return to big bend

“by the grand visions that I saw on my trip to the Bend, I shall be returning to Big Bend at the close of this year (2004).

Details are not complete, only that I am going, and that there will be a killer bash on the eve of 2005. Hope more can make it this year, as this is a magical place.”

“I'll be there again likewise....this time maybe we will meet up.
That rav does hold a bunch of gear..when ya gonna have your trip report posted?

John”

“report Stikmon”

“I think stickmon now sees why I have been going there for 12 or 13 years. Even after all that time, I still don't feel like I have seen even a small portion of it.”

“you only saw a small part of the gear...the rest was stashed at the outfitters.

When I saw your note on the back of the car, stating that there was note on the front of the car, Ice and I broke out laughing...that was classic!!!

Sorry we missed you, but your chosen location to backpack was far from our destination...the HOT SPRINGS!!! and cross canyon rim trail.

hope you had as great a time as we did. Sorry to have missed you. Next time, for sure.”

“Did your hat make it!”

“I would like to join the trip this year. Hopefully Chili and I will get to go.”

“chili is going”

“yea chilki u be goin! Now Who where them pants”

“It was great as always...let's make th 2004 trip even better.

How was the float trip portion of your trip Stik?”

“This time, pack your beer cans out. (j/k).”

“yea chilki u be goin! Now Who where them pants"
jerbear
03


I still wear the pants, thank you very much!”

“next year, instead of packing extra firewood, we can pack ice & beer”

“there was NO lack of fire wood on the river, but, our oak and hickory was a real nice booster to the already super hot fire. We could have used an anvil and some hot steel and forged our own One Ring...man those fires were intensly HOT!!!

Sorry to be so long in coming forward with the trip report. I spent last evening writing like a fiend. I'm up to 9 pages now, so, it will read like a book, and I'm not creating a cliff notes version. As soon as I'm finished writing, I'll put up a photo album and then post it up...should be sometime today...

and to answer the question about the canoe portion...it was a rousing success...in others words...

FREAKIN AWSOME!!!”

“get off your Arse and sign up and get all the secret email, all year long. don't miss out on any inside tips or trivia...prizes will be awarded to those that correctly answer the Big Bend quizzes that will be forthcoming in the Secret Email newsletters.

1 year to plan...I think I can manage it.

but yes...no wood, second table. this year, I'm gonna pick up them tiki torches when they go on clearance. Oh yeah...more champaign...yeah mon!!! this year, we'll do it right, since the '03 trip was such a FLOP!!! hahahaha”

“forgot to put up the link...dang work...always gettin the way of playin on TT...

here ya go...

Big Bend Trip ”

“The only reason I wouldn't go on this trip will be if I go in early November for the chili cookoff and hiking.”

“the cookoff....ahhhh no lack of gas for your stove if ya go then... : )”

“aren't those multi fuel stoves great?”

“they're a blast..watch out when you're lightin it tho..”

“Big bend or cook off....












Big Bend wins honey.”

“screw the chili thing...bring it to cook on the river...you can be your own winner.

I have just locked this trip in on the long range radar screen.

I will leave out on Thursday Dec 23 at 3pm. The office is closed on the 24th. I will drive 6 or 7 hours on thurs, then the remaining on friday. Sat, the offices of the park will be closed, in the AM, I will mess with canoe gear, then head out for a glorious day hike. Sun pick up permits for wherever I decide to back pack at for 3 days, sun, mon tue. Tues evening, head to Terlingua, for many beers and food and a shower, then get back to the outfitter to get ready to slide into the river on wed morn of the 29th. then float till NYE and party like its 1999!!! and off river in the evening of Jan 1 and back to the outfitters on the evening of the 1st, and gone on the 2nd for the long drive home...

so much for 2004. time to start planning 2005!!! hahahaha”

“Do you have all 3 of the maps like the one we used on the river? If so, I would like to borrow the other two the next time we meet.

I hope to get my film in this week. Just think, that would be another 180 +/- photos.”

“yes I do.

MORE PHOTOS...wrong THREAD!!!! I'm bad.”

“Darlin, the chili cookoff is in the Big Bend.”

“this trip is limited in size to the first 90,000 persons that sign up...but be forwarned...only the first 4 get to eat free.”

“and then it'll be too late. The menu is in the planning stages...testing of possible entree entries will commence this weekend...More the merrier...means more food to eat.”

“I want to do this hike and wonder if I get a plane ticket who could meet me and pick me up and give me a ride to the hike.”

“This same situation occured last year when Ice (from chicago) joined me on the trip. I picked him up at the Dallas FW airport and then delivered him back there. It is an 8 hour drive for me to DFW, and then another 8 hours to BB. No worries...it is along the way, and in no way, causes a detour of any sort. the only problem with driving with me, is that, I'm going for the entire time frame. I leave out my house on the 23rd of Dec, so...I would be available to pick you (or anyone else...room in my vehicle for only 1 additional passenger) on Dec 24th (Christmas Eve) anytime between 11 and 1pm...earlier thimes are more better, as tehre is still an 8 hour drive from there.

I will be leaving the Bend on Jan 2 (sunday, and can deliver you to the airport on Monday the 3rd in the am.

So...If I'm your taxi, then consider yourself kidnapped for the duration. I should put a link to the 2003/4 Big Bend trip report and the photos...so that you and anyone else can see that this is no wooseassed trip...this is the JAM!!! and totally worth all the expense and effort to make it happen. Glad your intereseted Rox...email me if you want to chat, or ask questions...BB is awsome.”

“Ok stikmon... I am going to check on the airfare and other stuff.. I have a chat friend that lives in TExas that is also interested.
I am hoping he will check the trip page and sign up too.


I have soooo wanted to do something anything in the west... so yes.. I think I am in so far if I can come up with plane fare or bus.. I have that time off anyway from school.
Rox”

“i''d love to go but i doupt i can cuz of the dates. gotta still do the santa gig for another year or two.

i'd like to see the pics sticky. i always wanted to go down there when we lived in dallas. are you going to take a new route this year?”

“Yeah stikmon can you email me some of the photos or are they on webshots or something?”

“Hey! I was invited to check out this site and possibly join up on your next trip to BBNP. Well count me in! I'm a veteran of this wonderful park, having treked it ten times in the last six years. I live in Ft. Worth, Texas so it's about an eight hour drive for me. Rox, I've signed on! Now YOU better be there. I've been trying to get you out here for almost two years.”

“I know..I know
I have it penciled in...hopefully only death or something more severe will pervent it.”

“Rox, don't forget to check prices on ticket to Midland/Odessa.

I have missed going for two years now, but spend a week of each of the previous 13 years down there.

I would definately like to do the south rim on this and possibly grapevine hills.”

“Who would be able to pick me up there?”

“Rox, you know that I'd be pickin' you up if you need a ride to and from the airport or bus station.

Kim”

“Chili, You just named two of the most outstanding points of interest in the BBNP. Grapevine Hills offers some VERY GOOD car camping. Party time in Grapvine! Most of the time, there is NOBODY near the one trail into the lacolithic hills where you'll see formations that look more like some spot in Utah. The primitive camping in #3 campsite is at the end of the ten mile improved road to the trail. The campsite is about a quarter of a mile beyond the trailhead. Total, total isolation. Rangers seldom go back that far, so even more privacy! Pack in ice, water and beer... you're good! Great place to bathe. Use bottled water. There is a running spring in the area. Close to the mammoth cottonwood tree you can see even before you get to the camp. The South Rim requires a little more work. However, if Boot Springs has water, we'll only need to carry enough water to get us to the top. And usually, during the winter season, there's plenty of water everywhere. Just has to be sterlized and filtered a bit.”

“There was only one year I couldn't find water, but I never count on it.

Another possibility is doing the Chimneys Trail. Red Ass spring is generally wet and there are some interesting pictoglyphs through there.”

“the trip report...it is rather LONG but worth the read. Within the report are links to the photos...so, I'm not posting seperate links...you'll have to read to find...hehehe

trip report from 2003/4

To answer some questions...
Day hike on Christmas Day (Dec 25, sat), the park office is closed. Sunday Dec 26 pick up backcountry permits for a 2 night/3 day stay on some trail (not decided at this moment) emerge off the trail on Tuesday Dec 28th and go back to the outfitter (where the Bunnie and her gear are resting). Hit water on the morning of the 29th for a 4 day/3 night cruise on the Rio. I want to do the same canyon. there is SOOOO much to see and do, that we didn't have a chance to do. There are side canyons to hike up and explore and the giant smugglers cave to hike up to for lunch...So, the canoe part will be in Santa Elana Canyon...the back packing can be elsewhere. I did the Marufa Vega trail and the Cross Canyon Rim trail, so, I don't need to do them again, although they were 2 of the finest backpacks that I have ever done.

The way I've got this thing set up, is that someone can hike/backpack or canoe, or both.”

“I wonder if we can "accidentally" boat down toward Santa Elena (village), have lunch there and float down a little further and take out?

I need to look at the map for Old River Road.”

“I'd like to maybe go over into Mexico...the legal way, and buy some tequilla...I'm getting dangerously low...only one bottle of Perfidio left for the summer.”

“Closest legal border crossing is at Presidio.

About 85 miles away from Terlingua (west).”

“85 miles...nope, not gonna do it...maybe resort to the "ooops...really, this is the Mexican side...I didn't even know...there were no signs". we did camp on the Mexican side each night on the river though.”

“So you guys are really talking about some sights...”

“this is a place that is hard to get to...not so much that it is innaccesable...just remote and far away from ANY big cities and airports. Yes...there are sites to see...things are bigger and you are smaller in the Bend. the views are immense and you can see past, present and future all at the same time. There is magic that is very powerful in this place.”

“It's a place you can visit numerous times and still not see all of it.”

“Is there a cost for the boat ride and such? Just wondering how much I need to have.”

“Sounds good stik....and , after seein your vehicle and not you last year at the trailhead, i bet a person cud ride on the top of the car if they were so inclined : ).”

“Making plans for a car camp, day hike style trek to the Big Bend NP June 5th through the 10th (at least). I live in Ft. Worth so if you're interested in coming and helping me pay for the gas and the beer, e-mail me at: BACPAKIN@CS.COM”