Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/500 sec, ISO200 “Sana in Big Bend” Big Bend, 2020
Today I started a 3-day/2-night solo trip to Big Bend National Park. This is my fourth time to visit, and second time to backpack and camp in the Chisos Mountains. Because of the current pandemic, I plan on not stopping to visit any small towns except to fill up gas. In fact, with the online reservation system for campsites, you can now print your backcountry permit at home and go straight to the trailhead, which was what I planned.
I started my drive at 3:30 am which wasn’t a problem for me because I was so excited. I chose to leave so early for a couple of reasons: first, there is road construction happening in the park right now, and the road I need to use is open from 11 am – 1 pm, so I wanted to make that window; and secondly I wanted to start my hike to the campsite early so that I could take my time and not push myself too hard.
The drive east was unexpectedly very wet and rainy and the rain stopped as the sun rose which made for some really nice cloud formations. 😊 I really enjoyed the drive, listening to music and podcasts, and looking at the scenery. Lots of people think this stretch of highway is mind-numbingly boring, but I love it.
My timing worked out great, and I arrived at the park at around 11 am and was ready to hike at a little after noon. That would give me plenty of time to reach the Colima 2 campsite, where I would be staying for two nights. The hike in would be the toughest of the trip because I have to carry all my water in with me, and I calculated that 6.1 liters would be a good amount to take. But that amount of water is heavy: almost 13.5 lbs! Also, the hike is mostly uphill, with an elevation gain of 1,800 feet. But with the early start, I could take plenty of breaks and go slow.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO200 “Fork in the Trail” Big Bend, 2020
The hike was tough but fun, and I really enjoyed myself. I saw several other hikers on the trail, and almost everyone masked up when passing. My route took me up the Laguna Meadows trail, which is the trail we hiked in the other direction on my previous trip. It’s also the more gentle trail up to the campsite – farther in distance, but the elevation gain is spread out making it less strenuous.
I arrived at the campsite at 4 pm, which meant I hiked for about 3 hours and 45 minutes, including breaks. I had plenty of time to set up camp and relax a bit before making dinner and settling in for the night. As expected, I was exhausted, and as soon as it got dark and the stars came out, I was asleep. 😀 A good day!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO320 “Arrival at the Campsite” Big Bend, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/1000 sec, ISO200 “Sunrise” Big Bend National Park, 2020
This morning we woke up at 6:45 to catch the sunrise. It was cold and breezy at the North Rim so I prepared myself by basically putting on all of my clothes, including the rain jacket and pants which acted as wind protection. I certainly wasn’t going to win any fashion awards but I kept warm!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/1000 sec, ISO200 “Glowing Clouds” Big Bend National Park, 2020
After the photo session, we returned to camp for hot coffee before packing away the tents and hitting the trail. Our planned route took us to the South Rim where we were treated to more amazing vistas. I particularly enjoyed using my binoculars to view the trail down below in the distant desert. I’m pretty sure that our old campground from our previous trip to Big Bend was visible, but I couldn’t quite figure out where it was. However, Santa Elena Canyon was clearly visible in the distance. The canyon walls looked incredibly tall!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/680 sec, ISO200 “Looking South” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/420 sec, ISO200 “Santa Elena Canyon” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Another awesome sight we witnessed was a Peregrine Falcon high above, just riding the wind. It was almost stationary, like a kite on a string, and I was wishing I had a super-telephoto lens… but I had to settle with a photo from my X100T.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/850 sec, ISO200 “Peregrine Falcon” Big Bend National Park, 2020
The rest of the hike was mostly downhill so we made good time cruising on the trail past Laguna Meadows and back to the parking lot. It was an awesome finish to an epic hike!
After a short rest, we visited the store at Chisos Basin and then Panther Junction for some merch, then headed out of the park to find dinner in Fort Stockton.
We decided in Pepito’s Café which serves Mexican food as well as burgers. It turns out we both thought the Pepito’s Burger sounded the best so we ordered one each. I’m not sure how it happened, but when they brought out the food, one of the burgers was a double! There must have been a whole pound of beef in the burger! It was amazing. When I held up the burger for a photo, the man at the next table applauded and said, “hiker hunger!” So true! But we had a long drive ahead of us so I ate half and packed the rest to go.
The drive went smoothly and I arrived home at about 11 pm, unpacked a bit, washed some supplies, took a shower, and crashed hard. A nice end to an amazing weekend backpacking adventure in Big Bend National Park.
Here are a few more photos from the day:
Photo info: Apple iPhone XS, 6mm, f/2.4, 1/30 sec, ISO500 “Hiker Hunger” Fort Stockton, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/150 sec, ISO200 “Icy” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/500 sec, ISO200 “Looking North” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/3.6, 1/850 sec, ISO200 “Sunrise from TM1” Big Bend National Park, 2020
I woke up this morning to a lightening sky, grabbed my BRS-3000T stove, Stanley cooking pot, some water, and instant coffee and found a nice location to enjoy the sunrise. From the Toll Mountain campsite, you have a nice view east through Boot Canyon, and also to the north-west where you can see the Chisos Mountain Lodge down below, and the mountains in the distance. Toll Mountain (TM1) is really a great campsite!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/3.6, 1/10 sec, ISO400 “Stanley Adventure Cookpot” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO400 “Chisos Mountain Lodge” Big Bend National Park, 2020
After the sun warmed us up a bit, we packed up our campsite, then headed down to the Emory Peak trail-head. There are bear-boxes there so you can stow your gear before heading up the trail to the peak, which is a great thing because lugging a 40-pound pack up there would not be fun!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO640 “Emory Peak Awaits” Big Bend National Park, 2020
The hike up Emory Peak Trail was easy and fun since I just had a liter of water, some trail-mix, and my jacket in my lightweight Gonex backpack. I also had my camera and binoculars around my neck, as well as my trekking pole.
We had watched a few YouTube videos about the Emory Peak summit, and they all mentioned the last 25-feet of the trail is a scramble up to the summit. There is a left route and a right route, with the left being easier. However, they don’t mention that they go to separate summits. The right side is the higher of the two, but you need to do a little scrambling up the rocks. Honestly, it was easier than I was expecting, and as long as you take it slow and keep three points of contact at all times, you’ll be fine.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO640 “Emory Peak Marker” Big Bend National Park, 2020
The view from the Emory Peak summit was literally awesome. The drop-off was intense and the view was amazing. It was so cool to be able to touch the geologist badge that is embedded in the rock up there — something that was on our bucket list! After spending about 15 minutes on the summit, enjoying some water and snacks, it was time to scramble down. If you can, try to remember the way up because it will help you choose the right way back down.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO400 “Distant Santa Elena Canyon” Big Bend National Park, 2020
The hike back to the trail-head was fast, with no water breaks needed. Ah, downhill hiking is great!
We retrieved our backpacks from the bear-boxes at the trail-head and then took Boot Canyon Trail towards Boot Spring. Again, the trail was mostly downhill and we enjoyed the views of the famous “boot” that gives the canyon its name and soon reached the spring without incident. Water was flowing from the pipe at Boot Spring, so we used our water filters to refill our water supply, then hit the trail again and made our way to our next campsite. By the way, the HydroBlu Versa Flow water filter is an awesome little device!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO640 “Boot at Boot Canyon” Big Bend National Park, 2020
From Boot Canyon Trail, we changed to East Rim Trail and slogged up until we reached our campsite, NE2/ER2. The site is nestled a short distance from the rim and has plenty of room for two tents, and possible three. Also, it’s sheltered a bit from the wind making it a great “base camp” for exploring the north rim.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2000 “ER2/NE2 Campsite” Big Bend National Park, 2020
We set up camp, then went farther up the trail to where it ends. Usually you can hike all the around to the south rim, but from February 1 – May 31, part of the trail is closed due to Peregrine Falcon nesting. However, there are some places along the north rim with some spectacular views. In fact, we decided to pack up our cooking sets and bring them to one of the north rim spots to eat dinner while enjoying the incredible vistas.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO1000 “Closed Trail” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2000 “Dinner Spot” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Not only could we see the north side of the park, but when we turned around, we could see the incredible sunset over the south rim. It was terrific!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/25 sec, ISO6400 “Sunset” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Tonight’s dinner from the rim was another Mountain House meal: Chicken Teriyaki with Rice and Vegetables. The hot food in the cold back-country was again satisfying, especially after a long hiking day. I’d say the Beef Stroganoff was a little more to my liking, but both are yummy. I capped off the evening with some whiskey and hot water (OMG so good!) before climbing into my tent and crashing.
Here are a few more photos from the day:
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO1000 “Marmot Catalyst 2P” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO2000 “Woodpecker at Boot Spring” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO500 “Boot Canyon” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO640 “North Rim Dinner View” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/100 sec, ISO2500 “North Rim” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/50 sec, ISO200 “Casa Grande from TM1” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO200 “Casa Grande” Big Bend National Park, 2020
We arrived at Big Bend National Park at around noon and were able to secure a couple of great campsites for Friday and Saturday nights. Reservations for the back-country campsites have to be made in-person (online reservations are coming Feb 8, 2020) so there was a bit of uncertainty in which sites were already taken. Our preferred hiking plan required staying at the Toll Mountain campsite (TM1) the first night, since it is situated right at the Emory Peak trail-head, which we wanted to hike first thing in the morning. We were stoked that the Toll Mountain campsite was available!
Our second preferred campsite on the South Rim was already taken by someone else, but a few good backup choices were available so we picked NE2/ER2 which looked great. With campsites reserved, we headed to the trail to start our backpacking adventure.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO200 “Trail-head” Big Bend National Park, 2020
The hike today was simple: take Pinnacles Trail up to the Toll Mountain campsite. Simple but oh so strenuous with 40 lbs on my back! According to Strava, we traveled 3.62 miles with an elevation gain of 1,717 feet. The switchbacks at the end of the trail were intense and when we reached the campsite, we were exhausted but stoked. We figured that this would be the most difficult hike of the weekend, so to survive it in good shape was encouraging and a huge relief!
Dinner tonight was my first try of a Mountain House camp meal, so I was excited to give it a try. I boiled two cups of water in my Stanley Adventure Cooking Pot, then poured it into the bag of dehydrated Beef Stroganoff, sealed it up, and waited 8 minutes for it to re-hydrate. The meal was pretty tasty, and I’d definitely recommend it. Eating a hot dinner with my new Snow Peak titanium spork on a chilly evening in the Big Bend back-country was a great experience!
Here are a few more photos from the day:
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/25 sec, ISO200 “Campsite” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/240 sec, ISO200 “Cloudy Peak” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/220 sec, ISO200 “Sharp Peaks” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/125 sec, ISO200 “Setting Up Camp” Big Bend National Park, 2020Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/25 sec, ISO200 “Sunset” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Today I loaded up my backpack with 30 pounds (14 KG) of gear and went for another hike at Doeskin Ranch. This time, I added the one section of trail that I missed last time: Indiangrass Trail.
The 1.5-mile trail splits off from the Shinoak section and heads down into a nice little valley and even through a little forest tunnel. It was really cool! In fact, I’d say that Indiangrass trail is my favorite section of the Doeskin Ranch trails.
I mentioned that I had a heavily-loaded pack, and that is I will be carrying this amount of weight on our Big Bend trip. The only things I didn’t put in the pack were my external battery and cables, and extra underwear/socks/base layers.
When I first got on the trail, my hip started hurting a bit and I was thinking that maybe I should turn around and not stress it. After all, I did run 4 miles the day before. But I continued on a bit, and adjusted my shoulder straps to take more of the weight off of my hips. This was the trick, and my hip pain went away and I would go on to complete the hike without any discomfort. I felt great!
So now I know that 30+ pounds of gear on my back is do-able, and so my confidence is high. Knowing that we won’t be rushed during our Big Bend hike is good too – we can take plenty of rest breaks. As long as the weather is nice, we should have an excellent trip!
Like this:
LikeLoading...
My camera & photos
I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
