Big Bend - Alpine - Marfa - Fort Davis

[MAUFRAIS 6619]

No internet?

[TexPx 2322]

Fuck yea. It’s been a hot minute.

Does the couple who bought it after the murder still own it? Thought I heard they sold it. I met David Kaczynski there one night.

[RollLeft 5040]

I here the area got 6 inches of snow this week.  Anybody out there?

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Inform us when it gets to 12. 
 

[dieucla98 2942]

We just got back from the area, left one day before the snows hit.

2 nights Terlingua, 2 nights Lajitas, 2 nights Marfa. Fuck load of driving but damn, the scenery out there is mind blowing and makes the long drives go quick.

Terlingua - did 4 hikes in Big Bend National Park (Window, Balance Rock, Santa Elena, Hot Springs) - all epic. I was blown away. I can't wait to get back to Big Bend and see more of the park. Ate at Starlight and DB Rustic BBQ - both were fine, basically in the "good enough" category.

Lajitas - if not for the golf course (which is absolutely stunning), this was pretty meh. Dark, dated rooms, expensive everything, good enough food.

Marfa - star party at McDonald was great, Balmorhea was neat but otherwise, I didn't really get Marfa (and those two things are an hour away from Marfa). Food was awesome though - Margarets, Water Stop and Aster were all excellent meals. Sentinel had great coffee and breakfast. Planet Marfa was just a fun bar and hangout.

Next time we go we're spending the full time exploring Big Bend National Park and the state park next door. Well worth the 7 hour drive from Austin.

 

[deft 6841]

It’s fun getting to planet marfa just as they’re opening and get the side eye from the locals.

[dieucla98 2942]

A few pictures from our trip. 

From the Starlight Theater patio:

Window Trail:

Santa Elena Canyon:

Yucca's (I think?) in bloom:

Lincoln Marfa:

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

Really interested in making a trip out this way in the next few years.  January, February, March are my slowest months.  How likely are we to be dealing with snow in that window out there?

I don't like to be away from home for large chunks of time, and move quick on vacation.  I kind of had the idea of an intinerary that looks like this:

Day 1 - Fly into El Paso, get a hotel in Van Horn.

Day 2 - Get up early (like 4-5AM) and hike Guadalupe Peak (I'm a very experienced hiker; have climbed over 40 of the Colorado 14ers).  Drive to Terlinqua after the hike (I figure it will take 6-7 hours, max to hike).  Should be to Terlingua in time for happy hour and supper.

Day 3 - Get up early and hike Emory Peak.  Drive to Marfa afterwards and spend the night there exploring.

Day 4 - Back to El Paso, fly home.

Would likely do it during the week, due to flight costs.  Is this an idiotic idea?  Kind of thinking March is like a prime time to be in that area.

[stc 1460]

8 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Really interested in making a trip out this way in the next few years.  January, February, March are my slowest months.  How likely are we to be dealing with snow in that window out there?

I don't like to be away from home for large chunks of time, and move quick on vacation.  I kind of had the idea of an intinerary that looks like this:

Day 1 - Fly into El Paso, get a hotel in Van Horn.

Day 2 - Get up early (like 4-5AM) and hike Guadalupe Peak (I'm a very experienced hiker; have climbed over 40 of the Colorado 14ers).  Drive to Terlinqua after the hike (I figure it will take 6-7 hours, max to hike).  Should be to Terlingua in time for happy hour and supper.

Day 3 - Get up early and hike Emory Peak.  Drive to Marfa afterwards and spend the night there exploring.

Day 4 - Back to El Paso, fly home.

Would likely do it during the week, due to flight costs.  Is this an idiotic idea?  Kind of thinking March is like a prime time to be in that area.

that's an aggressive plan as those are some very long days. personally, hiking a peak and then driving several hours sounds terrible...and those are some long boring drives. snow is a fairly rare occurence out there, generally speaking it's probably not going to happen. even if it does snow it's likely going to be melted in a day.  

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

1 minute ago, stc said:

that's an aggressive plan as those are some very long days. personally, hiking a peak and then driving several hours sounds terrible...and those are some long boring drives. snow is a fairly rare occurence out there, generally speaking it's probably not going to happen. even if it does snow it's likely going to be melted in a day.  

It's definitely an aggressive plan, but I actually love long drives through new places, and have no problem hopping in the car after a big hike.

On our honeymoon, my wife and I drove straight through (14 hours) from northeast Iowa to the summit of Pike's Peak, walked 2 miles down the trail to the point where I'd gotten skunked trying to summit the year before, and walked back to the summit before getting to our hotel and getting any sleep.  We hiked another 14er the next day.

[4th&Five 41517]

Driving to BB and only staying long enough to do Emory Peak would be a bit of a waste, imo. I’d rather spend the rest of the day driving around the park than in Marfa. 

[dieucla98 2942]

Yup agreed with @4th&Five - skip Marfa, spend more time in Big Bend. I'd even say just fly into El Paso and drive straight to Terlingua. Big Bend is the main attraction and there is more than enough for days and days of activity. 

[4th&Five 41517]

With limited time and looking this far out I’d at least stay at one of the cabins in the park. 

[Your Mom 4805]

For just bagging the peaks, your plan would work, but in my opinion, it misses the best of that region. The South Rim is a much better hike than Emory Peak. Emory gets you about halfway there before you peel off and summit, but it’s not the best half. If you go back down after submitting, you missed the entire south and east rim, which I think is the highlight of the whole park.  
I also like the desolation of getting a campsite somewhere in a very remote spot, and just chilling out for a day without seeing a single other personal vehicle, but I understand that’s not the vacation you’re looking for.  
Almost every trip I’ve taken to Big Bend Ive roamed around a bit and rarely camped in the same place more than once or twice. I always head home feeling like I was on the move a little bit more than I wished I had been and wishing  I had just focused on a single part of the park for longer periods of time.   
 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Driving to BB and only staying long enough to do Emory Peak would be a bit of a waste, imo. I’d rather spend the rest of the day driving around the park than in Marfa. 

This. 100%.

Hike Santa Elena and the South Rim at least. Mariscal Mines is cool too. I think I’d rather go swim at Balmorhea than go to Marfa.

[stc 1460]

definitely agree that emory peak is not a very exciting hike, as far as peaks go. south rim is a much better option.

[Your Mom 4805]

Also, another vote for Marfa being lame.  Yes, they have some good food and eclectic patio bars, but you can find that stuff back home most likely. It’s only a hit because Marfa is in the middle of nowhere, and that stuff is somewhat unexpected there.  

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

Appreciate the recs.  I don't need to bag a peak, so I'm definitely looking for the best hikes in Big Bend.  I do think Guadalupe Peak would be a cool as hell hike though, the way it towers over everything.

Marfa was more about appeasing the wife.  I mean hell, we're only 15-20 minutes from one of those "wow, I can't believe there's all this hipster shit in the middle of nowhere" towns (Decorah, IA) as it is.   Terlingua looks like enough civilization for me.  I fucking hate camping (which is odd for someone who likes the outdoors as much as I do) so I want hotel access.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[pantone159 719]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Really interested in making a trip out this way in the next few years.  January, February, March are my slowest months.  How likely are we to be dealing with snow in that window out there?

I don't like to be away from home for large chunks of time, and move quick on vacation.  I kind of had the idea of an intinerary that looks like this:

Day 1 - Fly into El Paso, get a hotel in Van Horn.

Day 2 - Get up early (like 4-5AM) and hike Guadalupe Peak (I'm a very experienced hiker; have climbed over 40 of the Colorado 14ers).  Drive to Terlinqua after the hike (I figure it will take 6-7 hours, max to hike).  Should be to Terlingua in time for happy hour and supper.

Day 3 - Get up early and hike Emory Peak.  Drive to Marfa afterwards and spend the night there exploring.

Day 4 - Back to El Paso, fly home.

Would likely do it during the week, due to flight costs.  Is this an idiotic idea?  Kind of thinking March is like a prime time to be in that area.

Day 3 actually sounds harder than Day 2, just be prepared to be pretty worn out, but that may be ok for you. I have climbed Guadalupe Peak and driven back to Austin the same day, so it is possible, but I do not recommend that schedule. There is snow up there sometimes, but that probably won't be much of a problem on the GP trail. Fwiw, Carlsbad NM is as close (or closer) to Guadalupe Peak NP as Van Horn is. Carlsbad is not much of a town but Van Horn is not either. (Though Van Horn does have the Chuy's with the shrine to John Madden, who was still going the last time I was there, I suspect his table is still waiting for him though.)

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

2 minutes ago, pantone159 said:

Day 3 actually sounds harder than Day 2, just be prepared to be pretty worn out, but that may be ok for you. I have climbed Guadalupe Peak and driven back to Austin the same day, so it is possible, but I do not recommend that schedule. There is snow up there sometimes, but that probably won't be much of a problem on the GP trail. Fwiw, Carlsbad NM is as close (or closer) to Guadalupe Peak NP as Van Horn is. Carlsbad is not much of a town but Van Horn is not either. (Though Van Horn does have the Chuy's with the shrine to John Madden, who was still going the last time I was there, I suspect his table is still waiting for him though.)

Van Horn's just more on the way.  It didn't look like any kind of a destination.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Appreciate the recs.  I don't need to bag a peak, so I'm definitely looking for the best hikes in Big Bend.  I do think Guadalupe Peak would be a cool as hell hike though, the way it towers over everything.
Marfa was more about appeasing the wife.  I mean hell, we're only 15-20 minutes from one of those "wow, I can't believe there's all this hipster shit in the middle of nowhere" towns (Decorah, IA) as it is.   Terlingua looks like enough civilization for me.  I fucking hate camping (which is odd for someone who likes the outdoors as much as I do) so I want hotel access.

Yes, you should definitely do Guadalupe peak so you can say you have been to the top of Texas. Plus the view is awesome.

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

53 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Yes, you should definitely do Guadalupe peak so you can say you have been to the top of Texas. Plus the view is awesome.

I've been to the high point of a few states, so that's definitely a little motivation.

 

Upon further Googling, Terlingua looks a lot more like my kind of place than Marfa.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13509]

I basically hit all of the places, in the thread title, this past summer. It was after school had started so fairly empty of people. 

I would caution anyone about trying to do too much. These towns are all drivable from each other, but you also don't want to spend half days driving. If you're into hiking or camping, you won't be disappointed in terms of spending too much time in Big Bend.  I also wanted to toss in a drive/hike to Guadalupe Peak during my trip but decided it wasn't worth the time. Maybe next trip. 

For my trip I didn't camp and mainly stayed at an AirBNB in Terlingua so I kept to BB day hikes. Lost Mine was my favorite. I only saw 8 other people on the trail. It's a good workout but not too bad. As nerdy as it looks, I recommend hiking poles. Saves your knees and is a good method to keep your balance on a few small sections of even paths. 

I stayed in Marathon for a couple nights and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're there for a reason. The Gage Hotel is cool but you're far from everything and spend too much time in a car going to Alpine/Marfa/Ft Davis or even Big Bend.

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

I've used hiking poles for years, when I'm on big hikes.  A couple of hours, you probably don't need them.  In the 5-6+ hour range, it's a necessity.

[pantone159 719]

1 hour ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I've been to the high point of a few states, so that's definitely a little motivation.

Don't miss Iowa!

Guadalupe Peak is one of my favorite of the US state highpoints. The views are very cool and pretty varied as you hike up. It can definitely be windy, so be prepared for that, but otherwise it is an easy hike, besides the moderate elevation gain.

 

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

On 3/18/2023 at 10:47 PM, RollLeft said:

I here the area got 6 inches of snow this week.  Anybody out there?

Only stuck on the ground for about a day   
 

 

 

 

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

17 minutes ago, pantone159 said:

Don't miss Iowa!

Guadalupe Peak is one of my favorite of the US state highpoints. The views are very cool and pretty varied as you hike up. It can definitely be windy, so be prepared for that, but otherwise it is an easy hike, besides the moderate elevation gain.

 

I’ve visited Hawkeye Point.  Would never go out of my way, but literally drove past one day and stopped in.

Mt Elbert in Colorado is the highest one I’ve done, but the best view is Black Elk Peak in South Dakota.  Like Guadalupe, it dominates the surrounding area.  Mt Kahtadin in Maine is incredible too.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Al_4_ISU

[pantone159 719]

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I’ve visited Hawkeye Point.  Would never go out of my way, but literally drove past one day and stopped in.

Mt Elbert in Colorado is the highest one I’ve done, but the best view is Black Elk Peak in South Dakota.  Like Guadalupe, it dominates the surrounding area.  Mt Kahtadin in Maine is incredible too.

The couple who used to own Hawkeye Point (the Sterlers?) had a reputation for being very friendly to state highpoint collectors, so I give it good vibes. When I visited almost 20 years ago the husband had passed but the wife still owned the property, but everyone was welcome to visit. My parents had both been to Ocheydan Mound (which was for a time thought to be the Iowa highpoint) so I went there too, and collected several ticks.

Most all of the western state highpoints do have really great views, as you would expect. But once you set yourself to visiting all the state highpoints, you will go faaaar out of your way for even sillier places. (Ebright Azimuth DE, aka road intersection, holla!)

 

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

23 minutes ago, pantone159 said:

The couple who used to own Hawkeye Point (the Sterlers?) had a reputation for being very friendly to state highpoint collectors, so I give it good vibes. When I visited almost 20 years ago the husband had passed but the wife still owned the property, but everyone was welcome to visit. My parents had both been to Ocheydan Mound (which was for a time thought to be the Iowa highpoint) so I went there too, and collected several ticks.

Most all of the western state highpoints do have really great views, as you would expect. But once you set yourself to visiting all the state highpoints, you will go faaaar out of your way for even sillier places. (Ebright Azimuth DE, aka road intersection, holla!)

 

At least Ocheydan Mound visibly rises above its surroundings.

A lot of Iowans assume the highest point is in the NE corner because it’s part of a dissected plateau, not geologically unlike the Texas Hill Country.  You can have hills with relief of 5-600’ there.  But as you likely know, elevation gradually rises west from the Mississippi to the Rockies, and even the NW IA is much flatter, it’s also closer to that point.

I’m not super into high pointing per se, but my love of hiking is pretty complimentary to it.

[Your Mom 4805]

Just curious if you considered the south rim hike. I’ve only done it with a camp out at the rim and hike back the next day, but people do it in a single day all the time, including a few guys on this site, I believe. Sounds like it’s well within your capabilities.  Might not want to drive much further than Terlingua afterward though. It has to be in the 18 to 20 mile range round-trip I’d guess.  

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

13 hours ago, Your Mom said:

Just curious if you considered the south rim hike. I’ve only done it with a camp out at the rim and hike back the next day, but people do it in a single day all the time, including a few guys on this site, I believe. Sounds like it’s well within your capabilities.  Might not want to drive much further than Terlingua afterward though. It has to be in the 18 to 20 mile range round-trip I’d guess.  

Yeah, I think I’m gonna do south rim after the recs here and looking it up.  According to AllTrails it’s 12 miles and roughly 3K of gain.  The longest single hike I’ve ever done was 24 miles w/5K of gain, in the same shape I’m in now.

[GreenspointTexas 9598]

Wife and I did South Rim 3-4 years ago. Left basin at 0730, returned at 1530. 
 

absolutely the best hike in the state. Not to hard to do in a single day either

[Cajun 11705]

On 3/24/2023 at 8:33 AM, Al_4_ISU said:

Really interested in making a trip out this way in the next few years.  January, February, March are my slowest months.  How likely are we to be dealing with snow in that window out there?

I don't like to be away from home for large chunks of time, and move quick on vacation.  I kind of had the idea of an intinerary that looks like this:

Day 1 - Fly into El Paso, get a hotel in Van Horn.

Day 2 - Get up early (like 4-5AM) and hike Guadalupe Peak (I'm a very experienced hiker; have climbed over 40 of the Colorado 14ers).  Drive to Terlinqua after the hike (I figure it will take 6-7 hours, max to hike).  Should be to Terlingua in time for happy hour and supper.

Day 3 - Get up early and hike Emory Peak.  Drive to Marfa afterwards and spend the night there exploring.

Day 4 - Back to El Paso, fly home.

Would likely do it during the week, due to flight costs.  Is this an idiotic idea?  Kind of thinking March is like a prime time to be in that area.

Go to the ocean with a thimble and all you get is a thimble-full of ocean.

[deft 6841]

True though

[Nice Guy Eddie 13509]

If anyone hasn't thought it, you can search youtube for any of these major hikes to learn more about the experience.  For Guadalupe Peak I watched one video of someone who struggled to get back down before dark. Never hurts to be more aware of risks. Obviously this may eliminate a few surprises from your hike.

[Al_4_ISU 12452]

4 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

If anyone hasn't thought it, you can search youtube for any of these major hikes to learn more about the experience.  For Guadalupe Peak I watched one video of someone who struggled to get back down before dark. Never hurts to be more aware of risks. Obviously this may eliminate a few surprises from your hike.

I could see an inexperienced hiker struggling with a hike like that.  I always start very early in the day on day hikes (5-6AM) and it stuns me to see so many people leaving the parking lot when I'm getting back, with a goal of reaching the summit.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

My younger brother and I hiked it with our pops. At the time he was 70. Had to make a few stops for him but handled it no problem. What was crazy was seeing the mountain runners. Like goddamn goats. Once we got back my brother looked up on Strava to see the times people did it in. I want to say it was like 2 hours and change. Wild.

[Hagbard Celine 10852]

On 3/24/2023 at 8:33 AM, Al_4_ISU said:

Really interested in making a trip out this way in the next few years.  January, February, March are my slowest months.  How likely are we to be dealing with snow in that window out there?

I don't like to be away from home for large chunks of time, and move quick on vacation.  I kind of had the idea of an intinerary that looks like this:

Day 1 - Fly into El Paso, get a hotel in Van Horn.

Day 2 - Get up early (like 4-5AM) and hike Guadalupe Peak (I'm a very experienced hiker; have climbed over 40 of the Colorado 14ers).  Drive to Terlinqua after the hike (I figure it will take 6-7 hours, max to hike).  Should be to Terlingua in time for happy hour and supper.

Day 3 - Get up early and hike Emory Peak.  Drive to Marfa afterwards and spend the night there exploring.

Day 4 - Back to El Paso, fly home.

Would likely do it during the week, due to flight costs.  Is this an idiotic idea?  Kind of thinking March is like a prime time to be in that area.

That's a terribly inefficient itinerary..  Not a cunning plan.

[Hagbard Celine 10852]

On 3/24/2023 at 10:18 AM, Al_4_ISU said:

Van Horn's just more on the way.  It didn't look like any kind of a destination.

*NEVER* design a trans-pecos itinerary that involves eastbound I-10 travel from el paso to van horn through the sierra blanca checkpoint

it is a black hole of aggy derp and a gravity well of inefficiency, stupidity and waste

fear.

and loathing.

[Biff Tannen 45665]

1 hour ago, Hagbard Celine said:

*NEVER* design a trans-pecos itinerary that involves eastbound I-10 travel from el paso to van horn through the sierra blanca checkpoint

it is a black hole of aggy derp and a gravity well of inefficiency, stupidity and waste

fear.

and loathing.

I got lucky on this and only had about a 15 minute wait in January.  For no discernible reason.

[MalibuSheriff 1090]

On 3/29/2023 at 12:39 PM, Al_4_ISU said:

I could see an inexperienced hiker struggling with a hike like that.  I always start very early in the day on day hikes (5-6AM) and it stuns me to see so many people leaving the parking lot when I'm getting back, with a goal of reaching the summit.

Definitely plan on a day in Balmorhea.  

 

I love and miss this part of the world. So many good times out there.

[deft 6841]

Those little fish are kinky bastards though. Watch your nips bud.

[MAUFRAIS 6619]

Everybody on here swims in a t shirt.

[Guest]

At Lajitas.  It is beautiful.  The drive from Alpine is long, but very curvy and scenic. Lots of change in elevation too.  I got a kick out of all of the rental 'teepees' where people do them as an air-BNB to 'sleep under the stars.'  I am not a golfer, but am enjoying the visit just the same.  Read some of the reviews of the resort online and was expecting very rustic accomodations.  Whoever wrote the reviews is spoiled AF.  The rooms are nice and everything on the grounds is easily accessible on foot.

CSB, Colleague has cousin who owns a ranch about 40 miles from here and they came by to say hi.  I asked him what they raised, in true Texican fashion, he retorted, "HELL!"

[TexPx 2322]

At Lajitas.  It is beautiful.  The drive from Alpine is long, but very curvy and scenic. Lots of change in elevation too.  I got a kick out of all of the rental 'teepees' where people do them as an air-BNB to 'sleep under the stars.'  I am not a golfer, but am enjoying the visit just the same.  Read some of the reviews of the resort online and was expecting very rustic accomodations.  Whoever wrote the reviews is spoiled AF.  The rooms are nice and everything on the grounds is easily accessible on foot.
CSB, Colleague has cousin who owns a ranch about 40 miles from here and they came by to say hi.  I asked him what they raised, in true Texican fashion, he retorted, "HELL!"

Lots of nice short hikes/walks at the State Park.
Closed Canyon
Ojita Adentro-waterfall
Hoodoos-Cool rock formations
Cinco Tinajas

[Hagbard Celine 10852]

sshhhhhh, be vewy vewy qwiet.... 

Spoiler

you didn't mention Madrid Falls

 

[stc 1460]

spent 5 nights camped in the basin last week. i generally prefer the backcountry sites but i knew the weather in the basin would be more favorable for camping this time of year. it was hot as hell in the afternoons but the nights and mornings felt great. did several hikes i hadn't done in a long time including the lost mine and south rim. did a couple short desert hikes one morning then spent the aftenoon swimming in santa elena canyon. did a boomerang trip up santa elena to fern canyon one day...wow that place is really amazing. finally made it down pinto canyon road to the chinati hot springs for 2 nights as well and that was super relaxing. excellent trip, will post a few pics later...

[stc 1460]

They were burning off river cane so it was hazy the whole time.
1. Lost mine trail 2. South rim 3. Sunset from the window 4. Santa Elena canyon 5. Fern canyon 6. Pinto canyon road 7. Pool at Chinati Hot Springs

[Jack Handey 57]

On 3/26/2023 at 2:08 PM, deft said:

True though

I like your style

[texashorne 1177]

20 hours ago, stc said:

3. Sunset from the window

This picture is from the Window overlook, right? The trail that goes off to the right?