Map
Here is the map of the next five areas we explored in Big Bend. They are: 6. The climb to Balanced Rock (blue dot), 7. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, 8. Sotol Vista, 9. Santa Elena Canyon, and 10. The ghost town of Terlingua, Texas.
6. Balanced Rock
The trail to see the Balanced Rock was not what we expected. Our plan was to hike to Balanced Rock and then move on to see Window Rock. However, Balanced Rock was a bit more complicated. In the end, I’m glad we challenged ourselves and made it to the top. We did not see Window Rock. We were too tired!
To get to Balanced Rock, we rode seven miles down the rocky Grapevine Road.
This trail looks harmless, right? It’s a one-mile hike to Balanced Rock with an 83-foot elevation. We could easily manage that.
A little rocky so far, but not hard.
At the end of the 83-foot elevation, the the trail goes up.
And up.
And up.
Mike climbs up easily. I am slow and cautious. He had to pull me up several times.
We saw interesting vegetation. The only animal we saw was a roadrunner. I tried to capture a picture of him, but he ran down the road.
Balanced Rock is up there – somewhere…..
At this point, I almost gave up, but Mike wouldn’t continue unless I did. So, I did. Surprisingly, I found it easier to climb up these rocks than to step up and down on the loose rocks going up the trail. The Balanced Rock is around the corner of these rocks, and you walk around on the edge. We made it.
At least it was winter, and we brought water and hiking poles. Physically, we were better prepared rather than mentally, LOL. We’ve been on long hikes during our 40 years of camping, but these southerners have not climbed this much. It took us a long time to complete the hike. The reasons being, I am slow, and Mike stops to take a lot of pictures.
7. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
The next day, the alteration to the trail we were planning to take happened because I forgot to tell Mike to turn. Oops! Instead of ending with a visit to Terlingua, we ended up there first. It worked out, anyway. We couldn’t visit Chisos Basin this trip, but you must leave something unseen for next time.
For this blog, I am presenting it in the order as it appears on the map. These are scenes from the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
8. Sotol Vista
As we drove along Ross Maxwell, we noticed the predominance of rock layers and white, sandy-looking sections.
Sotol Vista Overlook has a turnout point with storyboards explaining the terrain.
Notice the ‘white sand’ areas on the mountains in these photographs.
Millions of years of volcanic activity.
According to the storyboards, Big Bend was an area of active volcanos for millions of years. This formed the layers of rock you can see in the mountains. The picture below of Cerro Castellan (Castolon Peak) is a good example. The white rock layer is ‘tuff’, which is hardened volcanic ash. The dark layer is basaltic (rapidly cooled lava) volcanic rock. The white rock layer is the ‘tuff’. The top layer above it is lava.
Some of the tuff has not hardened as in the next picture, which Mike demonstrated.
9. Santa Elena Canyon
The cliffs rising 1500 feet on either side of the Rio Grande banks make up the Santa Elena Canyon. During the years of volcano activity in Big Bend, the eruptions in the Terlingua Fault formed the canyon. Rushing waters during the flood season chip away at the canyon walls. The storyboard at the entrance to the riverbank from the parking lot further explains:
The deepest channel of the Rio Grande is the international boundary, with each half of this canyon protected by a national park. The southern side belongs to the Area Protegida del Canon de Santa Elena (Mexico) and the northern side is within the Big Bend National Park (USA).
We took this photo standing on the beach of the Santa Elena Canyon area of the Rio Grande. Several tourists were playing in the water. Mike put his hand in and took it out quickly. The water was cold.
These waters look calm, but the nearby storyboard explained that during the flood season, “ Like liquid sandpaper, the swift current files away at Santa Elena’s hard limestone cutting it deeper.” The canyon is a popular place to canoe or kayak. The story board continues to describe the canyon is eight feet long, 1500 feet deep and, in some places, the bottom is only 30 feet wide.
10. The Ghost Town of Terlingua, Texas
Terlingua, Texas was once a flourishing mercury mining town until the 1940’s when the mine closed. It is considered a ghost town, but it is not deserted. A little over 100 people still live there. I was a little disappointed to see it becoming more of a tourist destination on one hand while admiring the residents’ tenacity to keep their town going.
A storyboard described life in Terlingua as hard at times. The landscape was harsh, mining work was dangerous, but the people of the town were busy and forward thinking. One long-time resident said, they made their own fun. I think that is why the ‘ghost town’ is still thriving.
It is probably a fun place to spend two or three days. There are several restaurants, souvenir shops, artists’ stores, bars, restaurants, a campground, and Airbnb’s, of which several more are under construction on the outskirts of town.
Starlight Café
We stopped at the famous Starlight Cafe, but didn’t go in. It was early in the day, so the café was closed.
Terlingua Cemetery
Our favorite part of Terlingua was exploring the cemetery. (By this time, I assume you have figured out that Mike and I appreciate exploring cemeteries. We are not afraid of ghosts.)
The End of this Chapter in our Journey
Big Bend National Park was our introduction to the Southwestern most part of the United States. The terrain and vegetation was different from other areas in the country we have lived and visited. Most exciting was the evenings we spent outside our camper enjoying the dark skies and the multitude of stars.