Thursday, October 19, 2006

Big Bend National Park, No. 3, Landscape Views and More

This is a continuation of my posts on my May 1997 visit to Big Bend National Park down at the bottom of Texas next to Mexico. In my last post I showed pictures of the Santa Elena Canyon portion of the Park. This post is showing views from various areas throughout the national park excluding the Santa Elena Canyon. The next post in this series whenever it comes will show a variety of non-cactus wildflowers from the area.


The sign in this picture alerts visitors that they are entering bear and mountain lion country. Unfortunately, I saw neither. Park rangers do say that mountain lion sightings are rare. But they want you to report any such sighting to them.


This is a view of the peak of the mountain in the first picture. The rock formations are so much more impressive in person than can be communicated via a photo.


In this desert scene, I caught a roadrunner.



Rocky peaks under an evening sun



I camped out at the park for one night and in the morning was greeted by these javelinas (sometimes referred to as wild pigs). I have read that this is a common sighting at the park's campground.


Another landscape view with more mountain ridges
in the distant background



Across the Rio Grande is the city of Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico.



Can you see the horse drinking water from the banks of the Rio Grande? You may have to click on the picture to view the larger version.

21 comments:

Murf said...

So..I guess all this time on the Bugs Bunny show, all the coyote needed was a camera to catch one? You didn't inadvertantly walk off a cliff or step on some Acme dynamite, did ya? ;-)

I was going to ask about your eyesight being near perfect but I finally found the horse. Cute picture.

Murf said...

Oh...I just noticed your wild pig picture. Waking up to find those walking around reinforces my 'no camping' rule. Were they friendly?

Tim Rice said...

Hi, murf. I've learned I can depend on you to bring in a humorous aspect that I would never think of. :) Thank you. Glad you found the horse. I almost couldn't find it even though I had made a notation about it in my photo album. As for the javelinas, they left me alone. And that's the only place in my many campings that I ever encountered javelinas.

Fred said...

A roadrunner! Did you see anything labeled "Acme" in your travels, too?

Tanya said...

Thanks for the cactus compliment - but it's got nuthin on your mountain shots! These are beautiful! : )

Chad Oneil Myers said...

Looks like a great place.

Moggy said...

I loved your pictures, I have seen wild hogs when I was camping too, but not up too close.

mreddie said...

Thanks - enjoyed the tour. ec

Ash said...

Nice pictures Tim!

Cergie said...

I can see the horse, it was not dringing though, was it ?

I like all these pictures.
I like wild grasses and all the rest.

You are a lucky man, tim. Particullary on this post i can see that i'm right for that point.

Camping, i love camping, near a river is the best.

Anonymous said...

Nice. So different from our own geology, which is still alpine:)

sage said...

As much hiking as I've done in SW Utah--one of the areas with the highest concentration of cougars, I've never seen a live one, but once was tracked by a cougar into a canyon for when I came out, his tracks were on top of mine. But I never saw him and it was eerie knowing he was probably watching me.

Naturegirl said...

I enjoyed these photos and tour of the
Texas landscape. When I visit my grandchildren in AZ the Javelinas roam their streets at night looking for plants to eat!They live close to the mountains.In looking back at previous posts you can ship that big clump of "moss" my way!!In one of your photos I saw a spotted sheep?I have never seen any other than white!

Anonymous said...

Great stuff Tim, great to see some different landscape to the outback we find over her. Did you say fortunately, or unfortunately about seeing the bears and wild cats?!!

Murf said...

Thanks, Tim. In about 3 years though, you will just be rolling your eyes and no longer laughing. ;-)

Lori Witzel said...

Wish I were there...again.

Did you get to the Study Butte Store?

Annie said...

Oh, that was a wonderful visit to the Big Bend. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I loved going there and imagining a camping trip among all that beauty.

........................ Cam Bernardes said...

Hello Tim! From so long I didn't post anything in my blog and wasn't carring to that but today I made an update and also saw your comments there. About here, I LOVED THE FARM'S PICS! I really did! I love animals.

I liked the other pics too, you always choose great places to photography.

Tim Rice said...

Hi, fred. You, too?! ;)

Thanks, trixi. But your cactus picture is beautiful. It takes the large and the smaller. There are different kinds of beauty but all equally valuable.

Hi, chad oneil. It was a great place to explore. Wouldn't mind going back there some day. But by car it is a three day journey to get there from where I live.

Thanks, moggy. These were fairly close; but it was fun watching them even though I did not know what mischief they might do. :)

Thanks, mreddie. It was a great tour for me, too. Brought back good memories.

Thanks, ash. Glad you enjoyed them.

Hi, cergie. Yes, I have been blessed. As for the horse, if it is not drinking, it is grazing at the very edge of the river. Hard to tell for certain.

Hi, choochoo. So different from my state of Pennsylvania geology, too. These pictures are from the bottom of Texas - at least a three days' drive from where I live.

Hi, sage. That does sound eerie!

Hi, naturegirl. Glad you enjoyed the tour of selected parts of Big Bend. Ah, you're a moss lover, too like me. :) As for sheep, they come in a number of different colors and mixed colors - black, white, brown, and even a shade of red.

Thanks, john-melbourne. Love to provide opportunities to see new or not typical environments. And yes I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't see any mountain lion or bear. I love seeing wildlife.

Hi, murf. We'll see about that. :)

Hi, lori witzel. It is a great place to see, isn't it? And, no, I did not see Study Butte Store. I'd love to hear more about it if you want to share.

Thanks, annie. I'm glad I could provide your imagination that pleasure. It is fun!

Hi, Camila Bernardes. Glad you enjoyed my photos and that you came by. :)

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

I've been to Big Ben Nat'l Park and I saw a wild pig too, but it was dead and very smelly. I didn't take any pictures so I really loved your.

Tim Rice said...

Thanks, abandoned in pasadena. Yeah, I don't think a dead javelina would be all that attractive either. :)