Because of the forecast for an afternoon windstorm today, we decided to go to Big Bend Ranch State Park instead of Big Bend National Park and just follow the road along the Rio not so Grande. The views, unlike the water flow in the river, were spectacular, and the drive before we actually entered the park felt like we were on another planet. At the top of a 15% grade that went through a notch in the bluff the wind was blowing so strongly we worried the storm started early. If these posts had a soundtrack you would be hearing the foreshadowing music right now. We pressed on, stopping occasionally to admire the view (hard to do while driving on a twisty and steep road) and take pictures.
We eventually hiked the Closed Canyon trail, so named because before you make it to the end they put up a sign that says Canyon Closed, out of order. Maybe not those exact words, but that’s the gist. So we turned around and went back which we knew we were going to do before we started, but we thought we’d have a spectacular vista as the canyon opened on the Rio not so Grande, or at least something scenic, not just a sign saying none shall pass at the turn around. The hike was great and I highly recommend it if you ever have the hankering to drive hundreds of miles into a wilderness of desolation far from any semblance of civilization, get out of your car, and go for a walk between two towering walls of rock that could collapse and crush you like a bug at any second. That’s what I call a great vacation.
When we started the hike the wind was just a pleasant breeze, when we came back out of the canyon the wind was a howling menace. It was before noon and the advisory was for 1PM, but in retrospect the advisory covered a large swath of Texas and New Mexico so maybe I can cut them some slack with the timing. We were presented with a couple of quandaries: to go on or turn back, and to eat in the car or find a scenic spot. Having driven in a wind storm in Alamogordo, we decided to turn back and discovered that by doing so we were actually getting ahead of the wind. We wound up eating in a roadside steel tipi that had a pleasant view but did not look to be bolted down (yes I checked, just because I’m retired doesn’t mean I stopped being an engineer).
We then spent some time in the Terlingua Ghost Town, which might refer to some old stone ruins, but definitely has a couple restaurants and a spacious gift shop. Yes, that makes twice now we’ve hit a tourist trap in a windstorm. Where else am I going to find lotion with a bourbon, tobacco, and leather scent – still smells good, faintly, hours later. While resting in a restaurant and hearing of the travails they went through during the Valentine’s Day winter storm, including six inches of snow, frozen pipes and loss of power, the lights flickered several times – cue that music again. When we returned to the hotel, you guessed it, no electricity. Life with just 3G and no WiFi is just not civilized, I have no idea how I survived the first 40 years of my life. The length of today’s post is in part explained by boredom, mine and hopefully if you’ve actually read this far not yours.
Just to set your mind at ease, the power came back on around the time I was describing lunch.
