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"Land of 10,000 Faces"
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"Land of 10,000 Faces"
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PRICING The member cost for this fully escorted tour is $995 per person based on double occupancy and includes ground transportation, lodging for four nights, park entrance fees and meals except for noon Wednesday. The Museum will cover the cost of all tips and gratuities. The member cost for a single traveler with a private room is $1,145. For non-members, the tour cost is $1,070 (double occupancy) or $1,220 (single occupancy). While the Heard Museum will make flight arrangements, travelers are responsible for the cost of airfare to Midland (currently around $100 round trip). A $525 deposit per person will hold your place, with final payment due on or before March 1, 2006. Refunds will not be available after March 1. The fee for the Memory Book is $100 per person (optional).
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Itinerary Wednesday, April 5, 2006 -- Dallas to Big Bend National Park Early morning flight to Midland Lunch at the Golden Corral in Midland/Odessa Visit Panther Junction Visitor Center/bookshop and desert garden Check in at the Chisos Mountains Lodge Park orientation/dinner in the restaurant as a group Your adventure will begin with an early morning flight from Dallas Love Field. A private motor coach will meet the group at the Midland airport. After lunch in Midland, the group will leave for Big Bend National Park. If time permits, we plan to stop in Panther Junction. The visitor center has a wonderful bookstore and a desert garden which provides an excellent introduction to the unusual flora of the Big Bend region and the Chihuahuan Desert. Our accommodations will be at the Chisos Mountains Lodge (elevation 5,300 ft.) in the heart of the Chisos Mountains, within the 800,000 acre park. You will have time to get settled in your room before a dinner/ orientation meeting led by Roger Moore and a Heard naturalist. Roger will share his techniques and philosophy for making successful photographs in the Big Bend, while our naturalist will explain some of the sights and terrain in store for the group. Prepare yourself for some of the most beautiful mountain sunsets and the best stargazing opportunities you’ve ever seen.
Thursday, April 6, 2006 --
Big Bend National Park—Lost Early breakfast in the restaurant (usually a buffet) 8:30 a.m. departure by bus for the Lost Mine trailhead
Hike to an incredible view (2.4
miles,1,000' elevation gain) and eat boxed
Spend the afternoon exploring
Rio Grande Village and the historic Dinner at the restaurant After an early morning breakfast at the Chisos Mountains Lodge, we will get our first taste of the Big Bend Country with a hike up the Lost Mine Trail. This trail and the surrounding desert are our best chance to get a glimpse of a black bear or mountain lion during our tour of the park. We will ascend gradually 2.4 miles through juniper, pinon pine, and oak forest along the base of Casa Grande Peak. While this hike does involve a significant gain in elevation, it is a fairly easy trail to walk. It was built in the early 1940s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and is well-crafted and maintained. The views at the end of the trail are well worth the climb. The Lost Mine Trail offers some of the most scenic vistas in the park, with excellent looks at Juniper Canyon, Pine Canyon, Casa Grande Peak, and the Sierra del Carmen mountains in Mexico. If you want to make some spectacular landscape photos, this is the hike! Roger Moore will be on hand for this (and every other) hike to offer as much coaching in the photographic process as you desire, while our naturalist will share information related to desert ecology and the unusual plants and animals found in the Big Bend. After lunch and our return hike (downhill, this time!), we will board the bus to drive to Rio Grande Village for an ice cream break at the store and some good birding under the cottonwood trees and along the river before returning to the lodge for dinner. The historic Hot Springs, site of J.O. Langford’s family homestead and health spa (1909-42), will make an interesting stop on our way back to the lodge for dinner.
Friday, April 7, 2006 --
Big Bend National Park—Cattail Falls & Early breakfast in the restaurant (usually a buffet) 8:30 a.m. departure by bus for Cattail Falls
Hike to the falls (2.5 miles,
elevation gain unknown, but slight) and Spend the afternoon exploring Santa Elena Canyon Dinner at the restaurant After an early morning breakfast at the Chisos Mountains Lodge, we will head for Cattail Falls. We will have great opportunities to view many species of wildlife typical of the Big Bend area and the surrounding desert landscape. Javelinas, jackrabbits, roadrunners, elf owls, and horned lizards are just a few of the animals we might encounter as we explore this very special area in the park. We will be hiking at a leisurely pace, 2.5 miles to lunch at the falls, a shady oasis of Big Tooth Maples that border the cool waters from the falls and pools below. It will be an excellent place to watch and listen for approaching wildlife while enjoying our lunch and exploring the area around the pool for photos to make. Blue-throated Hummingbirds, Black Phoebes and other western birds are commonly seen at the Falls, as well as many beautiful wildflowers such as Salvias, Colum-bines, and Orchids. The hike has one moderate climb up a series of steps and a small amount of boulder-climb-ing to reach the falls, but is otherwise relatively flat. After lunch and our return hike, we will drive to Santa Elena Canyon. A short 0.8-mile hike will take us to the mouth of this renowned canyon, where we can fully appreciate the power of moving water as we gaze up at the 1,500' tall rock walls carved by the Rio Grande. This trail is paved and easy to hike. The only difficulty may be in crossing Terlingua Creek, which flows between the parking lot and the trailhead. It is generally low enough to allow crossing without getting wet. If the creek is running high, we will develop a “Plan B.” One thing is certain—we will have some wonderful experiences to discuss at dinner back at the lodge. Those who wish to participate can turn in their seven best digital images (jpg format) from the trip thus far ... a “Magnificent Seven” ... to Roger Moore before the end of the day today. He will create a slideshow we will view as a group Saturday evening.
Saturday, April 8, 2006 -- Big Bend National Park—Upper Burro Mesa, Sam Nail Ranch & Grapevine Hills Early breakfast in the restaurant (usually a buffet) 8:30 a.m. departure by bus for Burro Mesa
Hike to the pour off (1.8
miles, 525' elevation loss) and eat Visit Sam Nail Ranch roadside exhibit Return to the lodge; those who wish to enjoy the Basin and relax can do so
Bus will depart late afternoon
for an optional hike in the Dinner at the restaurant A hearty early morning breakfast will prepare everyone for the hiking adventure ahead! Our hike at Burro Mesa will take us down a series of dry arroyos leading through the diverse, fascinating Big Bend geology. This trail offers the roughest terrain we will hike on this trip. There is no formal trail ( but the washes are easy to follow), so in several places we will encounter boulders and rock formations we must negotiate. There is no serious climbing involved, but a certain amount of agility and/or teamwork may be needed to conquer a couple of the trail obstacles. If you have the will, we promise you can do this hike, and that it’s well worth the effort, offering many rewards. This trail is a Heard staff favorite. As we approach the end of our hike, the canyon walls to either side will climb higher and higher, hung with unusual desert plants clinging to the sheer rock faces. The hike culminates in a spectacular cathedral-like dome where the pour-off drops to the desert nearly 100 feet below. There is exciting geology to photograph all along this trail, but the pour off is truly exceptional! We’ll picnic on boxed lunches at the top of the pour off before hiking back out. After our return hike, we will visit the roadside exhibit at the historic site of the Sam Nail Ranch before heading back toward the lodge. Here, you’ll need to make a choice. Those who wish to spend more time in the Basin, either relaxing or hiking, will be able to do so. Others may wish to join us for a hike through the Grapevine Hills to the balanced rock, one of the most well-known landmarks in the park. We will take the bus around six miles down a gravel road to the Grapevine Hills trailhead. The trail is flat with little change in elevation until the last 0.25 mile, which involves a bit of a climb up some granite to reach the balanced rock. The view across the desert south to Nugent Mountain is well worth the effort. A well-deserved supper at the lodge will cap off an exciting day of high adventure. In the evening we will be viewing a slide show compiled by Roger Moore from images submitted by members of our group. Comments and critiques given in a positive atmosphere will help improve our photographic skills.
Sunday, April 9, 2006 -- Persimmon Gap & Marathon Early breakfast at the lodge restaurant (usually a buffet) 8:30 a.m. departure by bus for Persimmon Gap Hike the Persimmon Gap Draw trail (1 mile one-way, 290' elevation gain) Eat lunch and visit shops in Marathon Drive to Midland for our return flight to Dallas Love Field You won’t be ready to leave, but following an early breakfast, the group will board the motor coach for the final day of sightseeing and photography. Depending on the time of our departure flight, we should be able to squeeze in a short walk before leaving the park. Our destination will be Persimmon Gap at the very far northern boundary of the park. A short hike will take us up Persimmon Gap Draw to a saddle between Persimmon Peak and an unnamed peak. The gravel wash is easy to follow, with only a 290' gain in elevation, but the trail is blocked by a 70-foot waterfall (dry). Hikers must negotiate an unmaintained path that leads around the right side of this obstacle. At a second, smaller pouroff, we will encounter the oldest exposed rocks in the park, which are seen only in this location. The sedimentary rocks of the Tesnus, Maravillas, and Caballos Formations seen here are over 250 million years old. When we reach the end of our trail, our view will include the rangeland northeast of the park and the distant Christmas Mountains 25 miles to the southwest. This is a very lightly-used trail, offering sights few visitors ever see. We will be in Marathon, 80 miles north of the park, around lunch time. You will have your pick of two or three restaurants offering sandwiches, burgers, barbecue, and other fare. This meal is part of your paid trip, so you won’t need your wallet in order to eat ... but we should have a little time to shop in Marathon, enjoying several unique galleries, rock shops, a book store, etc. With our bellies full and our souvenir purchases in hand, we will make the final leg of the journey to Midland and our return flight to Dallas Love Field on Southwest Airlines.
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General Information April Weather 78 degrees average maximum and 53 degrees average minimum. Temperatures along the Rio Grande will sometimes run 5-10 degrees higher. Sunshine is abundant year round. Relative humidity is usually quite low. About Hiking in the Big Bend While most of our travelers are active people accustomed to walking, we must remind you that a hike in Big Bend National Park is nothing like a walk in a park or natural area in Dallas. The terrain is often rough and rocky, most of the vegetation is thorny, and there are sometimes boulders and other obstacles in the trail which must be dealt with. Most people will find at least one of the planned hikes somewhat challenging. This being said, most people of good health and fitness, of any age, will be able to handle the hikes. We generally move at a pretty slow pace, stopping to view various wildflowers, rock formations, birds, and other wildlife, so you needn’t worry about “keeping up with the group.” If you have the will, we will do anything in our power to help you down the trail and see that you enjoy your experience in the fascinating Chihuahuan Desert. Items to pack
Be sure to bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Clothing
Long-sleeved shirts over a
t-shirt will work best; layers will allow you to adapt to the changing
weather. Jeans or sturdy pants are recommended (no shorts). Please bring
extra pairs of socks. You will also need a sweater, a windbreaker, and a
good pair of hiking boots. Athletic shoes are not
a good choice. Special Request Please be on time for all departures. The trip is tightly scheduled in order to see and enjoy as much of the Big Bend as possible. Above all, bring along your sense of adventure and plan to have the time of your life! Terms The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is responsible for arrangements, including payments to suppliers, described in the itinerary of this trip. The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary and Roger Moore Photography have no responsibility for delays; delayed departures and arrivals; loss, damage or injury to persons or property; mechanical defects, failure or negligence in connection with any accommodations, transportation or other services; for substitutions of hotel or other common carrier beyond their control and for any additional expense incurred thereby. Acceptance of these terms by the traveler is indicated by his or her registration.
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