Big Bend National Park: Best of the Best Series--#3

June 16, 2010--This day of travel started out as planned with a excursion down the west side of the park with the main goal of Santa Elena Canyon. Since I had been reading all literature I could come across about various aspects of the park, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about this little hike we would be taking. However, none of them mentioned that you would need to cross Terlingua Creek as it joins with the Rio Grande in order to reach the trailhead. Ugh. I did not come prepared with river shoes and was unsure about soaking borrowed boots in the muddy waters. So, we missed out on the best views yet again. Next time, I will know. Nonetheless we played along the banks of the river for a while, taking in the sights and exploring the sand, rocks, mud, and water. Secretly I was hoping there would be a miracle of the parting of the waters so we could just walk across...but no such luck. The perspective below is in the river bottom looking up into the Santa Elena Canyon.
Along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive back toward the center of the park, we stopped at each pullout, scenic overlook, or spot that caught our eye. I was intrigued by the large rocks scattered heavily throughout this part of the park. Some were extremely large while others were more like small stones. I am thankful that I was not around when these boulders broke loose and rolled down the hills. However, there was evidence that some settling had happened not so long ago.
Possibly my favorite stop of the day was Tuff Canyon. It did not seem as hot on this afternoon so taking the short trails around the canyon to different view points was not sweltering. The river bottom deep in the canyon was dry for the most part. When I took this picture from a viewing platform, it made my knees and stomach very weak. I had to pretend to be a kid for a few minutes and make echos into the canyon.

In the evening we attended a Ranger program. It was mostly about dinosaurs, animal trivia within the park, and geological data. This was another event that was similar to camp meetings. We met more travelers here that would become part of our experiences as our time in the park continued.