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Itinerary
Wednesday, March 28
Dallas to Big Bend National Park
Summary:
• 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
• Group park orientationldinner in the restaurant
The first leg of your journey begins with an early morning flight from
Dallas Love Field airport. 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 a Roger Moore and a Heard naturalist. Roger will share
his techniques and philosophy for creating 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 star-gazing opportunities you’ve
ever seen.
Thursday, March 29
Big Bend National Park: Lost Mine, Rio Grande
Village & Hot Springs
Summary:
• 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 lunch around noon
• Spend the afternoon exploring Rio Grande Village and the historic Hot
Springs area
• 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 chances 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, pinyon 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 take 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, March 30
Big Bend National Park: Cattail Falls & The
Window Trail, Lajitas Resort Town, Terlingua Ghost Town, La Kiva
Summary:
• 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 eat boxed lunch
around noon
• Spend the afternoon exploring part of the Window Trail or relaxing
around the lodge
• Brief late afternoon visit to the resort town of Lajitas, then to the
Terlingua Ghost Town
• Dinner at the Starlight Theater and the photogenic graveyard
• Stop by La Kiva for drinks before returning to the lodge
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
take. Blue-throated Hummingbirds, Black Phoebes and other western birds
are commonly seen at the Falls, as well as many beautiful wildflowers
such as Salvias, Columbines and Orchids. The hike has one moderate climb
up a series of steps and a small amount of boulder- climbing to reach
the falls, but is otherwise relatively flat. After lunch and our return
hike, we will drive back to the lodge. For the more adventurous, several
trails including the Window Trail are within walking distance for a
short hike while others may prefer to just relax taking in the sights.
In late afternoon we will travel to Terlingua, briefly stopping in
Lajitas to have a beer with the “mayor” and visit the Barton Warnock
Environmental Education Center. Dinner will be at the famous Starlight
Theater with time afterwards for photos in the graveyard. Before
returning to the lodge, a short stop at the unique La Kiva (The Cave)
bar and restaurant will top off the day!
Saturday, March 31
Big Bend National Park: Upper Burro Mesa, Sam
Nail Ranch & Grapevine Hills
Summary:
• 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 boxed lunch around noon
• Visit Sam Nail Ranch roadside exhibit
• Return to the lodge; those who wish to enjoy the Basin and relax or
prepare for the slide show can do so
• Bus may depart late afternoon for an optional hike in the
Grapevine Hills (2.0 miles round trip)
• “Déjà vu” slide show of everyone’s best seven pictures
will be expertly critiqued by Roger Moore
• 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. After returning to the Basin, those with less interest in
photography can again hike the nearby trails or if there is enough
interest the bus can take them to Grapevine Hills. However, most will
want to be preparing their images for the pre-dinner “Déjà vu” slide
show in which everyone is encouraged to contribute their magnificent
seven best images. These will be critiqued while having the pleasure of
seeing the places, people and things everyone has experienced
together—and see them through each other’s eyes!
Sunday, April 1
Persimmon Gap & Marathon
Summary:
• 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 dry
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.
Note: The Big Bend Photo Frenzy, a reunion of all attendees, is
held about a month after the trip. This is a fun fellowship giving
everyone a chance to show off their best photos, reminisce and renew
friendships!
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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.
Remember your medications!
Binoculars, if you have them.
Camera and film
Travel alarm clock
Flashlight
Fanny pack or day pack
Water bottle(s)
You will need a good
sturdy pair of hiking boots. If they’re new,
break them in before the trip.
Some people like to have a
collapsible hiking staff. You will not be able
to carry this on the plane, however…make sure it gets checked or is
packed in your suitcase.
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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