Thursday, January 14, 2021
South Rim Loop Hike | Big Bend National Park, Terlingua, TX
ODOMETER: 82,789 | MILES TRAVELED: 4,844
by Grant
After a restless night we got up at 6am, took the puppies out and loaded up the Jeep in preparation for our big hike.
We got away by 7am and arrived at the Chisos Trail Head just before 8am. We set off on the 15-mile hike with overall elevation gain of over 3,000 feet and the corresponding descent of over 3,000 feet. It is classified as a strenuous hike and that is the truth.
The trail was well marked, but very icy in places. The ice was the most treacherous part of the hike and added a lot of time as we carefully navigated the icy trail sections. We slipped dozens of times, but luckily never fell. Regardless of the ice, the trail was every bit as challenging as we had hoped.
Jana and I had an incredible time. The views ranged from spectacular to majestic. The flora shifted significantly as we changed elevations and we saw some amazing birds, deer and even a Road Runner.
We arrived back at the trailhead at 3pm and were tired, sore and elated! It was probably the best hike both Jana and I have been on together, or independently. So worth the effort!
We headed back to the RV, got there at 4pm and took the puppies back to the dry gulch for one more romp.
We went to the Cottonwood Market for some staples and then headed back to the RV.
I had some chores to do getting ready for our travel day to Carlsbad, NM the next day and Jana took on the monumental task of compiling video and starting to sort photos out.
We both were ready for sleep and Jack and Ellie were pretty settled so we called it a night.
Rim Loop up in Big Bend National Park and knew it would be a big day!
The views ranged from spectacular to majestic. The flora shifted significantly as we changed elevations and we saw some amazing birds, deer and even a Road Runner.
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Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage
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We made trips to get water, fuel and provisions, but apart from that we had to stay on the boat. We passed the time snorkeling (saw a giant moray eel!) and inventing new water sports.
Once we received our exit paperwork, we were finally free to leave for Fiji.
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We are currently sailing the South Pacific to Australia.
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