Glad to hear you linked up with your group Thad. Definitely look around for me in Terlingua. I will be there full time by December. Look for Bob and his KLX too. He knows that area very well and would enjoy riding all over the place.
After riding several days I slowed down and explored closer to camp for half a days ride. First stop of that day was Clear Lake.
This was one of those days that made me glad my bike has EFI. The short ride up was only 4 miles. The elevation change is about 3,000 feet over those few miles. A couple of the switchbacks were tight first gear turns with rocks or holes from spinning wheels of 4X4s, but nothing really technical.
There is a small secondary pond just downstream of the main lake.
Sitting a while soaking in the views was where this guy showed up.
It is a Wood Rat, indigenous to the area, and moves in quick bursts. This was the only good shot I managed to get as every other time I pressed the button he moved out of frame.
On the way down I stopped at a couple of spots just to soak in more of the cool mountain thin air and admire the views.
This road in view was my next ride...
An old locked up mine runs rusty water down the hillside, eventually joining with South Mineral Creek.
Down that other road is yet another abandoned mine. Some maps show it as a ghost town, though only the mine remnants remain.
This is where having multiple maps is important. Some maps show that trail in the last shot to be open to motorized access.... I.E. single track bike trail. Newer maps show it is bicycle, horse, and hiking only. The tiny sign near the creek confirms that motorcycles access is prohibited.
I met a pair of young riders that pulled into camp that evening who had planned to take off that way in the morning and connect up with another single track trail farther out. Luke and Curtis are college students on an end of summer trip with some very fast bikes. A KTM 450EXC ad a CR250R smoker. Both guys have extensive MX racing experience, and the speed that lives in youth.
The old guy on the heavy bike (me) was invited to go and took them up on it the next day. We blazed down the empty two track to the creek so they could verify what I had told them about the trail. My poor suspension was bottoming on the rock shelves and baby head rocks. Having to turn back from the single track disappointed them, but they were eager to see Clear Lake so I pointed them that way and followed.
It was still early and we had the road up entirely to ourselves. Even as we climbed I was using third and in places fourth gear to keep the youngsters in sight. I was also wearing myself out early and making mistakes. I blew a right hand switchback running wide. Fortunately that was the uphill side and my 'reward' for running wide was slapping a pine tree limb with my bars and arm. Spun my left mirror in its perch.
At the top and only 20 miles into the day I told the guys to go on without me. I would slow them down, or worse. I would not want to ruin their day of riding by wrecking and having them to deal with getting me and a bike off the mountain, or out of the creek.
They went on their way, and later at camp had to patch up the CR. Luke blew a turn on a single track and crashed hard down a hill. Curtis told me how he rode back and forth a few times before he could hear Luke yelling from the trees thirty feet below the trail. Cracked the clutch cover. Epoxy to the rescue.
Took very few riding pictures that day, here is a good one though.
Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 
