Hours of Geology and a Six Minute Shower!

January 20, 2013

Hours of Geology and a Six Minute Shower!

We finally made it in to Big Bend National Park! We drove the camper the three miles from our campsite to the park entrance and took the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive on the western side of the park. This took us through the Chihuahuan Desert, past amazing rock formations and down to Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande River.

The day was clear and the temperature near 70. The road was steep and winding, but the camper is called a “Skinnie Winnie” for a reason, and fits well within the lines. It has a tight turning radius and at 24' allows us to go places other RVs can't. As Greg says, it's like driving a UPS truck or a U-Haul van. Greg has been studying the geology of the park, which is the highlight of our visit, and so he educated me as we drove and viewed the variety around us.

We stopped at various pull offs and hiked twice. First to the Burro Mesa Pouroff. This is where the rain is slowly cutting a canyon through the mesa. You can see Greg on the photos, at the base of where there would be a waterfall during a rainstorm. Of course we couldn't be there then, as the flash flood at the bottom would wash us away!

Our second hike was at the end of the road to the Santa Elena Canyon. The Rio Grande has cut a narrow, deep canyon through an ancient volcanic ridge. On the photos you can see the slowly moving river between the high cliffs. The cliff face on the left is Mexico. We found several places today where it would be very easy to wade across. But, the other side is a Mexican National Park and quite desolate and it would be impossible to scale the cliffs on the Mexican side. We did see some footprints trailing to the water in the mud on the other side of the canyon, but they were not human, probably javelinas, which are related to pigs. Some of the other hikers were yelling “Como esta?” at Mexico, but the only replies were their echoes.

We had hoped to drive another stretch of road up into the Chisos Mountains, but, we ran short of time. The park consists of desert, mountains, and river areas. The climates are different and there is a temperature change going up and down in elevation. We were in the warmer areas today. Tomorrow when we go to the mountains it is supposed to be in the 50s. We will leave this campsite and finish the day tomorrow at the Rio Grande Village on the river at the eastern end of the park. We plan to camp there probably two nights. Greg wants to get in a good bike ride, and there are unpaved roads from the village he can ride. Not sure if we will have an internet connection there. If we go into the national park (cheaper!) campground, we may not have it. If we spring for the more expensive park run by a concessionaire, we should be connected.

When we returned today we had our first paid shower. Water is precious here in the desert, so the campground charges $2 for a 6 minute shower. You shove 8 quarters into the slot and the timer starts whether the water is turned on or not! At the end of 6 minutes the water just stops, consequently, wherever the faucets were set, the next person gets hit with that temperature of water. Greg was showering on the other side of the wall in the men's bathroom, so the water was already hot. I decided to wash my hair first, so that I wouldn't be stuck with shampoo in my hair when the water cut off. I put shampoo in my hand, pushed in my quarters, stepped under the shower and got scalded! I wasted some of my time trying to adjust the water and slap shampoo on my half wet hair at the same time. I did manage to get through my shower, but had a soapy washcloth and soapy hands to deal with by making a mad dash to the sink before I could dry off! Luckily I had the bathroom to myself!

Enjoy some photos from our day! No shots from the showers, but plenty of geology!