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We are in the same motel I was in
several years ago, only 2 doors down. This only means that it was closer
to the thing that was making the wind. Where is all this wind coming from?
At least it's not as cold as the last time, but it's still chilly. Forrest
is doing his imitation of a Popsicle. We layer up and head out for a busy
day, as soon as the train clears the road that is. |
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Highway 385 into Big Bend is gooooooood,
especially in the morning hours. You pass by several mountain ranges, one
of which had a set of clouds hovering around the summit. Charleton Heston
was rumored to be in the area.
Entrance to the park is $5.00 for motorcycles and a very friendly park
ranger sends us on our way. Big Bend, as my friend Brooks says, is BIG.
The park is over 800,000 acres and is the only park in the USA to contain
its own mountain range, the Chisos Mountains.. |
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We stop at the Panther Junction Visitor's Center
for some information on the back roads. Panther Junction sits at the base
of the Chisos Mountains which make for a great backdrop. |
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One of my favorite areas of the park is the
Chisos Basin and I highly recommend the lodge. Reservations well in
advance are required. We probably would have stayed here if we could have
got in. On the road to the basin I've seen deer, jack rabbits, coyotes,
bear and other assorted wildlife. Once at the basin you're surrounded by
mountains. The views are breathtaking. |
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Our plan for the day was to ride dirt,
especially the river road. This begins in the eastern part of the park
near the Rio Grande Village and comes out near the western edge of the
park. I was under the impression that the river was just south of the
Chisos Range. In reality, it is over 20 miles south of the mountains. The
"Big Bend" part of the river does not cut through a gorge, but
rather meanders through the desert. We wanted to check this out and also
the Mariscal Mine.
The road was tolerable for a big GS, but a smaller bike would have been
more fun and less work. At one time I had 1,000 pounds of bike, rider and
luggage going sideways down the road. The surface conditions were
difficult to judge as they went from loose gravel to sand to hardpack to
basketball sized boulders. |
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We made it to the mine which was founded in the
1920s. Mercury was their main product. Many of the stones in the area
contain mercury and are hazardous to pick up. With fluctuating quicksilver
prices the mine finally closed. |
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Per the suggestion of a ranger at
Panther Junction we head for the Loop Camp where the big bend is. The road
got worse. As I was powering out of a wash over a small rise I picked a
line that looked to have solid footing. Instead I got deep sand and
quickly slid out. Well, someone had to crash first. This was fairly
comical and I immediately started laughing hysterically. Yeah, sure, that
was solid. Forrest and I righted the bike with no harm done. After all, I
did bring him for a reason.
Even though the spill was no big deal it did rob me of some confidence.
I don't fall on bad roads. Now I guess I do. Things moved slowly after
that, especially on the road to the Loop Camp. About 1 mile from the river
the road was closed for "Scenic Restoration." Why didn't the
ranger tell us that? That could have been useful.
We could see where the river should be due to the dense foliage, but we
couldn't see the water, nor could we get to it. To make things exciting, I
tried to pick a cactus flower. By the time we got all the spines out of
my fingers we were getting good with tweezers. |
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There is still 30 miles of
"dirt" ahead of us and the scenery was pretty bleak. The last 11
miles was the worst. I kissed the asphalt when we reached it.
This isn't my first trip to Big Bend, but I've never been to the Santa
Elena Canyon. On the Mexico side of the river sheer cliffs frame the
river. At the canyon, the river turns south through steep rock walls. This
is what I envisioned for the whole river, especially the big bend. Instead
it's a small part. If you visit, take the walk up to the overlook. It's
steep, but it's worth it. |
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Well, we're tired and hungry so we head to
Presidio and pick up Highway 170 in Study Butte. This road passes through
Big Bend State Park and might be the best motorcycle road in the US. There
are more curves than you can count, a bunch of dips and outstanding
scenery. The only downside are the blind curves and blind hills.
Otherwise, the pavement has always been good. |
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We hit Presidio and the 3 Palms Motel. Forrest
and I fight over the shower, eat dinner and do motel laundry. Motel
Laundry consists of Woolite, a sink and a clothes line. Forrest is already
asleep and I'm fading fast. Tomorrow, Mexico! |
