2006/01 Southwest USA trip (MN-TX) - South Leyva, Big Bend Ranch |
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We hiked out to Cinco Tenaja, a canyon with many springs and five water holes (tenajas) that stay wet even in the worst droughts. The downside of these tenajas is that the rock around them is very smooth and it becomes extremely slick when wet. Animals, trying to drink, slide in and then drown, as they can’t get out.
We were heavily dressed against the cold and it was just as well as the cacti in this area seem to have especially long spines, some of them 3 inches long. We also found a new shrub, a kind of super gorse, covered in ‘orrible long thorns.
We came to Saucedo, site of the original Big Bend Ranch, and now a guest house and ranger station, but it seemed to be closed up so we moved on. We drove to the end of the road, passing three guys in blaze orange, the only people we’d seen all day. The last stop on the road is at a view of the caldera of the ancient volcano Solitario. It’s one of those views best seen from an airplane as it’s hard to manage the scale from ground level. From there onwards the road became a track of boulders, so we turned around and headed back.
We took the Llano Loop, a somewhat iffy road with lots of holes. It took us past a grove of cottonwoods, a rare sight in the desert. It looked like a good area to camp, but we couldn’t find a spot that was both flat and didn’t block the road. There was plenty of room in the stream bed, but camping there wouldn’t have been too clever.
Then we found ourselves back at Saucedo and this time the ranger was at home. He told us we weren’t supposed to be in 
certain areas as the park was open to quail hunting. I don’t think the hunting can be too difficult, as I managed to shoot this one! (see picture). The ranger back at Fort Leaton should have told us about the hunting. For a department with 22 staff and only two camping customers they seemed to be a little disorganized. However, he gave us the good news that we were welcome to use the showers in the Saucedo building. He was the one who told us the meaning of “papalote”, explaining that the addition of “ito” or “ita” to a word means “little”. I was about to ask about the relationship of “burrito” to “burro” but thought better of it. I guess it makes about as much sense as “hot dog”!
The ranger had suggested that we camp at South Leyva, out of the hunting zone. It was a good choice, a very scenic spot, with cliffs behind us, and facing out across the plain. It was still windy and promised to be a coldnight. Apart from the quail hunters, most of whom were staying at the lodge, we still seemed to be the only campers in the park.