The Big Bend of my Spirit

[TexasShadow]

Sometimes, at some point -time and space- something just grabs you and doesn't let go. I know what and where that is. And I'm caught hook, line and sinker. I know where I need to be. And it's here. Here is where I hang my heart and helmet.

Everyone have a safe new year. May the road bring you happiness and joy, no matter where you ride, no matter who you are.​

 

[poser]

great shots!
were you using a point and shoot or DSLR? and which one?

 

[lonestarrider]

Wow I like those pictures and I know what you mean about the lure of the Big Bend.

 

[poser]

Wow I like those pictures and I know what you mean about the lure of the Big Bend.

I've never been but its calling me too
I hope to make it out there in the next few years for a DS trip like I keep reading about and maybe take some pics like these myself.
first things first, gotta get a DS bike

 

[Bear on a bicycle]

 

[Tourmeister]

My problem is that I don't have the call to settle in any one place. I have a DEEP urge to go everywhere!! To make matter worse, our lifespans are so pathetically short, I'll never even get a chance to scratch the surface

 

[humanrace]

I'm with you Tourmeister. I keep checking things off my bucket list but it keeps getting longer and I continue to have less time to finish it.

My next goal is to go back to BB. I went there in 1970 but only took 3 pictures. I'm not sure why but, I think that my marine corp pay of $21.00 per week didn't allow much money for film buying and I was on a 12 day ride from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC to California.

 

[Stromboy]

Elzi is very in tune with Mother Earth. When it speaks to her she doesn't just listen and hear, she feels it. I'm happy for you Elzi. Welcome home.

Randy

 

[TexasShadow]

My problem is that I don't have the call to settle in any one place. I have a DEEP urge to go everywhere!! To make matter worse, our lifespans are so pathetically short, I'll never even get a chance to scratch the surface

I never have 'settled' in one place. I'm a nomad and I always will be. But I need to have a base, a place where I can call Home; a place to return to when I'm tired and weary, a place to rejuvenate the energy before going forth again. A place where the circle ends and begins. The Big Bend area is it.

Elzi is very in tune with Mother Earth. When it speaks to her she doesn't just listen and hear, she feels it. I'm happy for you Elzi. Welcome home.

Randy

You are one of the few that know and understand.
When someone asked me why I didn't want to go home, my reply was "I don't want to leave Home."
I have a few possibilities cooking. I'll keep you updated.

I'm sorry we didn't get out to your place this time. There never seems to be enough time to do all I want there. Soon there will be.

BTW, I'm grateful to you for introducing me to my Home.

 

[TexasShadow]

Letter From Camp

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,
Here I am at
Campo Desert Rat.
Camp is very entertaining
And we have all the fun with no complaining.

Don't take me home,
I promise I'll ride all my bikes,
And fill in between with more hikes.
Because now I blend in with the freaks;
I've been here two whole weeks!

This trip was not just about riding bikes. It was much more than that. In fact, I didn't ride as much as I could have. When I did, it was awesome. (except for the Bad Day in Moon Valley sand when Lizard Brain took hold and kept yelling about broken digits. But, well, when you fall down in deep sand half a dozen times, you start laughing uncontrollably.)

This trip was more than just riding bikes. It was peeling away the layers to learn and know more about the land, times, history, and people. I hiked and explored canyons, caves, desert trails, washes, arroyos, hillsides, mountains, old ruins, renovated ruins, new homes built of rocks, sand and straw, and all that glitters is not gold.

I saw, smelled and touched natural history from thousands of years ago -sea creatures embedded in rock over a thousand feet above modern sea level, layers of ancient sediments and dust, colored rock formations that folded upon itself to look like petrified velvet cloth, thousands of stars carpeting the sky above us, and the ever-changing painting on the desert mountains and basins with the palette of the sun.

I met local people that live a life in the desert thriving on variety, flexibility, self-reliance and sustainability. These are the real people that form the backbone of small communities in places like these -the desert, the backwoods of the north, etc. The common thread is survival. Just as they are independent and self-reliant, they are also connected together with a bond of community; they help each other. This is where humanity shines.

I also met other travelers from odd places, places I've lived and grew up in: New York, Maine, Oregon. And fellow travelers from other places: Alaska, Illinois, England...... Something about Big Bend seems to bring out the best in most visitors, perhaps establishing a common bond.

This trip wasn't just about riding a bike. It was so much more. It was a opportunity to become more intimate with everything -natural and human- and to re-enforce that which is precious: the environment and friendships. It reminds us what we can do without, what is necessary and what is frivolous. The contrasts between life in such remote and primitive places reminds us what is important. And what is not.

When you find the road that takes you to the center of the beating heart, take it. You'll find you are already there.

 

[poser]

FANTASTIC pics, and good thoughts!
makes me want to go to big bend even more

 

[klrno2]

Will there be more to this thread? Please?

I love the Big Bend area too, although it frightens me like no other land.


I know the feeling of 'home' in a place that isn't home. My 'home' is the Texas hillcountry, down amongst the fragrant cedars, warm, limestone lined creeks and rivers, blue skies above with heat pulsing on the horizon. Yeah.

 

[gotdurt]

I never have 'settled' in one place. I'm a nomad and I always will be. But I need to have a base, a place where I can call Home; a place to return to when I'm tired and weary, a place to rejuvenate the energy before going forth again. A place where the circle ends and begins. The Big Bend area is it.

That was why I so loved living in Phoenix. Besides Arizona being such an amazing and diverse place itself, it's also a short day's drive from Mexico, Baja, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, etc...

I love BB too, partially because it reminds me so much of "home"

 

[MotoMarkDFW]

Some friends and I go to Big Bend every January since 2004. We are leaving Friday morning and coming back Monday. It is a great place and something I need at least once a year. Has anyone been down there recently? I know that the river road (FM 170) has a detour west of Lajitas that goes through Big Bend Ranch SP. I was wondering how it is for 2 wheels? It supposedly is a 14 mile detour due to 2 miles of 170 washed out (link below). Sounds like a drag to me.

http://www.bigbendgazette.com/blog/_archives/2008/10/7/3920276.html

 

[gotdurt]

Elzi, have you done the South Rim hike? A couple of years ago I hiked out alone and camped on the rim for 2 nights... once I got a couple miles away from the basin, I didn't see another soul until I returned. It was an awesome experience.

 

[Voni]

Some friends and I go to Big Bend every January since 2004. We are leaving Friday morning and coming back Monday. It is a great place and something I need at least once a year. Has anyone been down there recently? I know that the river road (FM 170) has a detour west of Lajitas that goes through Big Bend Ranch SP. I was wondering how it is for 2 wheels? It supposedly is a 14 mile detour due to 2 miles of 170 washed out (link below). Sounds like a drag to me.

http://www.bigbendgazette.com/blog/_archives/2008/10/7/3920276.html

That was a drag. NOW the detour is 1.8 miles of graded rock in decent shape. Not a worry on most bikes.

Enjoy!!

Voni
sMiling who rode over it today

 

[TexasShadow]

A Day in Terlingua Desert

Teaser:

Stay Tuned Tomorrow........

 

[TexasShadow]

Will there be more to this thread? Please?

I love the Big Bend area too, although it frightens me like no other land.

The area is one of those places that people love or hate. For various reasons. Several of the reasons I love it are the same why people hate it. Or fear it. In addition to the wildness and rawness, the ugly and the beauty co-exist; it's a balance. Perhaps it is also the challenges which I thrive on.

Elzi, have you done the South Rim hike? A couple of years ago I hiked out alone and camped on the rim for 2 nights... once I got a couple miles away from the basin, I didn't see another soul until I returned. It was an awesome experience.

Sounds wonderful! I have not yet hiked the Chisos and it was not an option this past trip. My foot and ankle still limit my hiking and climbing, more than I sometimes acknowledge. I already suffered a major set-back by pushing it too much. I am now more cautious in returning to my normal activities; slower progression. But I hope that next time I can do more hikes, of which the Chisos trails (and camping) are priority (and a rafting trip!).

I might touch bases with you before I do for some suggestions.

 

[TexasShadow]

A Day in Terlingua Desert

A Day in Terlingua Desert​

Hey.

Hey. What shall we do today?

Long pause. Heck if I know. Sit and look at this sunrise for starters.

Gotcha.

Now, is that awesome, or what?!

That must be one big mule for its ears to be sticking up like that.

Snicker

We gonna get some rain?

Don’t know. Those clouds are sure low.

Looks like it’s sunny in Mexico. Want to go to Mexico?

I’m having a hard time moving anywhere right now.

I know what you mean.

There’s that scalloped plateau again. Funny how the top is scalloped that way.

Yeah. Don’t know how that happened. Looks almost like ripples. Petrified hard ripples. Oh, I know. Giant whoops. Yeah.

Need a darned big bike for those whoops.

Heheh. Want to ride the twisty gravel ribbon up there today?

Sure.

Dang. I sure hate to leave this front row seat with a view like this.

What does Odie say about today? Let’s go ask.

Odie says go for a hike in Long Draw. Get your boots on. We’re going for a walk.

Many minutes of hiking and exploring over hills and down into the draw. Eventually.

Wow; this is cool! Look, coyote tracks everywhere. Are those deer tracks?

What kind of rocks are these? Ouch! Danged creosote bushes. Watch where you squat; those cactus thorns will jump right out and getcha.

Ouch!!!!

Hey, look! It’s the cliff of Reed Plateau! Wow! It sure looks a heck of a lot bigger from here.

This draw is neat. No wind, too. Check out all this pebble stuff. I bet this is fun to ride on.

I don’t think I’d like to be down here when it rains hard…….

Whoah, look at these massive cliffs! And all the layers. What is all that?

Limestone, sandstone, sediments, dunno for sure. But this was the bottom of a large sea long before……well, a heck of a long time ago. Check out these fossils of shells.

Hey, listen. Hear what I hear?

Dudes! They’re riding down the draw bed!

Yup. And they’re still in one piece.

Hey, want to join us explore this canyon? Check out the basins here.

Not sure I’d want to be standing here when a flood of water rages through.

No, but it would be cool to watch it from the top. Then go for a swim. Maybe.

I’d like to sleep out on one of these shelves for a night. Set up a mattress and a bag. Now that would be awesome.

Yeah. And you’ll be cat food.

Hey, check this out! A cave! Let’s go!

Very cool! I mean that literally, ya know.

Smart butt.

Hey, we need a light. I can’t see where I’m going.

Wait. I have a flash on the camera. Let me try that.

AUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

BATS!!!!!!!!

Duck!

Whew. I think it stops there. What’s that stuff?

Can of beer and someone’s clothes. Must have had a wild night.

Man, I’d sure like more time to hike this canyon all the way to Terlingua Creek. Another time, I guess.

Mike, what are you doing?

Taking a nap.

Smile, guys!

Check this out! Veins of quartz. Awesome! Looks like liquid dripping off the cliff wall.

Man, look at that. I’m tellin’ ya. This is awesome here. I don’t want to leave.

You going to be a hermit in this canyon, too?

You guys don’t know what you missed! We found basins, caves, bats, and……. No, really!

Do we have to go now? Pout

I don’t know how I skimmed on the top of this stuff but as long as my front wheel stayed afloat…..

Well, it was here, see; and then here, and……

Bats? You guys are batty.

Well, there he goes. He makes that look just too danged easy.

Let’s get back before we become cat food. I’m hungry enough to eat a bat.

A howl –or two- in the night.

Goodnight, Moon. Goodnight, Desert. 'Evening, Coyote.

 

[ed29]

One heck of a trip.....

Over too soon........

Can't wait to get back. Better yet just to go and stay.

 

[dfwscotty]

Thanks Elzi....never one to disappoint!

Looking forward to more.

 

[beemerchef]

Nice to have met you finally Elzi...

And yet so much more to experience... swimming hole... closed canyon...
I am sure you will soon...
Be well... Ara & Spirit

 

[TexasShadow]

And yet so much more to experience... swimming hole... closed canyon...
I am sure you will soon...

Not soon enough, but I'll be back. I'm sorry we didn't get to explore the natural pool you mentioned. Save it for next time?

You have no idea how welcome your stew was after my hike in the state park. It was tasty, warm and hit the spot. I was tempted to curl in a ball beside Spirit and take a nap. Thanks for the meal and conversation.

I thought about you today during a dialogue in my head on how our natural environment affects us, and our personal preferences for the same: what makes us choose where we live, our surroundings. Recall we touched on that briefly at your 'Oasis'. I need to be in or close to mountains or canyons. It's more than a 'preference', but an inexplicable psychological 'need'. You are comfortable and content in your 'Oasis' in the basin, whereas I would feel too 'open' and vulnerable. The contrasts in our preferences are interesting. I'm curious why we (universal 'we') feel more 'at home' in certain environments and not others. (although I know that familiarity, aka where one was born and raised, is a large contribution)

I've been pondering these tendencies for several years (I am an incurable mountain and canyon junkie), and an article reporting some research on subliminal influence of one's surroundings tickled the curiosity cat in my head. It would have been fun to discuss this more around your comfy campfire.

Have a good trip and be safe, both of you.

 

[TexasShadow]

Beauty and the Beast

The country, elements, and life are harsh, raw and wild.

"The country isn't bad. It's just worse. Worse the moment you set foot from the train, and then, after that, just worser and worser." So wrote a camera man after visiting Big Bend just after the raids on Glenn Springs in 1916. ("The Little Punitive Expedition into the Big Bend," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 78, 1975. Full text here.)

"Yet then there is the gentle side of the Big Bend, the magical and beautiful land that I and my Mexican and American friends know," wrote Wilfred Smithers who spent much of his life documenting life on the border in the early 1900's.

An old forgotten cowboy explains it just like it is: "You go south from Fort Davis until you come to the place where rainbows wait for rain, and the big river is kept in a stone box, and water runs uphill. And the mountains float in the air, except at night, when they go away to play with the other mountains."

Big Bend is indeed a jewel not only in the Texas desert, but inside and outside of all of us. Perhaps its the land that time forgot. And we can't forget.

 

[klrno2]

*sigh*