Relaxing Day Hiking in the Chisos Mountains

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/400 sec, ISO200
“East Rim Trail” Big Bend, 2020

I woke up today looking forward to a relaxing hike around the East and South Rims of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. Compared to yesterday, my pack would be very light because I only would need to carry today’s water (not even tonight’s!) and also since I was staying at the same campsite again, I could leave my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and camp clothes in the bear box. The only thing I left set up at the campsite was the tent stakes which I didn’t think critters would mess with.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/40 sec, ISO800
“Colima 2 Campsite” Big Bend, 2020

First, it was time for a bit of breakfast. I brought a Mountain House Breakfast Skillet for my morning meal, but I wasn’t very hungry, so I just had trail mix. But I was really excited to try out my new GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip coffee filter. Instant coffee is okay in a pinch, but real ground coffee beans are way better, and this lightweight filter makes fresh coffee on the trail super easy to prepare. It folds flat too, which makes it easy to store underneath the fuel cannister in my cooking pot. I ground some beans at home and put them in a Ziploc bag and my food bag smelled so good!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/20 sec, ISO800
“Real Coffee” Big Bend, 2020

After breakfast, I packed the bear box with my excess gear and water, then hit the trail.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5, 1/90 sec, ISO200
“Bear Box” Big Bend, 2020

Last January, my buddy and I stayed one night on the East Rim at ER2 campsite, and the views from the rim were spectacular! But at that time of year, a large section of the East and South Rim trails was off-limits in order to protect the Peregrine Falcons as they nested. So I was excited to take in the parts of the trail I missed, and the views were amazing! I pretty much knew they would be awesome, but was happy to have very clear conditions. The South Rim is highly regarded, but I think I prefer the East Rim, especially the views of Elephant Tusk and then out towards Boquillas Canyon in the far distance.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/11, 1/950 sec, ISO200
“East Rim View” Big Bend, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/180 sec, ISO200
“Elephant Tusk” Big Bend, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/600 sec, ISO200
“East Rim Trail” Big Bend, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/550 sec, ISO200
“South Rim Trail” Big Bend, 2020

While taking a little snack break on the South Rim Trail, I decided to take a self-portrait, but I didn’t like any of the photos of myself, so here’s one of my back as I went to pose. 😀

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/8, 1/680 sec, ISO200
“Self Portrait” Big Bend, 2020

It was interesting seeing the other hikers on the trail. There’s a big difference between day-hikers and backpacking campers. While almost everyone on the trail is friendly, the day-hikers tend to just say hello, whereas the backpackers are happy to stop and have a conversation. I guess there’s a greater sense of community since you are generally dealing with the same challenges and it’s fun to share similar experiences. Also, I like to chat (masked and at a safe distance of course) with the folks who have camera gear since they are always happy to “talk shop”. Then there are the solo backpackers like me who might be feeling a little lonely and are in search of a bit of conversation. 😂

I’m pretty knowledgeable about the different types of backpacking and camping gear so I find it interesting to note the range of gear and experience of the hikers on the trail. One one end of the spectrum are the ultralight hikers, who sacrifice some of the luxury items in order to minimize pack-weight. I chatted with one woman who was on the final day of her 5-day excursion, and she was definitely going ultralight. Her pack was tiny! On the other end of the spectrum was a group of young men who were hiking with inexpensive (and large, heavy) big-box sleeping bags, a cooler, and cups hanging of the backs of their packs. In the middle of the spectrum were those backpackers like me, who have mid to light-weight gear and some more “luxury” items. And by luxury, I’m talking about things like Kindles, a camp chair, and an extra set of camp clothes. One thing we all have in common, though, is our love for hiking and the outdoors. Like the saying goes, “Hike your own hike!” It’s all good.

If you care to see what my pack consisted of, here’s the list over at LighterPack.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO640
“Tent” Big Bend, 2020

After returning to camp, I decided to have another cup of fresh coffee (I need my caffeine!) before setting up my tent again. That coffee filter is great. Well worth bringing! Then it was time to have dinner, which I decided was going to be the Mountain House Breakfast Skillet. Let me tell you, the Breakfast Skillet made for a delicious dinner. I have to say, it’s my favorite Mountain House meal so far, even beating out the Beef Stroganoff. Delicious!

I read my Kindle until the sun went down and then I climbed into my tent and fell asleep for a couple of hours before waking up to take a few night photos. The sky was incredible and I was able to see a couple of shooting stars from the Geminid Meteor Shower as I was lying in my sleeping bag. It was one of those really cool moments… this is what camping is all about!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 15 sec, ISO3200
“Camp at Night” Big Bend, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 15 sec, ISO3200
“Stars” Big Bend, 2020

Here’s my Strava from today’s hike.

Solo Trip to Big Bend National Park

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.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/680 sec, ISO200
“Morning Clouds” West Texas, 2020

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.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/16, 1/250 sec, ISO200
“High Chisos” Big Bend, 2020

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

Overnight Getaway

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/120 sec, ISO200
“Bed View” Wimberley, 2020

We took a mini-vacation not to far from home at Getaway Hill Country with a couple of good friends. Mariko and I were in one of the tiny cabins, while our friends were in another one, but we got to relax together outside and enjoy a campfire and some yakiniku in a safe setting. And even though the moon was out, I was able to take a half-decent photo of the stars. 😀

Here are a few photos from our over-nighter:

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO200
“Driveway” Wimberley, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
“Small Cabin” Wimberley, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5, 1/100 sec, ISO2000
“Dinner Fixins” Wimberley, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO320
“Rice Cooking” Wimberley, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO250
“Tequila” Wimberley, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5, 1/100 sec, ISO800
“Campfire Friends” Wimberley, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 13 sec, ISO800
“Hill Country Sky” Wimberley, 2020

A Visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO3200
“Viewing Triptych” Houston, 2020

I’d never been to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston before, so I was excited to visit today. There was an exhibit of Francis Bacon’s later work which was pretty good. I was not familiar with his work, so it was a nice education. But what I really enjoyed was the permanent collection on the 2nd floor.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO640
“Slaying the Minotaur” Houston, 2020

This Greek wine vase was very interesting to me because I just recently finished the novel Circe, so I was familiar with the characters shown in the painting: Ariadne, Theseus, the Minotaur, and Daedalus. I love the style of these Greek depictions.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
“Matisse” Houston, 2020

One of my favorite artists is Henri Matisse so it was thrilling to see two of his paintings. I especially love his line work in the faces of his subjects.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“Virgin of The Annunciation” Houston, 2020

I’m not so interested in religious depictions, but I thought this painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was excellent.

I would have liked to stay longer in the museum to look at the paintings more closely, but sadly it closed at 5 pm. I guess I’ll just have to come back again! 😊

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“Walking By” Houston, 2020

South Rim Views and Hiker Hunger

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, 2020
Photo 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.

"Pepito's Double-Burger" Fort Stockton, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/13 sec, ISO3200
“Pepito’s Double-Burger” Fort Stockton, 2020

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:

"Hiker Hunger" Fort Stockton, 2020
Photo info: Apple iPhone XS, 6mm, f/2.4, 1/30 sec, ISO500
“Hiker Hunger” Fort Stockton, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/150 sec, ISO200
“Icy” Big Bend National Park, 2020
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/2, 1/500 sec, ISO200
“Looking North” Big Bend National Park, 2020