Big Bend National Park (TX)

A last look at the cool pinnacle at Chisos Basin.

55. Lost Mine Ridge: Day Four (January 20) was my last at Big Bend, since my mini-vacation was nearly over and I had a plane to catch in San Antonio the next morning. I also had six hours’ worth of driving to do to get there. However, I calculated I could hike up the Lost Mine Trail, another park favorite, in the morning, and either stand on the high point of the ridge or possibly wander a half-mile over to a higher highpoint that would earn me at least one extra brownie point. Lost Mine Peak itself, was a much more challenging and committing hike with a 4^th class finish to the summit. It was appealing enough, but better saved (and safer) for a party of two or more. I enjoyed a breakfast buffet at the lodge, packed up the tent and headed to the trailhead.

I’d already been up the first mile of trail on Day One (for Casa Grande), so except for slowing down to ogle a few deer on the way up, I made good time reaching the saddle and chugged on. The ridge crest seemed like easy work, so perhaps the steady diet of daily hiking was already giving me some new strength. At the crest, I realized the sub-peak I’d noticed on the map required somewhat of a brush bash to get to. It did not look highly appetizing. Lost Mine Peak looked very appetizing, but no chance of that happening. I also noticed a cool-looking summit rock at the end of the official trail, so that would have to suffice. To make it more official, I carefully scooted up onto it, and stared down a substantial distance at the trees below my boots. I think the couple nearby were wondering the same thing I often wonder when I see someone getting a little too close to the edge. What is that crazy guy doing up there? On the way back I tagged another pile of rocks just in case it was higher than the first, though that did not seem to be the case.

I’d bagged five summits in four days, had a heck of a good time in a new-to-me national park, and enjoyed a brief hit of summer weather in January. As it turned out, my flight to DC the next day was cancelled due to a major snowstorm. But the delay was manageable and the next plane made it through, my first time actually landing in a snow storm. And just like magic, I was back in the frigid confines of a cold, cold winter on the east coast.
Miles (RT):  4.8 miles; elevation gain: 1,100 feet
Cumulative mileage and gain:  256.2 miles / 66,350 feet

On the way up Lost Mine Trail.

Glint of light on the "summit" rock.

Pac-man rock.

Summit rock.

Butt glued to said rock.

Dinosaurs liked this park too.

They found early mammal fossils here.

Warm Texas sunshine to home-sweet-home.

Big Bend National Park (TX)

Chisos Mountains.

54. “Croton Mountain”: Day Three at Big Bend (January 19) was to be a mellow one, a semi-rest day, though I hoped to still get up an easy summit somewhere. I’d set my sights on Cerro Castellan, a dramatic steep-walled peak visible from great distances across the desert. My research suggested there was a steep but doable scramble route up the east face, maybe 2-3 hours round trip. When I got there, it looked harder than I’d imagined and I let it go, fearful of breaking an ankle or bonking my bean or some other body part that might leave me stranded with no likely rescue. In hindsight, I now wish I’d given it a go and simply turned back if the going got tough. But I’d already burned up much of the day traipsing around the desert, visiting the narrows at Santa Elena and Tuff Canyons. If I was to bag a summit, there would be no time left for an alternate if Cerro Castellan didn’t go. So I moved on. What a wuss.

Driving north along the Ross Maxwell, I spied several small mesa-hills that I thought might do the trick, but most seemed either too small and dainty to count or too big and hulky to ascend in the time allotted. I finally landed at a little mountain next to Croton Spring, an easy walkup to be sure. I clambered up its 400-foot high eminence, which was like climbing a giant heap of loose bricks and baseballs (it was volcanic), and waved my sword at the top, decreeing Croton Mountain as my 54^th summit. I celebrated a couple hours later by ordering up a burger and brew at the Chisos lodge restaurant/bar and watching my Seattle Seahawks eke out a victory in the championship game against San Francisco.

Miles (RT):  1.0 miles; elevation gain: 400 feet
Cumulative mileage and gain:  251.4 miles / 65,250 feet

The Mules Ears.

Tuff Canyon.

Cerro Castellano.

El Cerro.

Castellano again.

Says 16 miles to Emory Peak, same that I walked that day!

Santa Elena.

Clever wood trail mats over soft sand.

Even the sign said Cerro Castellano was tuff.

This little guy was surely under 100 feet high.

So I picked this one instead, about 400 feet high (Croton).

Back at camp and another gorgeous sunset through The Window.

Big Bend National Park (TX)

53. South Rim Highpoints: After enjoying a sandwich and the views on the South Rim awhile, I figured I should get moving. I still had a good seven miles of walking to do. I wandered over to a high point toward the south end of the rim, then approached another point on the way back toward Emory. I made a short off-trail hike in light brush, partly along an intermittent boot trail to the gentle summit (Point 7395)—hardly a noteworthy accomplishment, although it was just far enough off the trail to get that lonely feeling again in mountain lion country. I tagged the summit and snapped a photo of Emory rising between the trees. As I headed down, I immediately lost the boot track and became briefly disoriented, but knew that as long as I moved eastward, I’d soon stumble on the trail, which I did after a short argument with some brush. I determined that two easy off-trail highpoints added up to one countable summit so I granted myself a second peak for the day. Seven to go. The scenic hike back to Chisos Basin passed below sunlit Emory and offered many more great views of the park. The miles slipped by like butter and I was back at my cozy tent well before dark.

Miles and elevation gain included below.

On the way to the South Rim.

Almost there.

Minor high point.

Emory Peak from a lonely high point.

Another view of Emory.

Emory Peak from the west.