Marathon RV Park, Marathon, BIG BEND, TEXAS

Edward Morrison, in downtown Marathon having coffee, claims he was in many Western films.

Thursday, January 4
Beautiful day to go up to the mountains in the Big Bend area. It was so awesome I can’t put it into words. The Santiago Mountains into the vast northern Chihuahuan Desert, an expanse of harsh terrain that extends southward from

Texas into Mexico. Our pictures do not do justice to the enormity and scenic beauty of what we saw. Through our travels we have never seen anything like this. Walls eroded through eons, exposing horizontal ribbons of varicolored stone in crenellations of white, tan, brown, peach and reddish hues, the far reaching shadow awash in purplish blue.
Friday, January 5

We drove back to Big Bend area on a different route to drive the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. Deserts, canyons, mesas, and mountains, the drive truly gives you a remarkably varied terrain. This is a hiker’s paradise, but we prefer the comfort of our car.

Ray's Reflections: BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK - As I was attempting to map out our proposed trip after we left the Smoky Mountains (Waynesville in early November) my intent was to get to the west coast ASAP, while visiting a few key spots along the way, to avoid the on-coming winter. Marsha had been working on and completed a number of important tasks pertaining to our new lifestyle. She turns her attention to my route in Texas, which would have taken us a straight line from San Antonio to Carlsbad Caverns in N.M. But, after Marsha’s due-diligence researching the weather and warmer areas to stay for awhile, she lays the name Big Bend on me. I knew that Big Bend was a clock in England; however she was talking about Big Bend in Texas. So we started making plans to head south and visit Big Bend. We understood after research and talking with the locals, this area was not to be taken lightly. We topped off the truck, packed a lunch, drinks and snacks, Mitzy, and warm cloths, and on 01-04 07, we headed south in the truck to see the Big Bend area. We traveled south on Rt. 385 toward the Big Bend National Park. About three miles in the north-bound lane, we passed a border patrol station with two cruisers and a 4x4 Ranger. Wonder what they are looking for?? This road was well maintained - 70 mph limit with a wide shoulder. We are very familiar with the Southeast US., however, this area is very different, and it was missing something. AHHH!! Yes, TREES..... There are no trees to be seen, and you can see forever. From the beginning of our trip, we started climbing very gradually through the valley with huge rock out-croppings on both sides. The ground is covered with rocks of all sizes, from pea size to very large boulders; cactus of all kinds and sage brush everywhere. This area is in a drought. Yes it is a desert terrain, but their water table is way down. So the run-offs are bone dry in this region. From the time we entered Rt 385 from Marathon, in the distance was a very ominous looking peak above all the other hills. After almost an hour, we entered the park through the ranger station with a brief tour regarding the history of the park from the time it was a tropical swamp, dinosaurs, volcanos, earthquakes and upheavals to modern Indians. And, of course, the Mexican -American war. Over a period of two days we covered the major roads (480 miles) and places of interest in the park including extinct volcanoes, fossils of the giant meat-eater T-Rex and other dinosaurs that roamed the area. The Rio Grand River cutting through 1500 foot cliffs in two different locations, several nickel and silver mines, snow-covered Emory peak at 7825 foot, an old army compound at Castolon, and more. We drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and it was true to its name. We had no idea there were mountains almost 8,000 ft in Texas this far south. The ominous peak half-way into the park was the 6500 foot Santiago peak, which created its own clouds in a totally cloudless sky. Among the varied wildlife in the park, we saw whitetail deer, mule deer, roadrunners, ostriches, snakes, hawks, eagles, silver fox, red fox, sparrows, very large black birds and many others birds of unknown specie. Both days, as we exited the park, we had to stop at the border patrol. Now, we were traveling in a gray 4x4 pickup with a covered bed, and a back seat piled so high with excess we could hardly see out of the back window. They asked me one question. “Were we US citizens?" and then said "Have a good day”. No search whatsoever and I could almost spit across the Rio Grande River. Not that we have too many illegal immigrants with no address here in the USA. Great trips, but very long days.
After the Civil War, Texas ranchers drove cattle across the Pecos and Rio Grande into Mexico where longhorns could be sold at a premium. There are miles and miles of thick grama grass in a valley with abundant water that the ranchers grazed their herds and drifted through and soon enough they settled.
The boulders are strewn on the slopes and one has to wonder if you will see a boulder fall on you as you drive past. As the picture shows, the rock formations defy the law of physics. Sotol Vista gives the best view of the park and see the Santa Elena Canyon the floodplain of the Rio Grande. There was one part of the drive descends through a series of switchbacks, and you view the unmistakable Mule Ears Peaks formation; Tuff Canyon, named for its gray, volcanic ash rock; and Cerro Castellan, a pile of volcanic rock that towers 1,000 feet.
We stopped to have lunch and gas up at Terlingua, formerly a thriving mining center. It was so quiet outside without the wind, you feel like you can hear a pin drop. It is so warm for a change, we really enjoyed our day.
We drove to the old Army compound of Castolon, a frontier trading post, then headed to Santa Elena Canyon. It is the most awesome sight. The gritty, silt-laden Rio Grande has, like a never-ending strip of sandpaper, worn away through the limestone Mesa de Anguila, carving a narrow chasm with sheer sides. The walls of the abyss rise hundreds of feet above you like skyscrapers on a city street. The river is very narrow at this point.

Saturday, January 06, 2007 - Last night was very scary. We had a cold front hit the mountains with wind gusts close to 50 mph. Our coach had no protection with other RVers this time, so we were on flat land over 4,000 ft. high, and fully exposed to the elements. Around 3:30 AM it sounded like a freight train was coming through with the high winds. We do have train tracks about ¼ mile from us, so we hear the trains day and night. I find the sound comforting to hear the conductors’ train whistle as he races through Marathon. It doesn’t keep us up at night either. The next morning is overcast and winds blowing a solid 20 mph. Wind chill here is 26 degrees. A good day to stay indoors and work on the computer.

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