“The Window Trail”
To me, the heart of Big Bend National Park is The Basin
in The Chisos Mountains. Coming from Marathon into the park, The Chisos
Mountains can be seen for at least thirty to forty miles away. When you
finally get to the mountains, the road that goes up into the Chisos rises
from the desert and winds it way up and up through canyons and through
a changing landscape to get to The Basin.
The Basin is like a bowl of several thousand acres surrounded by sheer
mountain walls and bluffs. Up here there are trees, bushes, flowers,
streams, grass, cool air and lots of birds and wildlife. The wildlife
includes muledeer, javalinas, coyotes, black bear and mountain lions.
Up here in the Basin there are camping grounds, cabins, a motel, concession
store and a restaurant. I love to visit here.
Interested? Please sign up here!
There is only one way for all the rain water to drain out
of the Basin and that is west down some winding brushy creek beds and ravines
for several miles to an opening in the mountains, only just several feet
wide, called The Window. The rainwater spills out through this narrow opening
down to the desert floor far below. There is a hiking trail from the camping
grounds down to The Window called The Window Trail.
It is my favorite hiking trail because of the sign at
the beginning of the trail. It sets the tone and gets a person in the
right frame-of-mind to be on a Big Bend hiking trail. I can’t
remember the exact wording of this sign; however it goes something
like this:
| LION WARNING |
| There is a mountain lion that frequents this
trail and could be aggressive toward humans. If you encounter a mountain lion: |
| DO: Throw rocks at it, shout, wave your arms and try to
look big. |
|
DO NOT: Run, scream, try to hide or appear afraid. |
| BE SAFE: Do not take small children on this trail. Do not be on
this trail at dawn, dusk or after dark. |
My painting, The Window Trail, was done while thinking about that sign and the thoughts that go through my head when I am hiking there. I seem to always think that that mountain lion is behind me on the trail and he is following my tracks.
Cheers,
Acree
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