Big Bend NP part 2

 Big Bend NP - installment 2

I finally gave up trying to post from the road, and waited until I got home, then of course I got busy, but here we go.

Thursday 2/22/24

After hiking the Pine Canyon Trail, I headed about seven miles back out to pavement. Have I mentioned that everything in BBNP is a long drive, 45 mph is the speed limit on pavement and typically I’m driving 25 - 30 mph on the primitive roads, with some rough spots where I slow to 5 mph or less. The park consists of 1,200 square miles, the state of RI is 1,214 square miles.

Once I am back on the pavement, I head to park HQ at Panther Jct to top off water before driving 7 mies down Grapevine Hills Road, a primitive road, to the trailhead for Balanced Rock. It’s a flat 1.8 mile hike through the desert to reach the quarter mile scramble through some jumbled rocks to reach Balance Rock, so 4 miles round trip. I met an older couple from Holland, who had just left the end of the trail and were hiking down. As per my norm, I chatted them up and discovered that she had a total knee replacement four months ago. She was moving slow but doing it. You GO GIRL !!!

                                                                Balanced Rock

Thursday nite was spent at Paint Gap 2 primitive roadside campsite, uneventful, with an easy meal. 

                                                    Paint Gap 2 Campsite

Friday morning I relaxed and cooked myself a real breakfast before getting a very late start, then heading out to the pavement and the trailhead for Cattail Canyon Trail to Cattail Falls. This trail is no longer publicized by the Park Service. If you ask about it, the staff may say they are not sure which trail you are taking about, it’s not on the park map, which is fine by me until someday I forget how to find it. There are two hikes from the trailhead, one goes to Cattail Falls, the other to Oak Springs and then climbs to the window. Both of these springs are part of the fragile water infrastructure, which is my guess as to the lack of information. The park hasn’t closed access, but the parking lot is 1.5 miles from the original trailhead and there are no signs pointing to the trail. The benefit of this is that I only saw 8 people on the trail and none of them were at the pool of water while I was there. I had a very relaxing half hour lunch sitting on a rock, at the base of the falls, which was only a trickle. 

                                                The pool at the base of Cattail Falls

                                                            Cattail Falls

I have to admit, I’ve been slack hiking most days, only logging 4-6 miles a day, but given the driving distances between some of my favorite hikes, that’s okay, I’ve had relaxing mornings and am usually back in camp by 3 pm to get cleaned up before having a drink, relaxing, then cooking a nice dinner. It’s very peaceful in the primitive sites and I have already finished two of the three books I brought with me.

Saturday 2/24/24

It was 40 degrees when I woke Saturday morning. It was my last day in a primitive site, so I elected to just hang out, big breakfast, short walks on the primitive road, some reading. blogging and some logistic work for my Alaska trip this summer, more on that in a future blog. Cooked sautéed, lemon shrimp with garlic and olive oil angel hair pasta for dinner.

Tight Lines and Safe Travels