The HOGB8 Thread

[Private Klink]

OK, here's a +1.

 

[Leonardo63]

I played on google maps today and found the Starlight Theater - there's even a 360 view from one of the tables inside - didn't see any cats, that was disappointing~ it looks like there's 2 things to do there, drink, or die of thirst in the desert - I could see wanting a knife in that area.

 

[Busto]

I played on google maps today and found the Starlight Theater - there's even a 360 view from one of the tables inside - didn't see any cats, that was disappointing~ it looks like there's 2 things to do there, drink, or die of thirst in the desert - I could see wanting a knife in that area.

The Cats were over at the La Kiva which is heading back toward Study Butte...They had good food at one time but that place became a danger zone for food with the cats....It's a Sunken Round Kiva built out of Mine Rocks from the old Mercury mine!! The Good Place now is the El Dorado Motel/Bar/Restaurant...There is not much down there but the Big Bend Park is Beautiful if you like Desert Scape.

 

[Leonardo63]

The Cats were over at the La Kiva which is heading back toward Study Butte...They had good food at one time but that place became a danger zone for food with the cats....It's a Sunken Round Kiva built out of Mine Rocks from the old Mercury mine!! The Good Place now is the El Dorado Motel/Bar/Restaurant...There is not much down there but the Big Bend Park is Beautiful if you like Desert Scape.

Found it too! That's interesting! couple pics from inside - no cats ... Not a place you want to fall against the wall or the floor, looks like all stone. The whole area looks like a natural movie set for anything the imagination can come up with.I always get a kick out of exploring this way and it's interesting the photos people post up.

 

[Busto]

The cats may have moved on to better feeding grounds. This time of year that area becomes a tourist destination with nice warm weather away from the frozen North. The Rio Grande River is a popular rafting/kayaking area it is a pretty section of the River however a few years back the Mexican Banditos would shoot at and rob rafters.

 

[hydeinmind]

^Goodbess this sounds like some crazy fun place with some beautiful scenery. I like desolation! Think I might have to go check this area out!

 

[Busto]

I really like it this time of year. The summer months down there is like walking on the Sun!!!

I like the Thanksgiving week nobody around very peaceful better selection of camping areas!! Load up all my gear on the Motorcycle and cruise on down.

 

[Private Klink]

I'll stick with our nice Fall temps and color around here.

 

[hydeinmind]

I really like it this time of year. The summer months down there is like walking on the Sun!!!

I like the Thanksgiving week nobody around very peaceful better selection of camping areas!! Load up all my gear on the Motorcycle and cruise on down.

Is it still warm enough to camp in the winter or for thanksgiving? Thinking of taking a little road trip this winter so probably not going north haha.

 

[Busto]

I'll stick with our nice Fall temps and color around here.

Yeah fall temps there are Good...but Winter temps down there are like 70's and it's comfortable the evenings get a little cool so you want to build a little fire, but the days I hike I end up in a T-Shirt after it warms up in the mornings. At the Top of the Chisos Mountain its a bit cooler but you have left the desert for more of an Alpine climate and that is Nice Also!!

 

[Leonardo63]

The Good Place now is the El Dorado Motel/Bar/Restaurant...There is not much down there but the Big Bend Park is Beautiful if you like Desert Scape.

Tip of the day - don't go look at the menu for the High Sierra before lunchtime- man that made me hungry HAHA! - Might have to hit Ventura's for lunch now, in fact, that's sounding really good!

 

[Will York]

November and late February were our favorite times to do Big Bend. November up in the Chisos was my wife’s favorite, when the Bigtooth maples are turning flame red. Beautiful!

 

[Busto]

That is why I like going during Thanksgiving time it's beautiful up in the Alpine at the top of the Chisos...You also had the Aspens when you were in Ruidoso/Cloudcroft that's pretty country as well...

Back in the '60's my folks purchased 20 acres up at Alto but sold it off in the late '80's wish I would have been able to get some of that but it was Pricey!!!

 

[hydeinmind]

Yeah fall temps there are Good...but Winter temps down there are like 70's and it's comfortable the evenings get a little cool so you want to build a little fire, but the days I hike I end up in a T-Shirt after it warms up in the mornings. At the Top of the Chisos Mountain its a bit cooler but you have left the desert for more of an Alpine climate and that is Nice Also!!

That sounds really great! Cooler weather makes for a great hike and night of sleeping IMO. You guys make it sound so cool too that I think I’m going to have to do some research and go. Now to convince my wife lol. She likes hiking but she’s not so keen on camping ha.

 

[Will York]

Google Big Bend National Park and check out Chisos Mountain Lodge—it’s near the trailheads.

They used to have some cabins there, also, but I don’t know if they still do. Had to reserve the cabins like a year in advance. Maybe Busto knows.

 

[Will York]

The only two things I know of that can put a damper on hiking the Chisos in late fall and winter are heavy fog and the occasional “norther”. Gayle Bradley told me he got caught camping on the South Rim of the Chisos one night with his wife and was almost snowed in by a freak storm that blew in overnight. I’ve been at that same spot with fog so heavy that when you looked off the Rim the only thing you saw for miles was the top of the cloud bank. Fairly eerie and fun to see, but after a seven mile climb to take in the view it wasn’t really what we’d hoped for.

But those weather conditions are not the norm. Usually nice that time of year—light windbreaker to start the day and then T-shirt weather.

 

[Busto]

You might out of the Clear Blue get a Freak storm but very unusual and you can check the NOAA forecast well in advance by what is happening on the West Coast or off the Mexican Baja to play it safe. It would be more likely in the late December early January to see a crazy snow storm that is usually the time of year the Southwest get snow or rainfall.

If the wife is not keen on camping there is a really nice area that is not a long drive but it's out past Terlingua heading west and was built by a Texas Oil Man kind of Rustic Western Town "Lajitas" and its right on the Rio Grande River Excellent Dining they have a private runway for the Jet Setters and a Golf Course. There is a General Store there I like to stop in and get my Libations when I head that way and one year on the Mexican side of the border some folks were having a picnic and needed Ice and Beer and they inflated a rubber raft came across the river got a couple cases of Budweiser and lots of Ice got back in the raft went back across the River it was quite funny actually making a beer run from Mexico to the US side for a Picnic!!!!

 

[hydeinmind]

^This is great stuff gents thank you! I’ve been considering roaming around west Texas for some time now. Looking at way out of the way places like Mentone and Marfa but sounds like now I’m going to have to go a little farther south now! Winter is my slow time so this sounds like some open country and nice climate.

 

[Will York]

...sounds like some open country and nice climate.

It is that, in the winter months.

Just keep in mind that it’s big country. For many, just the drive to Ft Stockton where you leave I-10 seems to take forever. An hour south of there you reach the last town of any size, Marathon (under 500 pop), and you’re still 85 miles of rough road (as much as another 2 hrs) to park HQ. Terlingua, Study (prn “Stew-dy”) Butte and Lajitas are another hour-plus drive west, and as Busto says, there’s not a whole lot there. (ETA: just checked the population of Terlingua and in 2010 it was 58–doubt it’s changed much. More tourists than locals at any given time.)

The point being, build in time to get around, relax and don’t get frustrated by the distances. If you’re into vast wide-open spaces and epic desert landscapes, you’ll get your fill.

(Another ETA—Big Bend Natl Park is larger in area than the state of Rhode Island)

 

[Busto]

Driving across Texas is like an occupation so you have to get used to the long drives with wide open spaces. I do I-10 from El Paso to Van Horn then head south to Marfa and Alpine then head due south and the Highway is way better than it used to be...Not as scenic as some areas but the closer you get to the Park the better the Landscape. There is also Old Fort Davis the Last of the Old Remaining Forts from the Indian Wars again a small town but it's up in the Davis Mountains (that is stretching the term for mountains) I always liked visiting there for the History.