|
Post by trevorm90 on Nov 29, 2017 20:28:16 GMT -8
Hey guys how’s it going, so new to the forum, first post actually, but not so new to camping and backpacking, i used to take long trips with my dad when i was still in school but that was about 10 years ago, recently I’ve decided i want to do a solo week trip in the spring time that way i have time to plan and get ready, so I’ve been practicing by myself on a friends land, he has 150 acres so I’ve just been doing small 3 day trips for practice in that. So my Only problem is idk where to go, i was thinking about the chisos mountain loop in big bend,but i had a few things I was worried about with the trip, one is if anyone has done it before, how frequent do you come across sources of water? That’s really my main concern to be honest, and then any other tips or things I should know or be aware of before heading out, or if you know of other trails in the Texas area or Louisiana area that’s be awesome to know of too, anyhow guys thank you in advance for any advice or help
|
|
mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
|
Post by mk on Nov 30, 2017 6:59:50 GMT -8
Big Bend is an amazing place. But there is very little water (and it's not reliable), and what little there is should be left for the animals. So you have to pack in what you need. Also, the Southeast Rim Trail and parts of the Northeast Rim Trail will be closed in the spring for the peregrine falcon nesting. That's really only a short bit of the trail -- we backpacked the rim last spring and didn't hardly notice the closure at all. Some of the campsites there are closed, however, so it will determine what sites you choose. We hiked up Laguna Meadows and stayed a night at one of the LM campsites. We spent night 2 at a SE Rim site and did the side trip up Emory Peak on the way out (Pinnacles Trail). The Laguna Meadow trail is exposed so afternoon heat can be an issue. On a previous trip, we stayed at a Colima site. No complaints about any of the sites -- and there are bear boxes at all of them. Shade, however, can be an issue. You'll need a permit, which you can get 24 hours in advance, and the rangers can help guide you through the specifics. There is a lot of information on the website www.nps.gov/bibe. Emory Peak is a must for first-time visitors, but know that the trail is exposed and hot. You can stash your pack in the bear boxes at the trail junction (toilet there, too), but I recommend taking water with you. They list the trail as something like 2 miles roundtrip, but its all up and exposed. The short rock scramble at the end is fun, and then you are at the highest point in the park. I think the most difficult thing about Big Bend is the lack of water. You have to assume that you will be carrying all that you need. Closely related is the heat, although spring is usually pretty nice. We've been there in November and April, and while the days were pretty warm in the spring, the nights were nice. The Basin temps are cooler than the lower elevation temps. Good luck! -- I would hike Big Bend every year if I could. If you have time, you might plan a trip to the Langford Hot Springs (although I'm not sure they call it that anymore) down by the Rio Grande. It's relaxing and a whole different perspective on the park.
|
|
zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,869
|
Post by zeke on Nov 30, 2017 10:25:33 GMT -8
I spent a week in Big Bend last March. All of mk 's advice is good. Bring all of the water you will want for the week, or at least 5 gallons. The water in the park, even in the car camping sites, is not reliable. When it is flowing, it is good water, just not flowing all of the time. I'd carry 3 gallons of water on the Chisos Mt. Loop. Yes, that makes any uphill tougher, but since you won't be making high mileage days, you'll be fine. Boot Canyon, Emory Peak, and South Rim can be combined to a nice 3 days of hiking. Could be less, but why hurry? Have done most of that as a day hike, but wouldn't want to do that again at my age now.
|
|
|
Post by trinity on Dec 1, 2017 6:29:17 GMT -8
Are you wanting to spend 7 days straight in the backcountry? If so, the Chisos Mountain Loop seems like an awfully small area. I hiked the Outer Mountain Loop back in the late 80s, this is a good 3-4 day trip. Water was not much of a problem, but it was during a relatively wet November. We were able to get water at Boot Spring, Juniper Spring, and at least one other spring along the Dodson Trail. As mk notes, backpackers are now being encouraged to leave these water sources to the wildlife. You can fairly easily cache water at the Blue Creek Ranch, if you do this loop. I love Big Bend, but such a dry environment is not very conducive to extended backcountry trips. I'm not sure where you live in Texas, but for a week trip, I'd definitely head to New Mexico, where there is much more public land, with a lot more water. The Gila Wilderness should be an option, and if you go in the late spring or early summer, the Pecos Wilderness would become an option as well. Arkansas has some good options as well, you could easily spend a week hiking a section of the Ouachita trail, which has a fair amount of water, and plenty of places where you can cache water if the streams are dry. Good luck, and welcome to the forums.
|
|
null
Trail Wise!
Posts: 578
|
Post by null on Dec 1, 2017 8:51:23 GMT -8
and at least one other spring along the Dodson Trail Almost certainly Fresno Creek (Dodson Spring is generally a mud puddle)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 10:32:32 GMT -8
The South Rim loop makes a nice 2-3 night trip. Really enjoyable to spread the loop out over 3-4 days. As zeke pointed out, you would need to carry 2 1/2-3 gallons.
I've done it a few times, but the first day is something of a gut buster. So I just plan to make it the first day up to Laguna Meadows or Laguna West (which is a pleasant area to camp in).
If you do it, I would go counter clockwise; the trail up to Laguna Meadows is more gradual than the one to the Pinnacles.
I've also backpacked just up the short distance to Juniper Flats, camped there for 3 nights (using it as a base camp), and went on day hikes from there up Emory Peak, and out to the Window.
You'll have an enjoyable trip either way.
I also like Guadalupe Mountains National Park (even better, actually). But you have to carry all your water in there, too, and the ascents have more elevation change than in Big Bend.
|
|
|
Post by trinity on Dec 2, 2017 8:30:30 GMT -8
I also like Guadalupe Mountains National Park (even better, actually). I agree, the Guads are beautiful and though the park is much smaller than Big Bend, it gets much less visitation. You could pull off a nice multi-day hike there without hauling too much water by starting at McKittrick with about 7 liters of water, and stay the first night at McKittrick Ridge. Cache a few liters there the next morning, and hike to Dog Canyon for your second night. Load up with about 7 liters at Dog Canyon on day 3, and hike to Blue Ridge for your third night. Then you could hike back around to McKittrick Ridge for your 4th night where you can retrieve your cached water, and back out on day 5. You could extend this if you're willing to carry more water (I hauled about three gallons out of Dog Canyon last January).
|
|