Big Bend and Guadalupe Nat. Parks, Nov, 2016

By RandyNovember 24, 2016

Castolon Peak – Big Bend Nat Park, Nov 14, 2016

The colorful Castolon peak near the old town of Castolon in Big Bend. The tall succulents in the foreground are Ocotilla (Fouquieria splendens) the green leaves are only present when there is moisture in the soil (rain the day before). Img 61546 Castolon Bigbend

Santa Elena Canyon – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 14, 2016

The Rio Grande river cuts through the Santa Elena Canyon dividing Mexico (left side) from Texas (right side). The canyon walls are up to 1500ft high. The water is brown from the recent rain. Img 61577 Santaelena Bigbend

Sean and Karin – Pinnacles Trail, Big Bend, Nov 15, 2016

Sean and Karin on a flat section of the strenuous Pinnacles trail in the Chisos Mountains. The trail goes over the ridge in the center of the photo. Emory Peak is right above Sean. Img 61677 Pinnacles Bigbend

Bootsprings Canyon, Big Bend Nat Park, Nov 15, 2016

The canyon gets it’s name from the lava chimney that looks like an upside down cowboy boot. Img 61704 Bootspring Bigbend

Big Bend Nat Park, Nov 15, 2016

This young whitetail buck is getting a drink in Boot Canyon. The Carmen Mountains whitetail is one of the smallest subspecies of whitetail deer in North America and this herd stays in the isolated Chisos mountains. Img 61713 Canyontrail Bigbend

Texas Big Tooth Maples – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 15, 2016

The Texas Big Tooth maples were in full fall color in Boot Canyon. Img 61776 Canyontrail Bigbend

South Rim – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 15, 2016

After an elevation rise of 2,000ft and about 6.5 miles of hiking you get this view toward the north east from the south rim of the Chisos mountains. You can see the Sierra Del Carmen range on the right side of the photo (about 20 miles away). It is a drop of over 6000ft to the desert floor below. Img 61777 Srim Bigbend

South Rim – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 15, 2016

View along the south rim of the Chisos Mountain toward the east. You can see the V notch of Santa Elena Canyon in the ridge line on the left in the distance. This exit of the Santa Elena canyon is about 20 miles away. The left side is Mexico and the right side is Texas. Img 61798 Srim Bigbend

Emory Peak – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 15, 2016

A view of Emory Peak from the South Rim. At 7825ft, Emory is the highest point in Big Bend. Img 61804 Emerypk Bigbend

Casa Grande – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 15, 2016

Sunset on Casa Grande as taken from the Chisos Mountain Lodge. Img 61813 Casagrande Bigbend

Windows – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 16, 2016

We did the windows trail. The rain water and any snow melt travels down the basin to a window outlet and drops 220ft straight down to the desert floor below. The last 20 feet are as slick as greased glass from the eons of erosive polishing. Img 61870 Windows Bigbend

Windows Trail – Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 16, 2016

Lower portion of the Windows trail (about 5 miles round trip and a drop of 900feet). Img 61907 Windows Bigbend

TheÂ Chisos Mountains of Big Bend Nat Park – Nov 17, 2016

View of the isolated Chisos Mountains from the desert. The slightly elevated bump in the middle is Emory Peak. The barbed wire like plants in the foreground are Ocotillo (without the leaves). Img 62049 Chisos Bigbend

Texan Tarantula – Big Bend Nat Park, Nov 17, 2016

A Texan Tarantula (Mygale Hentzii) cruising down the white stripe of the road. We saw several of these guys but did not see the Tarantula Hawk, a big black wasp that paralyzes the spiders and lays eggs in them Img 62057 Bigbend

Slim Footed Agave – McKittrick Canyon – Nov 18, 2016

Found a Slim Footed Agave (Agave gracilipes) blooming in McKittrick Canyon of Guadalupe Nat Park. This is a hybrid of the Agave havardiana (Havard Century Plant) and Agave lecheguilla. Img 62102 Slim Footedagave Mckittrickcanyon

McKittrick Canyon of Guadalupe Nat Park – Nov 18, 2016

We went to McKittrick Canyon of Guadalupe National Park to see the Big Tooth Texas Maples in color. McKittrick Canyon was once owned by Wallace Pratt who donated the land to become Guadalupe National Park. Pratt worked as a geologist for Humble Oil. There is a nice stone cabin in the canyon once used as a summer home. Img 62103 Mckittrickcanyon