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About the
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John Osaki's Blog
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 March 18-24, 2012 Plan your arrival in El Paso, Texas for March 18 Plan your departure from El Paso for March 24  Printable version of itinerary Chisos Mountains Slide Show  Celebrate the end of winter with this sun-charged, early spring hiking getaway to the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park, Texas! Big Bend National Park is one of our "mainline" national parks, and at over eight hundred thousand acres is larger than better-known Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks.
Big Bend National Park encompasses a series
of compact mountain ranges surrounded by the expanse of the Chihuahuan
Desert. The park's highlands are crowned by the peaks of the Chisos
Mountains which author Edward Abbey once described as "an emerald isle in a red sea."
March is when the spring bloom begins in the Big Bend country. It's a special moment in the park when cacti and
other desert plants display their floral finery. Beautifully constructed
trails lead into the cool, mountain landscapes of the high Chisos; in
March the summer's heat is only distant promise. |
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Day 1 Overnight in Van Horn Dinner included Travel by vehicle eastward from El Paso to the small west Texas town of Van Horn. Enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant. |
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Lunch under wisteria, Alpine, TX. |
Day 2 Overnight in Big Bend National Park Breakfast & dinner included Head south from Van Horn bound for Big Bend National Park. En route, pass through the west Texas towns of Marfa and Alpine both of which boast beautifully restored art-deco buildings. Weather permitting, enjoy lunch al fresco under a flowery arbor in Alpine at one of the best restaurants in west Texas. Then continue to the Chisos Mountain Lodge in the heart of Big Bend National Park where you'll spend the next four evenings. Set off a late afternoon hike along the Lost Mine Trail to Crown Mountain--a perfect introduction to hiking in the Chisos Mountains at a perfect time of the day! |
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Claret cup cactus in bloom! |
Day 3 Overnight in Big Bend National Park Breakfast, lunch & dinner included From the lodge, hike a well-built trail to a gap in the ring of mountains that encircle the Chisos Basin. Known as the Window, this gap (or "pour-off" in local parlance), serves as the funnel through which all the waters of the Chisos Basin drain to the desert flats below. A longer hiking option allows you to ascend along the Oak Springs Trail into the Chisos Basin via the Window. Either way, this evening enjoy the view of sunset seen through the Window from the Chisos Mountain Lodge--an iconic Big Bend experience! |
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Day 4 Overnight in Big Bend National Park Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Descend from the Chisos Basin to explore the landscapes at the base of the Chisos Mountains. Hike to Mule Ear Spring, a lush oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert. Blooming ocotillos and yuccas add a splash of color to the landscape. Continue further to a vantage point that provides a close-up view of the distinctive volcanic pinnacles known as the Mule Ear Peaks. Later, travel by vehicle to the park's western portion for a short exploration of the Santa Elena canyon where the Rio Grande emerges from between limestone cliffs towering up to 1,500 feet above the river. Return to the Chisos Mountain Lodge for the evening. |
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Day 5 Overnight in Big Bend National Park Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Today, set off on what is perhaps the finest hike in the Chisos Mountains. Ascend the Laguna Meadows Trail to reach the South Rim escarpment where you'll enjoy one of the most expansive vistas in the national park system. Enjoy a sweeping 180 degree view over the "big bend" of the Rio Grande. To the east rise the ramparts of the Sierra del Carmen while far to the west you can pick out the deep cleft of the Santa Elena Canyon. To the north, pine-clad Emory Peak, the highest peak in Big Bend National Park, dominates the scene. The trail ambles for awhile along the edge of the South Rim offering non-stop views before descending the aptly-named Boot Canyon. Loop back to the Chisos Basin on the Pinnacles Trail. For a shorter but superbly scenic hiking option, you could instead choose the hike to the summit of Emory Peak where far-ranging views await! The slopes of Emory Peak shelter one of the southernmost stands of quaking aspen in the U.S. |
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Hotel lobby, Alpine, TX. |
Day 6 Overnight in Alpine Breakfast, lunch & dinner included Depart the Chisos Basin this morning heading north toward Persimmon Gap. Hike into the canyon of the Devil's Den, a narrow cleft in the Santiago Mountains. A walk along the rim of the Devil's Den brings you to an overlook of Dagger Flat at the northern end of the Sierra del Carmen. Bid adieu to the landscapes of Big Bend National Park, and travel by vehicle north to the town of Alpine where you'll overnight in a restored, historic hotel. A farewell dinner tonight features upscale "cowboy cuisine." |
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Brown-flowered cactus (Echinocereus chloranthus) in bloom. |
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Day 7 Breakfast included Depart Alpine this morning to head back to El Paso via the town of Fort Davis. |
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Other Details about this Trip
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All photos on this page are by John Osaki. |
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© Mountain
Hiking Holidays, Inc. |
