Big Bend Natl Park on March 6-8

[spidennis]

a gas can is always nice to have as stations are far and few between but there are several. Panther Junction inside the national park has gas, but the state park has none and it's a long way from anything. between the state and national parks is the town of terlingua and study butte and there's several stations there.

and dang it, I can't find my book or maps of big bend ......
and my gps doesn't show the roads inside the state park,
but i'm putting in some topos that will do the job.
I want to get up past the rock tower behind terlingua
and also get to the "top of the world".
Being solo I had to be a bit conservative.
I think I'll do a bit of google earth and see where
some of those slot canyons end at .........

[spidennis]

here's a little vista of the trees by the river at rio grande village.
I'm by the first little stop past the tunnel on the main pavement that goes from panther junction down to the village.

My first time I was in Big Bend was in 1980 when I was in the air force stationed in san angelo. I rode my bike on down. back then there was no panther junction. as I rode from the higher elevations near what became panther junction you can see the whole valley down to the river. It felt like I was really out in the middle of no where and I was low on gas. way, way, way off in the distance I could make out some sort of shack about 1/2 down into the valley. the closer I got the more abandoned it looked. it did have a gas pump but the place sure looked closed up, even as I opened the door. It opened? and there were people inside? and the pump actually worked? oh man was I relieved to say the least! I camped next to my bike on the ground under my poncho next to the trees by the river. there was no "rio grande village" back then and I never saw anyone else while I was there. On my way out of big bend and heading east out of marathon, my bike died in a place called "hell's half acre". I rode for 30 minutes out of town without seeing another car. It was all very quiet and still out in the middle of no where. The first car to come my way I flagged down while standing in the middle of the road, there were french tourists and didn't speak any english. I caught a ride back with them into marathon to the first gas station where a trucker overheard my story as I was telling it to others. He was carrying a backhoe on his rig and told me he'd give me a ride and we used the backhoe to pick up my bike and set it onto flatbed trailer. when we got into del rio he dropped me off at the yamaha dealer where I left it to get fixed under warranty and I took a bus back to my base in san angelo. when it was fixed I took the bus back down, jumped on my bike and finished my journey taking the scenic route back to base via austin. I had almost nothing with me on this trip and still wonder just how it did all that ........

[MacEntyre]

Here is an informative thread about Big Bend in the early spring. Here are some things I gleaned from it.

Weather reports here.
Take warm clothing.
The road around Davis Mtn is a must see.
The road to Presidio, then 170 over to Big Bend is a must.
Avoid travel at night... roads are covered with critters big and small!
watch the cows on the Fort Davis loop road.
speed limit in BBNP is 45... takes time to get places
The speed limit on the unpaved roads is 25 MPH in the park
Lots of LEOs in Big Bend, including speed traps and feds controlling immigration
Panther Junction, Rio Grande Village, Presidio, Study Butte, Alpine, Marathon, Marfa and Fort Davis all have gas.
debit/credit is accepted everywhere

We were there in March and we got snowed on at the McDonald observatory and it was 102 at the Rio Grand Village.

A famous motorcycle riding couple invites visitors on the way to the park:

Be sure to stop in at the P&V Land and Cactus Company.
I mean our humble adobe just 53 Miles south of Alpine on the west side of 118.
We'd love to meet and greet and share our favorite spots.
http://web.bigbend.net/users/glaves/

...above link fixed!

[spidennis]

up in the mts there's an amphitheater and on certain nights the rangers do a big show and tell of the history and whatnot of the big bend area. I found it very interesting.

for those with pavement type vehicles, if you go towards presidio be sure to stop at closed canyon and scamper back into there a ways. It's a narrow slot canyon that's a must see, and easy to get to. I'm gonna bring some type of climbing aids this time, rope, tall 8' bamboo hiking stick, I even thought of some sort of break down ladder or pole!

[spidennis]

I don't want to show too much but I feel if you're prepared you'll get a better experience. sometimes there's only one way up and thru but sometimes there's a second way, the rocky way and thru the stream and up way. I hooked up with this guy larry in the parking lot of santa elena canyon. He made himself this pole while on the river which really helped out in climbing, but mostly in coming back down. yeah, down was tougher! Larry brought with him climbing boots, i had only wetsuit booties. He could climb easier, I took the water route which had less vertical to climb. Have lots of extra memory cards for your cameras guys!











getting down was the hard part!

[spidennis]

this is a bit of my moto adventures and I doubt if anyone will want to go out here as it's neither in the state or national park. It's also quite a ways on a rocky dirt road and will beat up vehicles and tires. my gps died earlier and had to go by maps and I was at the end of this map .....







this is what's called "the top of the world" road. being solo i had to take it easy. I put the bike down here and went to scout out the top ......


this year I'll get to the top!


this is the "rock tower" and it was off my maps .....
and time to turn back around and find my way back!




there's just so much to go and see and do. all I can suggest is go explore and have fun! I was totally unprepared for last year and just winged it but stumbled onto quite a bit. I'd like to do a bit more research and find the other "must do" places, if that's possible. big bend is like going to another planet ........

[schrochem]

Dennis, I think I've seen that rock tower....
Is it out there behind terlingua, north of the solitario?

Also, I never made it to the end of closed canyon. Each time I've done it, I'd get to a part that I just didn't think I would be able to back up.

[spidennis]

yup, that tower is behind terlingua.
yeah, when it comes to these slot canyons there's always a time to say, let's go back .... but it's a tough thing to do! and you always wonder what's on the other side ..... but now there's google earth! but it's not like being there .....

[MacEntyre]

big bend is like going to another planet ...

Just what I am after!

I've been to "other planets" before, and I want to go again!

- MacEntyre

[Scottybdiving]

Man that looks like a lot of fun. I rode dirt bikes when I lived in West Texas. I owned a 1976 YZ-400 but I never made it to BB with my bike. It was one of the prototype mono-shocks. I think it was way too much bike for me and the 4-strokes are much better suited for this kind of riding.

P.S. It had an aluminum fuel tank.