After we got back from Santa Elena and I deposited Dick back at the campground, I decided I still had time to go see one more attraction. I had decided to leave the following day and wanted to see just one more sight. Well, I'd been hearing from several people about "The Window" and the park map really played it up, so I decided to go see it. I drove to the lodge and found a sign "The Window - 2.5 Miles", so I assumed it was a loop 2.5 miles long with the view somewhere around the halfway point -- boy, was I wrong! I had bought a 'walking stick' from a little girl in Boquillas and I believe that's what got me through this adventure. I started walking sometime around 3:00 -- now, sunset wasn't until around 6:30, so I obviously had plenty of time -- hoho. As I hiked along, I noticed I was continuously going down, down, down -- which meant that at the end, I'd probably end up having to hike up, up, up -- oh well, this was my last adventure so off I went.
After I had hiked abou 25 minutes, I thought I must be getting close -- left below, looks like you're almost at the bottom, right? ... NOT! About that time I came upon a one sign pointing behind me "Lodge - 1 Mile", a second pointing ahead of me "Window - 1.5 Miles", and a third pointing off to the right "Campground - .25 Miles". Big temptation to just head for the campground and hitch a ride back to the lodge, but I was determined. A little later, locals about gave me a heart attack when they popped out of the bushes and jogged across the path in front of me -- about 5-6 Javelinas.
Now, comes the really fun part. First, I met 3 people who told me it was still quite a ways, but well worth the walk. Later, I met a young couple who told me it was still quite a ways, but well worth the walk ... lol. Almost backed out several times, but kept on trudging along. Then, when I saw scenes like that on the left, I thought maybe I was at "The Window" -- not too spectacular, but somewhat picturesque. Then I notice the walkway along the canyon floor. It would go up, then down, then disappear -- look a little further ahead and there it is again ... hmm. Well, I crossed the little creek several times, lost the path a few times, continued to worry about the sun going down, but finally -- "THE WINDOW". In the pictures below, you can see that when you get there, you know for sure you're there.
There was a little sign there that explained that you are now at the top of a very high cliff and those smooth-looking rocks out there are very slippery, so don't try to go up and look over the edge! Probably a good idea, because it was really hard to figure out the scene and the temptation to go up and look was very strong. I got about 30' from the edge and decided to stop. On the left, you see where the little creek flows on out -- probably a neat waterfall from below. Then, below, you can see beyond -- far out and far down. I saw two people walking down there and hollered to them, but they were too far away. Fantastic view, worth the hike, but now it's 4:30 and the adventure really begins -- Scroll down to get [as Paul Harvey would say] the rest of the story.
23. BBNP: The Window
My Travel Log
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When we last saw our happy hiker, he was looking out The Window, the sun was setting, and he was already rather tired from the 2.5 miles in. It was 4:30 and it had taken an hour and a half to get in, so I figured I might see the lodge again sometime around 6:30 or 7 -- or I could just sleep there by the window and maybe be lucky enough to meet some of those mountain lions and black bears the signs keep telling us to watch for. They say to put up your arms and look as large as possible and, if necessary, throw rocks -- but for sure don't run ... hoho ... I can just picture myself fending off a mountain lion ... NOT!
Well, I grabbed my walking stick and started making my way back. The path through the canyon that had been difficult to see on the way in was even harder to follow on the way out. I took several wrong turns and had to retrace my steps and rediscover the path. Well, to make a long story short, I didn't make it -- I gave up and just stopped -- died of exposure right there in the canyon. LOL ... just kidding!
I finally made it out to the flat part in the canyon floor that continued for a mile or so before starting the up, up, up part. About halfway, I caught up with the young couple I had met on the way in. They were bright enough to have brought water and I happily accepted a drink. They had parked in the campground and offered me a ride the last mile if we made it that far.
Well, we all made it -- they gave me a ride back up to the lodge, I went inside and got two cold cokes which I drank forthwith. As I drove the 30 or so miles back to the campground, I thought about the hike to The Window and how it was certainly a memorable way to end my visit to Big Bend National Park.
The next day I broke camp, wiggled the RV out from the grasp of the trees, and drove on down to camp the next night in a real campground in Del Rio, Texas -- with enough electricity to run the microwave, enough water for a real shower, and a cable TV hookup! Boondocking is fun, but it's nice to get back to civilization now and then.
Well, that catches me up to date -- don't expect any more travel notes for at least two weeks. Below, I've included a couple of really pretty BBNP sunset scenes as a parting momento. The first is a look toward Mexico, with a snip of the Rio Grande in the center and a little picturesque cactus in the foreground. The one on the right is a similar view as the Carmen mountains start to turn gold, again with Boquillas, Mexico in the center up against the mountains.
Click any photo for a larger view
