Lost Mine Trail

Here is one of our iconic rock formations here at Big Bend -- Casa Grande -- doing what it does best: Looming. (I didn't make that up myself, it's actually in the site bulletin for the trail.) That's all it does pretty much all day long, unless it's shrouded in fog, which happens occasionally. It probably still looms, it's just quiet about it.


Along the way, you come across many varieties of plant and tree life, most of which are pointed out in the site bulletin. This is by far my most favorite one for its character and texture -- the alligator juniper. Its name comes from the similarity in its bark to the hide of an alligator, and is quite close.


Up on top, we look across Juniper Canyon toward the south, taking in the tooth-shaped mountain Elephant Tusk and its companions Backbone Ridge and Dominguez Mountain (l to r). The broad ridge on the right (behind the tree) is Toll Mountain. Funny how the tree on the right's shape mimics the lines of the rock on the left. Huh.


Time for lunch. I chose the point on the far side of the little clump of vegetation for my lunch/nap site. It was off the main trail, so the likelihood of intrusion was at a minimum. It worked great -- I have the sunburn to prove it. (Light breeze, partly cloudy, temps in the 60s -- ahh, Texas!)


On our way back down now, we look across toward The Basin. The campground can be made out in the bottom of the light-colored curve (click to enlarge), with The Window formed by the pointy peak in the center and the mountain on the right. The desert sprawls out a good 4000' below that. What a place, huh? And look at all these trees. Don't tell me there aren't any trees in the desert.