Chorro Vista - Big Bend Ranch State Park
On the last day of the year we broke camp and headed toward our next site at Big Bend Ranch State Park, Chorro Vista. (Sadly, not associated with that tasty Mexican treat, the churro.) To get there would require another hour and half of slow trundling through the desert from the Sauceda Ranger Station until the “road” quite literally ends.
As the Jeep trail weaves around and over the mountains the tortured geology hints at the fascinating natural history of the region. The oldest rocks visible in the Big Bend began as ocean sediment over 500 million years ago when the area was covered by a shallow sea. About 300 million years ago the rocks were folded and faulted into ancient mountains during what geologists call the “Appalachian/Ouachita/Marathon Event.” Over time the mountains were worn down, and about 100 million years ago the region was once again covered by a shallow ocean and buried in sediment. This was in turn uplifted and deformed about 50 million years ago in the Rocky Mountain Event. Things really got cooking about 27 million years ago when extensive lava flows and abundant volcanic ash built up the current Bofecillos Mountains in the high central part of the park.
Or as the Apache legend more eloquently sums it up, after creating the universe, the Great Spirit tossed all of the leftover bits and debris into the Big Bend.
Our campsite for New Year’s Eve provided stunning views. A short hike to the top of our personal mountain provided a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding mountains and canyons. An unexpected trickle of blood running down my leg served as a reminder that the local vegetation is about as hostile and storied as the surrounding rocks. Everything here seems to want to poke, pierce, bite or sting you. It is a place you have to always be careful where you step, and sit!
Sotol, ocotillo, and. lechuguilla stand ready to defend themselves against bare-legged adventurers.
A warm campfire and sky filled with stars set the perfect backdrop to ring in the new year!
Below the Line
Cosmic Disco Ball
“Are you seeing this?” It was New Year’s Eve, and it may have been the Asti Spumante talking, but low on the horizon a bright star was doing its best impression of a multi-colored disco ball, rapidly flashing every color of the rainbow. The star was Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Thanks to the clear, dry air of the high desert the light from Sirius gets diffracted by variations in the earth’s atmosphere, bending the light like a prism, and creating the celestial light show. Another spectacular surprise that you can’t experience in the hazy, humid air of Central Florida. It is sad that over 80 percent of the US population cannot see the Milky Way in the night sky due to light pollution. The Big Bend is one of a shrinking list of places you can still experience the magic of silence, clear air, and dark skies.
Image of Sirius showing off its many colors. (Photo: Amanda Cross)
Bonus Video: Chorro Vista – Q&A
This YouTube video answers some of the common questions regarding backcountry exploration in Big Bend Ranch State Park. How to get there? What the trails are like? What do you need to bring? And everyone’s favorite question – how do you go to the bathroom in the outback?
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