Texas—Big Bend Country 2007 Desert

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	We visited Big Bend National Park over three days. Instead of a chronological recounting of our activities, we will describe what we observed in the park organized by its three primary environments: desert, river, and mountains. This sign not only marked the north entrance to the park, but was the gateway to the Chihuahuan desert, which makes up the vast majority of Big Bend.
	The Chihuahuan is one of four desert types represented in the United States. The other three are: Great Basin, Mojave, and Sonoran. The black-tailed jack rabbit (Lepus californicus) is a typical mammal of the Chihuahuan desert. Big Bend is one of the largest (over 801,000 acres) and least visited of America’s national parks.
	The Chihuahuan is shrub desert, criss-crossed with arroyos (dry washes) that flood during heavy rains. The fossil bone exhibit near the north entrance displays casts of bones dating from the early Eocene, about 50 million years ago.
	Six miles down the graveled Grapevine Hills road, we hiked the Grapevine Hills trail, a 2.2 round trip into the heart of the park. Spring wildflowers were everywhere.
	The Grapevine Hills are an igneous rock intrusion later exposed by erosion.
	A short climb led to the "Balanced Rock," an iconic feature of Big Bend. Jeff tests the law of gravity.
	Jeff surveys the view from under the Balanced Rock. His T-shirt says: "PRAISE HIM UNDER OPEN SKIES."
	There were few other visitors. When alone on the trail, we felt we had the park to ourselves.
	Creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) and other shrubs are spread throughout the Chihuahuan desert.
	Despite desert conditions, parts of what is today Big Bend National Park were homesteaded by ranchers. Remnants of a few of their buildings remain. Pat walks through the doorway of what had been a one-story adobe house built by Sam Nail and his younger brother Jim in 1916.
	Across the desert we could see several identified geological features, such as these twin peaks, known as the "Mule Ears."
	Several varieties of prickly pear cactus are found in the Chihuahuan desert. Many were blooming at the time of our visit.
	Big Bend has a well-designed system of signage—enough to interpret key features, but not so many as to be intrusive. The Ford Expedition we rented proved to be an excellent vehicle for the highway and for the unimproved roads of Big Bend.
	Dotting the Chihuahuan desert are clusters of ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), which in spring has red flowers on the tips of the stems. The Chisos Mountains can be seen in the background.
	We believe this is the blossom of a hedgehog cactus, but we have no specific identification. It may be the strawberry pitaya (Echinocereus stramineus).
	On our third morning in the park, we drove the fourteen miles (in and out) of the Dagger Flat Auto Trail.
	Near the end of the road, there is a "forest" of giant dagger yuccas (Yucca faxoniana). The dagger yucca was described to us by Park Superintendent Bill Wellman as "the signature plant of the Chihuahuan desert."
	Pat—at 5'3"—demonstrates the height to which the giant dagger yucca can grow.
	The printed guide to the Dagger Flat Auto Trail says that "like all yuccas, the giant dagger depends on the pronuba moth for pollination." We used a variety of publications to guide us on the paved and improved dirt roads and the many trails we hiked.
	We do not know the name of this striking yellow blossom. It is surrounded by spiked lechugilla "leaves," not to be confused with the leaves of the blossoming plant.
	During our spring visit, yellow blossoms were appearing on the creosotebush. In the foreground is a blooming hedgehog cactus.
	Beneath this large ocotillo, Jeff looks for scorpions. Jeff had a "wish list" of animals he wanted to see in Big Bend. Some were seen—others not—but unfortunately, no scorpions.
	The desert floor is a surprising mixture of rocks of all sizes. Widely interspersed are a variety of plants, such as this unidentified composite.

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