Weekly Update Archive

I figured it was about time for another update. This of course closes out the season for me. (Maybe not so much for updates but at least for the collecting and the trips.)

If anyone doesn't know about the South Rim trial in the Chisos Mountains, it is a fourteen mile round trip hike and is very strenuous. Kim and I did this trail back in 1993 and that is the last time I hiked it. Well, I am even about 40 pounds heavier and let me tell you, the hurting is still there after the hike.

I began my trip on Saturday morning, Oct 13. I had some barbecue in Hondo at McBees which is a favorite of mine. I cruised to Sanderson and stayed with Ruth and Roy at the Outback Oasis. We cooked flat iron steaks out on the grill and had some great conversation. Roy and I went out herping for a few hours and saw a couple of Subocs and a baby Gopher snake. No alterna! They were being caught just less than one week before I arrived though. The temps were excellent and there was wind.

I took out to the Chisos Basin late Sunday morning. I checked in to the cabins there in the basin where I would stay for three days. I had dinner up in the lodge Sunday night and got some much needed rest for Monday's hike.

Monday morning arrived, and I got up at 6:30 a.m. I put on my hiking boots on, loaded the pack and off I went. I decided to hike up Pinnacles first which is, by far, harder than going up Laguna Meadows. I have been both ways on this hike and let me tell you, coming down through Pinnacles is very hard on the knees. I do better hiking up Pinnacles rather than going down that trail. I was very glad I chose to go that way.

I counted 28 switchbacks until I hit the top of the mountain and rounded the other side. I traveled through Boot Canyon resting a bit and taking pics. This is one of the nicest parts of the hike for sure. I finally started to ascend again after crossing the intersection of the East Rim Trail and the trail I was on to the South Rim. It took my just under six hours to summit. As I said, it is really much easier on the knees going up Pinnacles vs down! After a 45 minute visit and pictures at the top, I continued on. I so much enjoyed the scenery from atop the trail. I wound my way around the south side of the mountains and through Blue Creek. This was a great part of the trip as well. The last time I hiked it, the Blue Creek fire back in 1989 had left devastating charred remains behind. 18 years later, it has recovered remarkably! I can remember so vividly in 1993 when it was so charred and so barren. It was so nice to see the recovery! Nature rocks!!

I came to the other side of the mountains from the South side, and there was a little trail that shot off to the left. At the end of it was a lookout point. I could see the basin and my cabin as well as the lodge! The sign said 2.2 miles to go! It looked and felt like one hell of a lot further than 2.2 miles from where I was standing! The last 2.2 miles of this hike were pure hell! Every step down the switchback could be felt in my ankles and hips. My calves were on the verge of locking up with pain. The trail seemed to go on and on, one damned switchback after another. I never could see the cabins until I was right there at them on the last turn!

The time it took for me to complete the hike was 11 hours and 12 minutes! It ain't about the time, it's about finishing, and finish I did!!!

I rested the next day, but managed to run the River Road Tuesday and Wednesday nights, only seeing two atrox and one molossus. The temps were too cool Wednesday night and I headed back in.

Thursday I was able to move again and hiked Closed Canyon. I saw some crevice spiny lizards as well as several earless lizards but that is all. I continued on to Ruidosa where I went up Pinto Canyon Road, always a favorite of mine! It was EXTREMELY ROUGH to say the least! I saw no hognose coming in to Marfa which was a disappointment.

I ate at an excellent Barbecue place in town and much to my liking, it was awesome! The owner is from San Antonio and had moved out there and opened his business up in August of this year! I am plugging his business because the food was excellent and the place is going to rock when he gets the outside finished! See the pictures posted here! The pulled pork is awesome!

I continued on and spotted a few cuts on the way in to Sanderson from the West side but to no avail. The temps were way too cool. Snake hunting out West is now over. I stayed another night with Ruth and Roy. I went in and drank whiskey with Roy and we told stories and watched the tube.

I left Sanderson Friday morning and checked into the snake hunting headquarters of Del Rio, Motel 6. I subjected myself to the Pandale dirt road in search of hognose, or anything else I could find, but all I found was a juvenile coachwhip. The road was really rough and is being decimated thanks to all of the rock mining going on out there. Plus there are a lot of cabins and trailers going up with some full blown houses which is a great scar upon the land and what used to be paradise as far as I'm concerned. No more! Pandale dirt now SUCKS as a result. It's a damn shame too. By the time I got into Del Rio, it was 6:30 P.M. I cleaned up and went to TB's Bar & Grill which was featured on the travel channel. A dish called Corona Chicken was featured and hyped on the show. It was good but not great. I should have tried the Corona Shrimp which I will do next time. I had a great time there and had a decent meal.

Until next update, rock on herpers!!!