Bringing Back Big Bend
by Cynthia E. Ledbetter and Rebekah K. Nix
Bringing Back Big Bend
by Cynthia E. Ledbetter and Rebekah K. Nix
nternet surfers will soon be able to share in the recent adventures of area teachers and students in the Big Bend country. In one week, they experienced a uniquely diverse environment and brought a bit of it home in the form of a "virtual field trip."
Since 1975, the Science Education Program at The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson has been taking elementary and secondary teachers into the field to experience science first-hand. Early this June, 15 participants from various districts in the Dallas area, and as far away as Houston, loaded into vans and headed for the wide-open spaces of West Texas. Their goal was to explore the geology, ecology and impact of man in the largest national park in Texas.
Perched on the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, Big Bend National Park's 708,221 acres range in elevation from 1,800 to 7,835 feet, presenting a never-ending study in contrasts. Mountains dominate the landscape, bringing blessed relief from the surrounding desert: an area that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year.
But Big Bend was surprisingly un-desert-like for our adventurers. Along with some of their first wilderness hikes and camping, this group also shared the rare experience of the torrential downpours. When it rains it pours in that region. Soaked sleeping bags were aired nearly every morning beneath magnificent rainbows, while the ground exploded with color as the diverse ecology took advantage of the unique geology.
Setting up camp is always entertaining, and the kitchen is always the first priority. After an amazingly tasty taco salad, chips and salsa, the group quietly faded into all sorts of tents as neatly arranged as the pages of an REI catalog. Everyone was eager for a good night's sleep as soon as all the "zipping" stopped. And then came the rumble, and the calming pitter patter, and then ? uh oh ? the clouds opened up, and the thunder and light show began.
Everyone smiled as the sun breached the basin rim. Hot coffee from a vintage pot warmed and awakened the soggy survivors as they rung out gear. Filled with folks ready for their first hike, both vans headed for Santa Elena Canyon. Along the way, an infuriated tarantula - stopping traffic as it crossed the road - ferociously showed its red mouth when hordes of curious teachers circled to take its picture.
We stopped several times along the Maxwell Scenic Drive. At the juncture of two major mountain ranges, a fascinating geologic history supports a unique ecologic setting. Remnants of an explosive volcanic period engage one's imagination with names like Burro Mesa, Goat Mountain and Mule Ears Peaks. Wind and water erosion is the active agent today. Over unfathomable geologic time, the Rio Grande cut through 3,000 feet of uplifted limestone.
At the end of the road, each of the teachers added a 2-gallon zip bag with a data collection device and field log to his/her pack and headed down the trail to the Rio Grande. Unfortunately, the previous night's deluge caused the river to swell and the National Park Service to close access to the canyon. We did manage to slip and slide down the banks of Terlingua Creek, a nearby tributary, to add readings to our growing database. Even though we didn't hike the canyon, we did enjoy ice cream at the Castolon Historic District: a trading and farming community in the early and mid-1900s.
Our afternoon hike took us up into the cool mountains. The Lost Mine Trail is a scenic route that leads to great views of the Big Bend Basin. For the coaches and cheerleader sponsors, it was a nice run up the hill; for others, it proved to be an arduous climb as the air became even thinner. Unlike the desert below, our hikers enjoy specimens of the red-barked Texas madrone, desert olive, catclaw acacia, drooping juniper, alligator pine and Emory oak intermixed with lechugilla, ocotillo, sotol, cholla, strawberry cactus and red, orange and yellow prickly pear blossoms literally covered with butterflies and bees. On occasion, weíve been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a peregrine falcon nesting at this higher elevation.
The evening found all chatting and comparing notes on the day's adventures.
The morning sun was energizing. Somewhat acclimated now, the group prepared to explore a lesser-known area of the park: Cattail Falls. Their goal for the morning was to understand another example of an ecological setting and to test the chemistry of the back-up water supply for the park. One of the few areas that has running water all year, it is lush with large trees, waist-high fern, and brilliantly colored wildflowers, such as columbine.
Rattlesnakes took a particular liking to this trail, so everyone was keenly observant!
Intrigued with the variety of plants and subtleties within the rocks, no one expected to encounter the black bear we rousted from a nap. It was resting in a tree as the string of science educators filed by. Good sense overcame curiosity on both parts: he rambled on down the draw and we continued up. That burst of excitement got us up and over a hill, then back onto the mountain. Well worth the effort, the teachers recorded their observations and rested in the soft, green, cool box canyon nearly 300 feet directly above our campground.
After lunch, we compared that cool, quiet oasis to an entirely different clime, the Hot Springs. Years ago this area was developed as a resort where people came to find "the cure." The park is restoring the buildings adorned with frescos depicting a colorful past. As we strolled along the bamboo-shrouded trail, ancient pictographs added a mysterious dimension to the limestone cliffs that parallels the Rio Grande.
Our air, soil and water temperature readings were high, but we weren't surprised; the desert and hot springs are supposed to be hot.
Dusty, dirty, tired and hot, we were ecstatic at the thought of a real shower at Rio Grande Village. The solar showers at camp were nice, but 75 cents was a small price to pay for cold water, or hot water ? it didn't matter as long as there was plenty of it.
Back at camp, dinner tasted even better and our view of the sunset through ìthe Windowî was priceless.
A much-anticipated day had arrived: the group would visit the dinosaur site in the Tornillo Flats badlands. For several years, UTD's Homer Montgomery has taken teachers to excavate one of the most complete alamosaurus finds in the world. Two miles into the Big Bend desert through dirt, dust and every kind of plant that stings or sticks, teachers marched to an ancient burial ground.
Excavation was not under way that week, but our teachers were not disappointed. In this particular area, the desert pavement is littered with fossil remains ? but you have to know what to look for. We had toured the exhibit and bone preparation lab at the Dallas Museum of Natural History to gain perspective on what we finally got to see in the field. The enthused team discovered many telltale fragments exposed on the surface.
Federal law prohibits collecting or digging anything in a national park without a permit ? and they aren't kidding. The first offense brings a hefty fine and mandatory jail sentence. So, photographic field methods is one of several courses UTD offers for graduate credit on such trips. The camera shutters chattered like machine guns as photographic evidence was stored.
After lots of cold water and a quick lunch, we took off for Colorado Canyon. Here the land rises in wondrous peaks above the green ribbon of water ? the Rio Grande. From the top of the volcanic cliff river rafters could be seen floating silently through the canyon. Massive outpourings of basalt formed the thick deposits of now-frozen flows. We also stopped at a fabulous bookstore in adjacent Big Bend Ranch State Park. Teachers in bookstores are like kids in candy shops. Every book is appealing.
A rather civilized evening in Terlingua, of chili cook-off fame, was a special treat for all.
This history-rich hamlet attracts tourists and desert rats alike to browse gift shops and wander through a most interesting cemetery until tables are ready at the Starlight Dinner Theater. Cooled by oscillating fans and two-foot thick walls, the Starlight is a place to soak up local culture and enjoy a terrific meal. If your timing is right, self-styled Willie Nelsons entertain whoever might be willing to listen? some you've heard and some you never will again.
Well-rested and completely immersed in the flora and fauna of the Big Bend region, the group was now ready to collect another type of data in a wooded area just above the Chisos Basin Lodge. A tree transect is used to analyze a forest without having to identify, measure and count every single tree. Teams of teachers crawled everywhere on the mountainside ó through brush and brambles, across creek beds and rock ledges ó with measuring tapes, tree identification guides, field journals and cameras.
Unfortunately, the prickly desert plants that thrived in such close association with the pines and oaks surprised some scouts. Ouch!
Students have been studying this site for 10 years. The data reveals slow change in the area. Once a fully-vested forest, the sturdy Ponderosa pine still guards the entrance to the research area. But more and more, desert plants such as creosote and prickly pear are taking over. The creek bed is more often a dry ravine, and the denser shrubs of the understory indicate thinning of the large trees. Only time will tell if this is a permanent change or simply another iteration of an ageless cycle of growth and re-growth.
Naturally, being in such close proximity to the lodge, the group was also encouraged to sample the famous Chisos burgers at the park restaurant. After exploring yet another gift shop, the afternoon was spent in rest and reflection, two other commodities hard to come by on a field trip.
Catching up on writing assignments is fine, but a greenhorn's visit just isn't complete without taking a hike to the Window, a wonderful outlook onto the desert floor. But the trail is deceptive, winding down from the basin through open areas, that you'd swear are part of the desert, into shady areas ahead beckoning you onward, promising, and delivering, lush areas of oaks and sweet smelling shrubs. Farther in, the desert breeze picks up through the Window, and it's cool in the shadows of gigantic rocks. Small streams often run through the area, cooling hikers even more and adding a gentle symphony to the backdrop of birds and insects.
At the Window itself, the rock is polished smooth from years of water washing through this primary drainage for the Basin. Experienced hikers enjoy their time here, hydrating while imagining the scenery eons ago, because the return passage is all up hill. That short, gentle descent becomes a rough, endless ramp to the blazing sun. Back at camp, a filling dinner followed by hand-made sopapillas drenched in local honey took care of any calories lost on the day's hikes.
The group had voted to get up early and make up the "postponed" hike through Santa Elena Canyon; but Mother Nature, to no surprise, had a different idea for our final day. In alternating fog, drizzle and pouring rain, peppered with brief teasers of sunlight, we decided it wasn't worth the risk of getting caught on the "wrong" side of the river should flash floods take over the trail again. So, on to another equally amazing venue, without any river crossings.
Boquillas Canyon proved to be an excellent choice. We caught a rare glimpse of a wild horse and an endangered Texas horned toad. Previously common across most of Texas, horned toads are actually lizards that love to eat ants. Housing developments and fire ants have reduced their range to the western fringe of the state. Signs of an earlier civilization are evident along the riverbanks in the form of holes used by Indians to grind corn.
Magnificent sand dunes rest against the looming limestone walls, providing both an intellectual and physical challenge. The strong and brave are welcome to dig their way to the top of the dune and mark a serpentine path as they shriek pure energy on their run/roll down the hill.
The power of the Rio Grande is undeniable as you imagine the force required to move such oversized boulders and the flow level necessary to dump such enormous deposits. Incredibly smooth gouges in the canyon walls tell of powerful aeolian erosion as the wind-born particles sandblast the rock. Picture-perfect faults catch the eye of novice observers as they subconsciously trace the horizontal beds across the geologically dissociated layer cake.
That evening, we celebrated a successful trip with a totally-Texan steak dinner, chased by sautéed bananas topped with vanilla ice cream. Because of the unpredictable performance of the week's weather, the trip leaders decided to strike camp early and spend our last night up at the lodge. A second round of real showers and electric lighting allowed discussion of journal entries, collaboration on assignments and final project design. Of course, since we'd gambled on loading the vans and an uneventful sleep indoors, the huge night sky was filled with incessantly sparkling stars. Nevertheless, a refreshing breeze still cooled our bodies and cleared our minds to make room for memories of an incredible experience in one of natureís most magnificent museums.
The sun painted an intense array of color across the desert as we drove out of the park. Greeted by friends and family, we looked forward to our last few classes, anticipating the opportunity to share our experience through creation of a "living" Web site.
The real world is where theory and practice merge, making sense that leads to understanding. The reason for our trip was to transfer the energy and excitement of a field experience into the classroom. To that end, we have developed a comprehensive Web site to relate our knowledge and new perspective on the inter-relationships of the ecology, geology and man in this environment. Youíre invited to virtually experience our summer 2000 field trip, now available at www.utdallas.edu/dept/sci_ed/torch/bb00_home.html. This site will continue to grow and change as we return to observe the growth and changes in majestic and beautiful desert of Big Bend.