Zebulon Montgomery Pike Trail to Red River, Mexico Journey 1807

Day 26: October 23rd, 2003 Big Bend National Park (Old Ore Road)

Today I am awake way earlier. As I don’t have to pack everything together, I am already just past eight at breakfast. This time I take the buffet. The selection is really great. I am only missing some toast. Instead you can have small pancakes, which are really good.

After breakfast I pay and leave the room. When I pass the reception I remember, that I wanted to ask where they are planning to put me in for the last night. Lucky me I am asking: They reserved the same type of Lodge Unit, where I spent the first night! Absolutely no way!

The girl at the reception really had to search for a long time. But eventually I receive the last room in the Casa Grande Motor Inn. This is the most expensive one, but I don’t care. Main thing is that I am able to get some sleep!

Basin Junction Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Basin Junction Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

After this successful start I drive back down to the main park road. The trip of yesterday was so short, that I used only a very small amount of my gas, even after using 4WD. So I save the time for the gas station and drive over to the visitor center at Panther Junction. There I buy a more precise map of this area. When I am traveling in this area, I should be able to locate where I am.

The map you receive at the entrance station is okay if you are only traveling on paved roads. But if you hit hiking trails, you are not able to reasonably judge distances. The map of $10 is quite expensive. But it is very precise.

When I am back at my car, I first clean my windshield. As I have skipped the gas station, I have to do this now in the parking lot. But beside me is parking a Jeep, whose owner does the same. With a freshly cleaned windshield I am driving to the Dagger Flat Trail, where also the Old Ore Road starts. They suggested at the visitor center at my first visit to drive this road from north to south, because of the better views. Exceptionally I take this time their advice.

Fossil Bone, Big Bend National Park, TX

On my way to Dagger Flat Road I pass an excavation site, where they found dinosaur bones. There I make a brief stop and use the opportunity for some pictures and video. When I am doing my video taping, the next visitors arrive — unfortunately tourists in the most negative sense. So I hurry up to get out of here.

I continue to the Dagger Flat Trail branch. The gravel road is really good and even drive–able with a regular passenger car, if you are a little bit careful. At the end you arrive at a big loop of several miles. This loop encompasses a big palm area — absolutely amazing. Then I drive back to the Old Ore Road branch.

Dagger Flat Trail, Big Bend National Park, TX

Dagger Flat Trail, Big Bend National Park, TX

Dagger Flat Trail, Big Bend National Park, TX

Dagger Flat Trail, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

This road is way worse to drive on. You should only travel this road with an SUV. But the landscape is fantastic. You are crossing plenty of washes and drive through dried out river beds up along ridges on small hills and down into the plane. But the progress is really slow.

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Therefore I have to skip my hiking again, but this time all of my hiking. I soon switched into 4WD to prevent my automatic transmission from running hot with these low speeds.

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Around noon I make lunch brake on top of one of these hills. From there you have great views of the big bend area. And in the background you see the Chisos Mountains range. Two apples later I continue my journey. The road takes me again through dried out river beds and over small ridges and hill.

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Again and again I pass rock falls. There would also start one of my planned hiking trails. But due to the late hour and my average speed until now, which will most likely be around 5mph, I decide to continue without hiking.

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

But even then I use the opportunity to do some outside video taping of my passing car. This is only possible, when there is not a lot of traffic around. All in all I have to set up my video camera, walk back to my car, pass the camera, walk back to my camera and mount it back in my car. For one video taping it’s easy too lose around 20 minutes. But if you see the video taping afterwards it is definitely worth the invested time. You get a much better impression of the road, as if you video tape from the inside of your car.

Old Ore Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

After several hours the paved road is back in sight. It takes me a couple of miles in parallel to this road, until the Old Ore Road units with the main Park Route 12. Despite it is almost 5pm I still want to drive the road up to Boquillas Canyon.

Boquillas Canyon Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

I drive through a short tunnel, the only one in the park. Past this tunnel is an exit, where you have nice views of the Rio Grande and down into Mexico.

Boquillas Crossing, Rio Grande, Big Bend National Park, TX

Boquillas Crossing, Rio Grande, Big Bend National Park, TX

A couple of miles further is a second exit, which goes down to the former Boquillas Crossing. In the past it was easily possible to walk over to Mexico and visit the small village over there. Even today you see at the movies in the Visitor Center at Persimmon Gap how people have crossed the river here. Also the small village was happy about all the income from all the tourists. But a couple of years ago all border crossings within this area was prohibited. Today you can only video tape the village from the hills.

Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend National Park, TX

Then I drive back to the main road and to the end of this road. From there a hiking path leads into the canyon, which I follow a short distance up to the small ridge. From there I have the chance to get some nice pictures and videos from the Rio Grande. But now I have to return.

Basin Junction Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

Basin Junction Road, Big Bend National Park, TX

I would have loved to hike further into the canyon. But it’s almost past six and I still have to drive back up into the Basin. I assume, I will have to drive almost an hour up to there. And I am not really bad with my estimation. When I arrive at the basin, I already need my head lights.

I just put my stuff back into my room, then I walk over to the restaurant for dinner. Even at this late hour of a quarter to eight there are still a lot of people there. I hope, I will still get something to eat, because they are officially only open until 8pm. But this is only for the entrance time.

I pay around half past eight and walk back to my room. Also today I will have a coffee at my room. Looking at more than two hours of video taping, this is more than necessary. The video taping of this day is really great, especially the ones, where I pass my camera. Around half past eleven I have eventually finished the checking of my taping and I make myself ready for bed. Also today I fall dog–tired into my bed…