I'm back out in the desert North of Terlingua..

Ed shows up almost as soon as I'm parked and de-geared, and proceeds to fire up the grill..

The moon rises..

Food prep..

The bike is happy and fed..

And soon I will be as well. That's my buddy Ed's sweet WR250R in the foreground..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

After sleeping in the Jeep with the windows down again, I'm up early but Ed is up earlier. We both were up before the sun though, so it's all good..

The moon is still up..

There's a great deal to be said for modern DSLRs and a good tripod..

Big doin's at El Punto Coyote..

I spend way too much time on this one plant and the moon..

The sun finally peeks up over the mountains..

While we drink coffee.. in the quiet solitude of the desert..

We head into Terlingua to grab grub at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe and shoot the breeze over the firepit with an eclectic group and strategerize our day.. Fun times in Terlingua!

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Ed and I take the scenic back route back to his spot in the desert.. It's an interesting ride..

We discuss the possible sources of haze this year..

We also collect some trash.. A Ballantine beer can (how old can that be?) and remnants of a large shattered sheet of plexiglass..

Jeep looks like it's nailed a deer or something..

We meander our way through the desert..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Ed tells me we're heading for the Terlingua Hilton.. This oughta be good..

And there it is!

Great mailbox..

I wonder how long it took to stack these rocks?

And again we're off..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Returning to El Punto Coyote, Ed suggests we go for a ride to a fantastic overlook some 12-ish miles further out into the desert but I'm not really in the mood to gear-up for a bike ride. I think what I'd like to do is setup shop over at Rio Grande Village and get an early start tomorrow on Old Ore Road and maybe Black Gap Road or Glenn Springs Road, get a shower and then meet Ed for dinner somewhere in Terlingua tomorrow evening. I'm enjoying hanging out with Ed, and have to tell myself that if I don't carve out enough alone time this week I'll regret it. Alone time is what I need this week.

So I load stuff up and head out..

I'd love to see where that road leads..

But I'll happily stay on this one for now..

Every time I turn around there's another reminder of what it truly means to survive..

I like the cut of the road as it descends into the wash..

And again I must say that I'm really happy with my travel arrangement..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Once back inside the park, I divert a bit to check out the Croton Springs Trail. I've driven past too many times to count and figure it's time to stop..

It's a short drive off the main road to the parking area, then there is a footpath..

There are a few other hikers out here, and we discuss the probability that we might not be able to locate the spring, if it's actually a year-round spring. This is one of those times where I should have read the guidebook maybe?

They ask about the Hot Springs, and I tell them what I know.

Sure is pretty out here, at any rate..

Funny..

With that, I'm off to the Hot Springs to soak for a bit and exchange pleasantries with folks some 30 feet away across the border.. I should have brought the camera..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

A shower and quiet night in the tent at Rio Grande Village have been good to me.

The view before sunrise..

It's still early and I'm on the road..

I love this road..

And detour to take a hike before the sun gets too high and hot..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

A friend recommended I pay a visit to the Ernst Tinaja spring, so, motorcycle gear and all, I did..

It's about a mile hike from the parking area off Old Ore Road..

Pretty. Dry creekbed with lots of interesting details..

Look up and the cactus contrasts the deep blue sky..

I appreciate the shade, being in full-moto-gear, pressure suit and all..

Checkout the twisty layers of rock...

There are a couple of pools of water. Amazing in this desert heat..

Time to hike back out before the sun gets too high..

On the hike back out, I lay down in the dry creekbed and work on capturing this clump of grass with the camera. It occurs to me at some point that the few other visitors to the area might panic and worry if they see me laying flat on the sand, in the sun in full moto-regalia. If anyone did notice me, they surely didn't show any alarm..

John

 

[scarysharkface]

Back on the road..

Of course, I'm running this South to North instead of the guidebook-recommended North to South. I figure the sun over my shoulder is more desireable than fighting the glare on my faceshield..

Sandy...

As I ride, I wonder what it must have been like to travel this area at the time this track was established. There would have been significantly more vegetation at that time, prior to the over-grazing that occurred throughout the region..

It's tempting to suggest that at some places it's almost like riding pavement, but I won't...

And of course there are strange cambers everywhere.. This must have been exciting in a wagon with steel-banded wood wheels..

John