Big Bend Tales

[LandCruisers4Life]

A thread to tell your outback West Texas tales......... Last time I went was 2006, and I posted about it on the Land Rover forum. I'll repost that report here for you all since a BB trip is forthcoming:

BIG BEND
West Texas Outback in our Land Rover Discovery II

This is a short adventure we took over the course of a few days. I wish we had more time to do more but we were pressed. I and my wife met up with friends of ours who were interested in 4 wheeling, even though they didn't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Next time, I am SURE they will !!

We went drove out to Pecos Friday night.. Got a motel room there at 6 am. Wow it was a long drive, I had driven all night. Brian and his wife were there already waiting for us- asleep in their motel room.

We got up Saturday and went to MacDonald Observatory in the Fort Davis mountains. They have that new Hobby-Eberly telescope built etc and it was really impressive. The gift shop in the visitors center was very nice and had a lot of cool stuff there to buy. We spent the afternoon checking things out at the observatory, and then took a nap in the shade outside in the trucks waiting for it to get near to 8pm. We went to an astronomy presentation, and then attended the star party. It was well worth the wait - I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Saturn clearly just like in a picture for the first time in my life. It was a neat experience. Of course the telescope we looked through wasn't your garden variety you can just buy down at the local store either

Afterwards we went down 118 and headed for Terlingua. We had a cabin booked for all of us to stay at "The Chisos Mining Company and Lodge". Not a bad place to jump off to several different places in the area. We wanted to stay at Indian Lodge, but it was a holiday weekend and they were already booked up solid. Ok after a long drive through the dark night we got to the cabin and checked in....

Next morning we headed out to Big Bend to drive the back country. We had the 4 wheel drive Land Rover (Discovery II), but Brian was driving their 2 wheel drive (front wheel drive) Toyota Highlander. It had ground clearance, but didn't have the traction of a 4 wheel drive. We decided most of the trails were fairly tame so we thought to go ahead onto "Black Gap Pass" which is a 4 wheel drive un-improved road. Well it started off okay... Then it got terribly out of their vehicles league. I had to hook them up to the Land Rover with a towing strap and I towed them back out and up the hill to the regular trails... I got pictures hehehe. When I get the pictures onto the computer, I'll try to upload them. The electronic traction control kicked in once or twice and performed as intended which is nice. Once back on the regular back country trails they didn't have anymore real problems. The scenery out there off the beaten path is awesome.

We went back to the cabin that evening and the next day we got up, checked out and drove to Terlingua. Terlingua was a big dissapointment to us. The "Ghost Town" was now inhabited by wierdos and there wasn't really much to it anyway, so we left. We took some pictures of the area, but that was about it. After Terlingua, we went on down to Lajitas to see about the beer drinking goat- Old Henry. Another dissapointment - the bar didn't open til 4pm and we needed to get on the road to come back so we missed the goat. I took some pictures of the saloon and the sign on the hours which didn't make sense because you're thirsty in the mid afternoon when it's HOT, not in the late afternoon after you have already baked your brains in the desert.. Well, the goat will wait for the next trip. My wife got a picture of me looking inside the door to the saloon with a "It's not open?" look on my face.... funny

Last... We went on the scenic drive from Lajitas to Presidio. Did you know that little town was started in the 1600's? We went to Presidio and got information on "Big Bend RANCH State Park" which is down the road west of the National Park. After that we went up to Marfa, took some pictures (too early to see any Marfa Mystery Lights) and then on to Alpine where we stopped for Pizza. Then it was off home driving up 67 to I-10 and across through all the little towns from Ft. Stockton on.

Well that is about it. I hope I can get back out there by next year to drive Black Gap all the way through this time. The Big Bend area of Texas is just full of off roading opportunities, and is open to vehicles of all kinds from mild mannered vehicles like my friend Brians, to the tried and true off road vehicle. Black Gap Pass has gotten progressively worse over the years. I can remember traversing it once 10 years ago and it wasn't that bad. However, this time took some thinking and of course a very capable vehicle to get across a couple of the obstacles I encountered. I only turned around because I had to get my friends vehicle out of there, but I will be back to Black Gap Pass!

Here is some more info I posted:

We stayed at a place called:

Chisos Mining Co. Motel in Terlingua. It's a nice place with little cabins. Not too pricey, and a great jumping off point to all the areas you want to go to.

Call: 1-432-371-2254

Also: Cool*Links

When you go to their web site, that little building is just a store and office. The bungalows are behind there and you can't see them in the picture.

We did MacDonald Observatory, and it was great. Give them a call and ask what day and time they have their STAR PARTY on. They bring out lots of cool telescopes and other stuff. It was the first time I saw Saturn and its rings for REAL through a telescope.

Also don't miss Lajitas and the beer drinking goat, Clay Henry.

The hills were pretty steep and sometimes had to downshift to 3rd, and on the road to the observatory, sometimes into 2nd. The road to MacDonald is the highest in Texas.

We were thinking of going to Big Bend around the same time you're planning your trip. Make sure you all give Black Gap a go over in Big Bend.



I am really interested in this Marfa Mystery Lights thing. I wonder if there's a way to get out into the land surrounding the place to try to 'get a closer look'. I think the land is all privately owned though. They made the area too commercial for me. I have been to Marfa twice to see these lights and the second time it was a circus looking event where they made restrooms etc like a rest stop. I liked the more basic 'primitive' look of it the first time without all the building and other stuff on site. Oh well. Still, I want to get back to Marfa. Make sure you all take binoculars and warm fleece jackets etc as the wind blows there in tumbleweed town.....

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Im surprized they didnt make Black Gap I did the whole thing in a stock F350 2 wheel drive the whole time in 2001.......... There is really no need for 4x4 unless it rains, or your going off the roads into creekbeds and such.... The road must have been washed out... I know when we did it early 2007 they had filled in the best parts with cement to make it even easier what a dissapointment.......

[LandCruisers4Life]

They filled in places with CEMENT? I thought it was supposed to be UN-improved... That is really a dissapointment. When we went in 2006, the northern section had a lot of severe washouts, ravines which could swallow tires etc. We made it over, but even with stacking rocks, my buddies Highlander still almost took of the rear bumper.

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Yea the one section there used to be a 1ft ledge the last time i went through they had filled the ledge with cement and covered it with rock to make it look somewhat natural.. In fact you can see it in the last terlingua video I made you can actualy hear me say OMG they filled it with cement!!!