Big Bend Weather

Everyone talks about the weather in Big Bend.  How different it is from elevation to elevation.  How quickly it can change.  When hiking we have learned to prepare for cooler temperatures and more wind at the top of the mountains.  Now we have seen the incredible difference when a cold front moves through.  Yesterday it was 80–degrees in the late afternoon as we were making plans to stop for the evening, but it had become very windy and there was a smattering of rain.  This morning it was 29–degrees and there was ice on the cacti and small icicles on the creosote bushes. 

We had planned to leave the park today, but after talking with a ranger about weather conditions to the north (Dallas had 2–inches of ice), we decided to spend another night here while warmer weather moves back in.  We obtained a permit for another backcountry site (K-Bar 2) and, after watching the park introduction movie at the headquarters, we hunkered down at our site with the furnace running for the rest  of the day.  

When we first visited the park in January the introductory movie was not available — some technical difficulty.  However, I think we enjoyed the movie more after having seen the park, than we would have before.  It was interesting to hear the stories and see the pictures of the places we had seen — often from a different vantage point.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we head north and then east — trying to stay far enough south to stay in warm weather.  What a difficult winter this has been all over our nation.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)