SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: Like gigantic mythical sea serpents encased in an ocean of sand, dirt, rock and cacti, lava vents run across the face of this country, traveling hither and yon in every direction. These natural anomalies, sometimes bordering on the surreal,…

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: When many people first come to this country, they tend to believe it is a young land mostly untouched and undiscovered by man. Something inherent to the desert and these mountains excite the imagination, causing one to feel as…

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: Like the body of a giant serpent moving to and fro on a north-south axis, Ernst Valley stretches from the river all the way to the southern slopes of Telephone Canyon. Calling it a ‘valley’ is somewhat of a…

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: Avery Canyon empties into the Tornillo a bit east of the park road between Persimmon Gap and Panther Junction. From there the chasm works its way into the higher ground to the south, forming a watershed from Grapevine Hills...

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: They oftentimes say the true joy and spirit of a journey is not found in one’s destination, but in the journey itself. Some have gone on to remark that one’s walk through life follows along the same path, though…

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: Every trail has a story, and in a land as grand as this there are plenty of stories and attending trails to tell them. Some of these paths are still well kept by the National Park Service, and some…

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: Of all the hidden gems in near plain sight throughout this vast desert landscape is Pine Canyon, tucked in the northeastern high slopes of the Chisos range. Though possessing a good high clearance road and park maintained trail for...

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: Up from Croton Spring, between the two branches that fork off the attending arroyo, sits a low pass joining these two watersheds. To this day remnants of old trails can be found running hither and yon in this area,…

SOMEWHERE IN THE LOWER BIG BEND: When summer comes to this unforgiving land, the wary and wise adjust their sojourning accordingly. Even the wildlife does so, and they know their challenging environment better than any man. They lay up during the day more, and those…