The Majesty and Magic of Big Bend

Big Bend is raw, untamed land. It soars and dips and stretches. It intimidates. Big Bend amazes. It takes your breath away. We are barely a mile inside the north entrance of this National Park in Texas when various exclamations spill from my lips. “Ohhhh. Look!”

Michael continues driving south with a purpose; he has a destination. I don’t think he hears me.

“How can you not want to take a picture?” I say, referring to nature’s pyramids, the wind and rain carved rocks that look like they belong on another continent. He shrugs. Finally, trying to humor me, he makes a U-turn, backtracking so I can have my photo. His pictures, once taken, are better than mine. Michael’s pictures are always better than mine.

We drive further, and I look at the sky. “Michael, look at the clouds! They are so thin and wispy they look like gossamer. A spider’s web!” 

He’s not impressed. Pointing upward toward a sea of blue, he tells me, “Clouds are good as a background—like those.”  

Hmmm, they’re ethereal too. I like them all, and I want to get out of the car and take pictures. Voicing my request, I believe that Michael thinks it is going to be a long, long day. But he continues to humor me, stopping when I ask.

We have been to Big Bend so many times before—probably a month of days—that we have visited all of the major sites more than once, and we know there is no way to see this 1,252 square mile park in a single day. So, we decide to start with the Chisos Basin, have lunch at the restaurant and then let the day unfold.

Chisos Basin and the Chisos Mountains

Driving through the forest of soaring stone on our way into the large bowl-shaped basin, I ponder the word Chisos—where did it come from? It sounds as ancient as the world that surrounds me. I read earlier that there are two possible origins for the appellation of these magnificent mountains; one is that it may be a Native American word meaning “ghost” or “spirit.” Others think it came from the Castilian word hechizos, meaning “enchantment.” Both sound appropriate; however, given a choice, I’d lean toward enchantment.

Our little red chariot (too bright, too gaudy to be in this place of muted colors—we need a horse) continues climbing toward the beating heart of Big Bend and the enchanted world of the Chisos Mountains takes my breath away. I have forgotten the sheer magnificence of this place. Big Bend is a land of enchantment. However, I can also see the ghosts of ancient souls roaming the hills and living in nature’s creations wrought by wind and rain. I want to climb the mountain I see in the distance, clawing my way to the top, and slip between the fissures of what looks like castle walls. And wander.

I tell Michael way too often that he needs to stop. Finally, he tells me, “We can’t stop everywhere.” For a while, I say nothing, trying my hand at not being annoying.

A Change of Plans

When finally we reach the mile-high Basin, it looks like half the world has landed here on this beautiful Friday in April. We park our car in the only available parking space, inhale the high mountain desert air, and walk. Discovering that the restaurant is closed till 2 pm, we decide not to wait for its doors to open. We’ll do something else. Unfortunately, the trail leading to the Window appears to be as busy as the LBJ Freeway in Dallas at 5 pm on a weekday.

There are always contingency plans, and we have learned flexibility is a virtue. We decide to take the long road to Castolon, buy something at their local market and have a picnic beneath the towering walls of Santa Elena Canyon. It sounds better than a restaurant lunch to me.

The Road to Castolon

During the hour drive toward our planned destination, we pass by memories. Lots and lots of memories. Our car reverberates with a chorus of “Remember when….” Trails taken. Rough roads that nearly beat us to death. Ghost ranches. Clouds. Wind. Rain. Cold. A blooming desert. Burning sun.

As we roll along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive leading to the Castolon Historic District, I look forward to seeing the old white adobe store of my memories. Eighteen years ago, its long rustic veranda provided shelter for us from a sudden desert downpour.

Castolon

Reaching the ghost town of Castolon, it is not as I remember. There is a tiny building that lets us know it is a park store. A tourist bus is parked beside it, and a long line of individuals wait patiently for food to be ladeled onto paper plates. I am totally bumfuzzled. What happened to my long, low remembered adobe haven?

We turn a corner, and Michael parks our car. Standing before me is the burned-out skeleton of what remains of the old store. Reading signs, I learn that in 2019 the building was destroyed by a wildfire that started in Mexico and jumped the Rio Grande. A brutal sun, no rain, and high winds wreaked havoc on this piece of history. The fire didn’t make the national news—not even the local news, and we live in Texas.

The devastation of this historic place is impossible to believe—but here is the proof. There are signs of hope with words that make promises. The NPS is talking with experts in adobe restoration to help return these burned-out shambles into the structure that stood here previously.

Walking toward the tiny replacement market, I have little hope for lunch—it is so small. Once inside, I follow Michael to the back wall where frozen burritos seem to be the choice of the day. Above the burrito shelf, I see a frozen jalapeno cheeseburger. There is a microwave and tiny packets of mayonnaise and the ubiquitous Lays Potato Chips. While I thaw and heat my burger, Michael wanders. He comes back with a refrigerated chicken salad sandwich and replaces his burrito in the freezer. Along with his sandwich is a can of Vienna sausages, and a plastic cup of peaches. An eclectic menu for sure.

Santa Elena Canyon

I keep my chosen lunch warm by placing it on the car’s dashboard in the sun. It works like a charm. And charm continues to follow us when we find one empty parking space next to the trail leading into Santa Elena Canyon and an empty picnic table next to the trail. Our picnic is one we will long remember—the humblest, most make-shift, and unplanned picnic we have ever been on. One for the books, but I am so hungry I forget to take pictures. And with my first bite, my eyes open wide in surprise. This frozen burger, prepared in the microwave for 60 seconds, is delicious. Have I been wasting my time cooking and planning picnics all of these years? Then Michael tells me the deliciousness probably comes from the fact that I am starved.

By the time we begin our trek to the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon, the thermometer has climbed to 94°—too hot to take the trail that goes up and along the sun-drenched canyon wall. Plus, we have done it many times before. Instead, Michael uses his zoom lens to take pictures of souls heartier than us.

There is only one way out of this national park if we want to return to Marathon; that is the same way we came in. With no deadline and no rush for lunch, we stop at all the places we whiz passed on the way to Castolon. Michael and I both know we will return. The magnificence, grandeur, history, and magic of Big Bend will always beckon.

Big Bend History in a Geologic Nutshell

In very simple layman’s terms—it took a long time to create Big Bend—over 500 million years. In all that time, Big Bend yawned and stretched and napped. It even took a bath when a shallow inland sea covered the land.

South America collided with North America, uplifting, twisting, metamorphosing the terra firma. An asteroid hit Earth and the Pacific plates collided with North America, causing the extinction of dinosaurs and other flora and fauna. Molten magma found its way to the surface, and violent volcanic eruptions occurred. Big Bend was twisted, pushed, and pulled. A large slab of rock slammed down almost 2000′ feet, causing a “Sunken Block,” which was eventually broken up by more volcanic action. Add torrential rains, gale-force winds, more time, and here stands the magnificence of Big Bend in 2022.

To Learn More About the Geology of Big Bend

Click on the following link: https://visitbigbend.com/geology/